First Person Voices

Overview

In this lesson, students learn how diary writing often uses first-person perspective to make feelings and thoughts clear to the reader. They will explore examples of diary entries, identify signals of “I” voice, and discuss how wording creates emotion.

Learning intentions

• Students will recognise that diary narratives are often written in first person (“I”).
• Students will discuss how first-person choices help readers understand character thoughts and feelings.
• Students will plan how to write a short first-person diary paragraph that matches an emotion.
• Students will edit their writing after reading it aloud to check meaning.

Success criteria

• I can explain what first-person perspective means and use “I” sentences.
• I can identify words or phrases that show emotion in a diary example.
• I can write 4–6 sentences in a consistent first-person voice.
• I can read my writing aloud and make changes so the meaning is clear.

Curriculum links

• Writing – composition: plan their writing by discussing and recording ideas.
• Writing – composition: draft and write narratives with settings, characters and plot.
• Writing – composition: evaluate and edit by reading aloud to a group, controlling intonation and tone so meaning is clear.
• Writing – composition: draft and write in narratives that include appropriate vocabulary and grammar for the voice.

Lesson structure (55 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Starter: “Who’s speaking?” Teacher displays two short diary lines on the board (one uses “I”, one uses “he/she”); students hold up a mini whiteboard showing “Me (I)” or “Someone else”. Teacher asks one follow-up: “What words helped you decide?”

2. 7–15 min · Mini teach: first-person “I” voice Teacher models a quick transformation: reads the “he” sentence and converts it into an “I” sentence, emphasising how the wording changes what the reader knows. Students join in repeating sentence starters: “I feel…”, “I think…”, “I noticed…”, “I remember…”.

3. 15–28 min · Guided analysis: emotion in diaries In small groups, students read two different diary entries about similar events (e.g., being left out / finding a kind person). Teacher prompts discussion with questions: “Where do you see first-person? What words show feelings? How do we know whether the character is worried, hopeful, angry, or sad?” Teacher records key emotion phrases on a class chart (e.g., “my stomach turned”, “I couldn’t stop thinking”, “I was relieved”).

4. 28–38 min · Shared planning: short diary paragraph Teacher gives a simple scenario linked to the unit theme (e.g., “Tonight you hear footsteps in the hall” or “You receive news from a grown-up”). Students choose one emotion from a prepared list and complete a planning frame:

• I am… (character name)
• Tonight I… (what happened)
• I feel… (emotion)
• Because… (reason) Students discuss in pairs, then teacher checks plans against success criteria (clear “I”, consistent voice, at least one emotion phrase).

5. 38–48 min · Independent draft: 4–6 sentences Students write their diary paragraph in first person. Teacher circulates, prompts consistency (“Keep it as ‘I’—not ‘he/she’”), and supports students who need extra help using sentence stems and an emotion word bank.

6. 48–55 min · Read-aloud editing: make meaning clear Students in groups of 2 read their diary aloud to a partner, using appropriate intonation to match the emotion (slower for worry, brighter for relief). Partners give one improvement suggestion using a stem: “I understood your feelings when you said…”. Students then make one final edit to improve clarity.

Resources

• Printed diary extracts (two short examples per group)
• Emotion word bank and “I feel/I think/I noticed/I remember” sentence starters
• Planning frame sheet (character, event, feeling, reason)
• Mini whiteboards or cards for “I” vs “someone else”
• Pencils and paper
• Chart paper for class emotion phrases
• Timer

Assessment

• Early check in the starter: students correctly identify the perspective and justify with evidence.
• During guided analysis: teacher listens for students naming emotional language and linking it to the first-person voice.
• During read-aloud editing: teacher notes whether students maintain consistent “I” voice and whether intonation supports meaning.
• Quick observation at the end: each student can point to one sentence that shows their emotion.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters and a limited emotion choice list; offer a filled-in model planning frame for students who need it.
• Support for writing: use a “checklist” next to the writing space (“Have I used ‘I’?” “Did I include a feeling word?” “Did I say why?”).
• Extension: challenge students to add one additional first-person detail (a memory, a bodily reaction, or a thought) and to vary sentence openings (e.g., “Later…”, “Suddenly…”).
• EAL/SEN: allow oral rehearsal with a partner before writing; provide a word bank with simple connectives (“because”, “so”, “but”) and short phrases showing feeling.