Overview

Year group: 4
Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 25 students
Unit: Journey Through Words
Lesson: 6 of 6
National Curriculum references:

• English – Writing – Composition:
  • Pupils should be taught to
    • Plan their writing by discussing ideas and writing down key vocabulary and phrases (Year 4)
    • Draft and write by composing sentences using dialogue and description (Year 4)
    • Use further organisational and grammatical features to structure texts (Year 4)
• English – Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation:
  • Using varied sentence structures, including dialogue
  • Using figurative language (pathetic fallacy) to convey mood and atmosphere

Learning Objective

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

• Write three sentences that reflect the emotional impact of going to war through the use of pathetic fallacy, noticing sentences, and dialogue.

Success Criteria

• Use dialogue to bring characters’ emotions to life.
• Incorporate emotional vocabulary to express feelings effectively.
• Demonstrate use of pathetic fallacy to mirror the mood.
• Write clear sentences that convey the emotional weight of departure to war.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (8 minutes) – Emotional Recall & Discussion

• Show a carefully selected black-and-white illustration of a family saying goodbye at a railway station during wartime (no text).
• Ask: “How do you think the people in this picture are feeling?” Children describe the emotions they see or imagine.
• Model connecting weather/mood: “Notice the dark clouds looming — how do you think weather can show how someone feels inside?” (introduce ‘pathetic fallacy’ in simple terms: weather or nature reflecting feelings).
• Briefly remind pupils about noticing sentences (sentences that describe what a character is observing or feeling) and dialogue (speech between characters).

National Curriculum link: En3/3.2 Write imaginative narratives and stories with clear descriptions and dialogue.

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2. Mini-Teaching (10 minutes) – Examples & Modelling

• Present three example sentences on the whiteboard related to a soldier leaving for war:

  1. ““I’ll come back safe,” whispered Thomas, but the cold wind seemed to shake his words.” (Dialogue + pathetic fallacy – “cold wind”)
  2. “The sky was draped in heavy grey clouds, mirroring the sadness that filled the station.” (Pathetic fallacy + emotional description)
  3. “She noticed the trembling hands of her mother as the train whistle blew.” (Noticing sentence + emotional language)

• Discuss each sentence with the class, highlighting how the language helps the reader feel the emotions of the characters.

National Curriculum link: En3/2.2 Select vocabulary and grammatical structures that reflect purpose and meaning.

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3. Activity (20 minutes) – Writing Emotional Sentences

• Pupils will write three sentences based on a brief scenario:
  Imagine you are someone saying goodbye to a friend or relative going away to war. Write three sentences that show how you feel.

• They must include:

  • One sentence using dialogue to show feelings
  • One sentence featuring pathetic fallacy (weather or surroundings reflecting emotion)
  • One noticing sentence that shows an emotional observation

• Provide a word bank for emotional vocabulary (e.g., anxious, trembling, heavy, whispered, gloomy) and weather words for pathetic fallacy (e.g., mist, rain, clouds, cold wind).

• Circulate and support pupils with sentence ideas, scaffolding sentence starters if needed.

National Curriculum link: En3/3.1 Write sentences using varied conjunctions and descriptive devices.

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4. Peer Share & Feedback (5 minutes)

• Pupils pair up and share one of their sentences.
• Encourage them to explain why they chose that emotion or weather description.
• Encourage constructive peer feedback based on the success criteria: “Did your sentence make you feel something? How?”

National Curriculum link: En3/1.2 Discuss writing and suggest improvements to vocabulary and grammar.

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5. Plenary (2 minutes) – Reflection

• Recap key points: how dialogue, pathetic fallacy, and noticing sentences help us write emotional stories.
• Ask one or two volunteers to read a sentence aloud to the class to end on a reflective note.

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Resources

• Illustration image (printed or projected) of wartime departure scene
• Whiteboard/flipchart and markers
• Word banks printed for each pupil
• Writing exercise sheets

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Assessment

Formative assessment through:

• Observation during pair sharing and individual writing
• Success criteria checklist to ensure inclusion of dialogue, pathetic fallacy, and emotional language
• Verbal feedback and questioning to gauge understanding of emotional writing techniques

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Differentiation

• Support: Sentence starters provided, one-to-one support with expressing ideas verbally before writing.
• Challenge: Use more complex vocabulary, include similes or metaphors alongside pathetic fallacy for stronger imagery.

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Extension Ideas

• Pupils could create a short illustrated comic strip depicting the emotional farewell incorporating their sentences.
• Dramatic reading and role-play of their dialogue sentences to enhance emotional expression.

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Teacher Tips

• Emphasise emotional empathy to connect pupils with the writing task.
• Encourage use of personal experiences or feelings to inspire authentic sentences.
• Use dramatic pauses and tone when reading out example sentences to model effective emotional communication.

This lesson concludes the "Journey Through Words" unit by combining creativity and emotional literacy, engaging Year 4 pupils with imaginative and empathetic writing rooted in National Curriculum standards.