Holiday Senses Recount

Overview

This 45-minute session will guide Year 5 pupils in writing recounts about a memorable holiday experience. The focus is on incorporating sensory details and literary techniques to make their writing vivid and engaging. The lesson supports the National Curriculum for England (2014) requirements for English: writing, composition, and vocabulary development.

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National Curriculum Links

• English – Writing – Composition

  • Plan their writing by discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write, and identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing
  • Draft and write by composing and rehearsing sentences orally, progressively building a varied sentence structure
  • Evaluate and edit by assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing, suggesting improvements through enhanced vocabulary and grammar

• English – Writing – Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation

  • Use expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely
  • Use fronted adverbials to indicate time and place
  • Use commas after fronted adverbials

• English – Reading – Comprehension

  • Retrieve and record information from non-fiction

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

1. Understand the features and purpose of a recount text based on personal experience.
2. Use sensory details (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to enhance descriptive writing.
3. Apply literary techniques such as expanded noun phrases, alliteration, and fronted adverbials to improve their recounts.
4. Plan a short recount text focusing on a holiday, using their senses to evoke atmosphere.

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Success Criteria

• I can identify key features of a recount text.
• I can describe a holiday experience using at least three senses.
• I can include expanded noun phrases and fronted adverbials to make my writing more interesting.
• I can plan my recount before I write.

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Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Sensory word banks (printed sheets for each pupil)
• Writing paper / exercise books
• Example recount texts (age-appropriate)
• Large world map or globe (optional, for holiday inspiration)

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Lesson Structure

1. Engage & Explain (10 minutes)

• Begin by asking pupils to close their eyes and think about a holiday they have been on. Prompt with:
  “What can you remember seeing? Hearing? Tasting? Smelling? Touching?”
• Show an example of a simple recount text about a holiday, highlighting sensory details and literary techniques in different colours on the board.
• Briefly review the purpose of a recount: to tell someone about what happened in the past in the order it happened.
• Highlight key features: first person, past tense, paragraphs, and use of time connectives (e.g., first, then, finally).

2. Explore Sensory Language & Literary Techniques (10 minutes)

• Distribute sensory word banks listing adjectives and phrases linked to five senses.
• Model how to add sensory detail and literary techniques:
  • Expanded noun phrases (e.g., the salty, foaming sea)
  • Alliteration (e.g., sandy shores shimmered in the sunlight)
  • Fronted adverbials (e.g., Early in the morning, I heard the birds singing)
• In pairs, pupils choose a sensory word/phrase and create a sentence about their chosen holiday. Share a few aloud.

3. Plan & Draft (15 minutes)

• Pupils write a brief plan on their paper:
  1. Which holiday they will write about.
  2. At least three senses they want to include.
  3. One example of a literary technique for each sensory detail.
• Support pupils by circulating, asking prompting questions:
  • “What did you see/hear/smell? Can you use an expanded noun phrase here?”
  • “How did this make you feel? Can you add a fronted adverbial?”
• Pupils write the opening paragraph of their recount using their plan, focusing on vivid sensory details and correct past tense.

4. Review & Reflect (10 minutes)

• Invite 3-4 volunteers to share their paragraphs.
• Whole class feedback: identify strong sensory language and use of literary techniques.
• Teacher models a possible improvement, e.g., adding a fronted adverbial or stretching an expanded noun phrase.
• Explain the homework: to finish the recount at home, remembering to include sensory details and literary devices.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Continuous formative assessment during paired work and writing time, using questioning to gauge understanding and provide scaffolding.
• Mark opening paragraph focusing on: use of sensory language, literary techniques, past tense accuracy, and structure.
• Provide written feedback highlighting one strength and one next step (e.g., "Great use of expanded noun phrases! Next time, try adding more fronted adverbials to vary sentence starters.")

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters and additional sensory word prompts. One-to-one support as needed for lower-attaining pupils.
• Challenge: Encourage higher-attaining pupils to include similes/metaphors or more complex sentence structures.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a ‘holiday senses’ classroom display featuring phrases and examples from pupils’ writing.
• Pupils illustrate a scene from their holiday to accompany their recount.
• Use a world map to mark where holidays took place, discussing cultural or geographical differences to broaden context.

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This lesson plan offers a multisensory, interactive writing experience closely aligned with the National Curriculum requirements for Year 5 English. It uses engaging activities to develop pupils’ descriptive writing, ensuring they gain confidence in recount texts while experimenting with language and structure.