Narrative Structure & Dialogue

Overview

This 60-minute lesson introduces Year 5 pupils to narrative structure and the role of dialogue within stories, using animations and a story mountain framework for visual and procedural learning. Following the National Curriculum for England’s English programme of study, the lesson capitalises on the Implicit Arts Method (I-AM), supporting neurodiverse learners through visual, kinesthetic, and procedural activities.

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Curriculum Links

National Curriculum Objectives (Year 5 English)

• Identify and discuss themes and conventions in a range of books (Reading: comprehension)
• Plan their writing by discussing and recording ideas (Writing: composition)
• Use dialogue to convey character and advance the action (Writing: composition)
• Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by discussing understanding and exploring meaning (Reading)

Teacher Assessment Focus

• Can the pupil identify different parts of a story’s structure?
• Can they plan their own narrative using a story mountain?
• Can the pupil use dialogue purposefully in story planning?

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand story structure (beginning, build-up, dilemma, resolution, ending)
• Identify dialogue’s role in stories
• Plan a story using an annotated storyboard aligned to story mountain structure

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Success Criteria

• I can explain the parts of a story mountain.
• I can identify dialogue in animation clips.
• I can plan a story in 3–6 scenes using a storyboard app reflecting story mountain structure.
• I can use dialogue in my storyboard to show character and action.

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Resources

• Story mountain visual display (large poster or digital slide)
• 2-3 short age-appropriate animations (3–4 minutes each) without heavy verbal description
• Tablets or laptops with an intuitive storyboard app (e.g. Toontastic or simple drag/drop platforms)
• Printed story mountain frames and writing templates for paper alternative
• Dyslexia-friendly font handouts with story terminology
• I-AM workshop toolkit: coloured pencils, sticky notes, character masks, flip books materials (optional physical animation props)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes) – Activate Prior Knowledge & Introduce Story Mountain

• Engage: Ask pupils about their favourite stories (or animations) and what makes stories exciting.
• Show a large colourful story mountain poster: explain parts (Beginning – Build-up – Dilemma – Resolution – Ending). Use visually rich examples (icons for each stage).
• Use a concise, step-by-step I-AM routine: Teacher models moving a character icon up the story mountain while explaining parts, highlighting progression and tension build-up.

SEND Adaptation: Provide printed story mountain with visual symbols and key vocabulary in dyslexia-friendly font. Use physical story mountains with movable parts for tactile learners.

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2. Main Activity Part 1 (15 minutes) – Watch & Map Animations to Story Mountain

• Show 2 short animations (approx. 3 minutes each) carefully selected to have clear story elements and minimal dialogue, supporting procedural learning.
• After each animation, guide pupils collectively to identify parts of the story on the story mountain using a large shared display or digital whiteboard.
• Use an interactive I-AM routine: pupils physically move icons or cards representing scenes to the appropriate mountain part. Repeat the routine for the second animation to embed learning.

SEND Adaptation: Provide printed pause cards with simplified comprehension questions; allow frequent breaks; use visuals to scaffold. Use headphones to reduce sensory distractions if needed.

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3. Main Activity Part 2 (25 minutes) – Story Planning with Annotated Storyboard

• Explain that pupils will plan their own stories using a storyboard — 3 to 6 scenes — following the story mountain structure.
• Model an example of a simple annotated storyboard with dialogue bubbles and notes, making connections to the story mountain stages.
• Using tablets/ipads or printed templates, pupils create their own storyboards, adding notes for dialogue and key story points (beginning, build-up, dilemma, resolution, ending). Encourage creativity, offering character mask props or drawing tools if desired.

I-AM Elements Incorporated:

• Repetitive structure of scenes encourages procedural memory and predictability.
• Multimodal input: visual (storyboard), kinesthetic (drawing/planning), social (small group sharing).
• Modeling through teacher exemplar and peer sharing to reduce cognitive load.

SEND Adaptation: Offer scribing support or voice-to-text apps for pupils struggling to write. Limit number of scenes to 3 for some learners. Provide sentence starters for dialogue bubbles.

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4. Plenary & Reflection (10 minutes) – Sharing & Consolidation

• Pupils share their storyboard plans in pairs or small groups, focusing on the story mountain structure and example dialogue.
• Use a 3-2-1 reflection method:
  • 3 parts of the story mountain they remember
  • 2 things about how dialogue helps stories
  • 1 thing they enjoyed about planning their story
• Teacher collects feedback and displays exemplar storyboards digitally or physically to inspire peers.

SEND Adaptation: Allow pupils to present using communication aids or pre-prepared notes. Support quieter pupils by pairing with a buddy.

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Differentiation

Level of Support/Challenge	Strategy	SEND Considerations
Lower Support	Use 3-scene storyboards, sentence starters, scribe	Reduce cognitive load, use visuals and repeated routines
Mainstream	Full 3-6 scene storyboard planning, peer sharing	Access to standard templates and apps
Higher Ability	Extend storyboard with additional scenes, create short dialogue scripts	Challenge with more complex story dilemmas, extended dialogue

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Extension Activities

• Pupils create a simple flipbook animation of one storyboard scene, physically bringing narrative structure to life.
• Write a short script for dialogue to accompany one planned scene.
• Develop a second storyboard showing a different point of view or alternative dilemma/outcome.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observing pupil participation when mapping stories to story mountains.
• Reviewing annotated storyboards for correct story structure use and inclusion of dialogue.
• Listening to explanations during paired sharing for understanding of story parts and dialogue purpose.

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SEND Adaptations Summary

• Use low language, high visual scaffolds (story mountain posters, icons) to aid comprehension.
• Procedural, repeated actions modelled to reduce verbal instruction.
• Use technology with voice-to-text, text-to-speech, and dyslexia-friendly fonts.
• Provide physical, hands-on materials (character masks, flip books) for kinaesthetic learners.
• Flexible grouping and support from teaching assistants or peer buddies.

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Teacher Reflection Questions

• Were pupils able to independently identify and map elements of story structure?
• Did the multimodal I-AM approach engage neurodiverse learners effectively?
• What modifications enhanced access for SEND pupils?
• How confident are pupils incorporating dialogue into their story planning?

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This lesson transforms the teaching of narrative through animation, scaffolding complex narrative concepts with procedural implicit pedagogy and multimodal, arts-based approaches. It provides an inclusive, engaging, and curriculum-aligned English experience that empowers every learner to succeed.