Planning Boxton’s Diary

Overview

Unit: Diary Writing Adventures (Lesson 2 of 5)
Duration: 45 minutes
Class: Year 2
Number of students: 29
Topic: Planning a diary entry from the perspective of Boxton the rat during the Great Fire of London

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National Curriculum Links (England, KS1 – English)

• Writing - composition:
  • Begin to develop positive attitudes towards writing by writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) (NC PoS - Writing, Year 2)
  • Write for different purposes (including fiction, nonfiction, poetry) (NC PoS)
  • Plan or say out loud what they are going to write about (NC PoS)
• Spoken Language:
  • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates (spoken language Year 2)
• Speaking & Listening:
  • Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions (to prepare ideas for writing)
• Composition:
  • Sequencing sentences to form short narratives

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT plan a diary entry by sequencing key events from the Great Fire of London from Boxton’s perspective.
• WALT identify important main ideas and detailed events to include in our writing.
• WALT organise our ideas clearly using a structured planning tool.

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Success Criteria

• I can recall key events from the Great Fire of London.
• I can select three main events to include in my diary.
• I can sequence these events in the correct order.
• I can write simple notes for each event in a planning box.
• I can work with a partner to discuss my ideas.

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Resources

• Visual timeline of the Great Fire of London (simple images/phrases)
• Character prompt sheet for Boxton the rat (including emotions and possible experiences)
• Planning sheet with three large boxes (for weaker writers, using more visual prompts)
• Lined paper for advanced learners to write expanded plans
• Whiteboard and sticky notes
• Word bank with sentence starters (e.g., “I saw…”, “I felt…”, “First…”, “Then…”)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes)

• Activity: Quick recap and retrieval
  • Show images from the Great Fire of London timeline. Ask pupils to recall what they remember from last lesson about the event and Boxton the rat’s role.
  • Use cold calling to elicit short oral responses (e.g., “What happened first?” “How might Boxton feel?”).
• Differentiation: Children who need support can point to images or use BSL signs (if taught) to express ideas.

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2. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Explanation:
  • Explain that today we will be planning a diary entry, imagining Boxton writing about his day during the fire.
  • Model how to identify and sequence three key events Boxton might include (e.g., first seeing the fire, escaping through the streets, meeting other animals).
  • Display a sample planning box with notes.
• Teacher modelling: Write notes aloud using simple sentences and key words.

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3. Main Activity (20 minutes)

• Independent/paired work:
  • Pupils work in pairs or small groups to identify and sequence three key events for Boxton’s diary.
  • Children with additional support use the planning sheet with three boxes, supported by the teacher or teaching assistant (TA). Each box should have one key event and picture prompts.
  • Advanced learners challenge: add descriptive notes about Boxton’s feelings or surroundings using the lined paper.
• Teacher role: Circulate, prompt language use, scaffold sequencing with question prompts:
  • “What happened first, next and last?”
  • “How do you think Boxton felt during this event?”
  • “Can you use one of the sentence starters in the word bank?”

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4. Plenary (10 minutes)

• Group sharing:
  • Invite a few pairs and individuals to share their three-event plan with the class or in smaller groups.
  • Provide positive feedback linked to success criteria (e.g., “I like how you put the events in the right order!”)
• Self-assessment:
  • Pupils tick which success criteria they achieved.
• Next steps: Introduce that in the next lesson, they will begin writing Boxton’s first diary paragraph based on today’s plan.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Support: Planning sheets with visuals, sentence starters, and reduced cognitive load (3-step sequencing only). TA support available.
• Higher ability: Write expanded descriptions and show understanding of feelings and setting. Encourage use of more complex vocabulary.
• EAL/SEN: Use picture prompts, sentence starters, and one-to-one adult support. Pre-teach key vocabulary related to fire/firefighting and emotions (e.g., scared, frightened, smoky).
• Peer support: Pair more confident writers with those needing additional help for collaborative planning.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Teacher observations during paired discussions and planning activities.
• Check completed planning sheets for sequence accuracy and inclusion of key events.
• Use pupil self-assessments and plenary sharing to evaluate understanding.

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Extension Activities

• Create a short comic strip or storyboard of Boxton’s diary events for visual learners and more creative expression.
• Use role play where pupils act out Boxton’s day and orally share what they would write next.
• Use a simple digital tool (if available) for advanced learners to create a digital storyboard or presentation of their diary plan.

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Homework Suggestion

• Ask pupils to talk to someone at home about key events of the Great Fire of London and how they might feel if they were Boxton the rat. They can bring back ideas to add to their diary writing next lesson.

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This lesson plan carefully integrates the National Curriculum requirements for Year 2 English writing and spoken language while bringing history and creativity together in an engaging and inclusive way. It scaffolds learning effectively ensuring all learners can access the task and be supported towards success.