Varjak Emotions

Overview

In this lesson (4 of 20) from “Adventures with Varjak Paw”, students explore Varjak’s emotions and motivations across chapters 2–6. They will practise choosing precise vocabulary and using cohesive links to express feelings clearly in writing.

Learning intentions

• WALT: Discuss Varjak’s feelings and what might be driving his actions in chapters 2–6.
• WALT: Use vocabulary related to emotions to describe thoughts and reactions.
• WALT: Write a short diary entry that uses appropriate layout, punctuation, and cohesive devices to link ideas across sentences and paragraphs.
• WALT: Identify synonyms and antonyms to upgrade emotion vocabulary (for example, angry/irritated vs angry/calm).

Success criteria

• I can name Varjak’s emotions at key moments and explain why he feels that way.
• I can write sentences that show feelings using specific emotion vocabulary.
• I can improve my diary entry by replacing repeated words with synonyms and adding contrast or cause using adverbials.
• I can punctuate my diary entry clearly (including correct sentence boundaries and lists if I include them).

Curriculum links

• Linking ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices, repetition, grammatical connections, and ellipsis.
• How words are related by meaning as synonyms and antonyms.
• Layout devices to structure text.
• Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation: subject and object awareness to support accurate sentence writing (e.g., “Varjak felt fear” / “Fear gripped Varjak”).
• Punctuation of bullet points to list information (optional in planning).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval hook Teacher displays 3 emotion words from last lesson (e.g., “lonely”, “hopeful”, “confused”) and asks: “Which chapter moment best matches each emotion, and what did Varjak do afterwards?” Students turn and talk, then share one moment for one emotion.

2. 5–15 min · Direct teach: emotion evidence Teacher models with one short excerpt-style prompt: “In chapter __, Varjak __, so he might be feeling __.” Teacher explicitly teaches how to move from vague to specific feelings (e.g., “sad” → “homesick”, “anxious”, “downcast”), and how to use synonyms/antonyms to avoid repetition. Students sort an “emotion cause” example into: Emotion → Evidence (what happened) → Motivation (what he wants/needs).

3. 15–25 min · Guided practice: character emotion cards Teacher gives each pair a set of character emotion cards (feelings and possible motivations). Students match cards to 3 key events from chapters 2–6, recording their choices using a simple plan:

• Emotion:
• Evidence:
• Why it matters to Varjak: If using bullet points, teacher reminds students about correct bullet punctuation and clear layout.

4. 25–40 min · Independent writing: diary entry Teacher sets the task: “Write a diary entry as Varjak from his perspective, covering one day or one continuous period across chapters 2–6. Include at least 3 different emotions and explain what triggers them.” Students write in their books using a clear diary layout (date/headings if they choose). They must include:

• One sentence with an emotion vocabulary upgrade (synonym or antonym choice).
• One sentence that uses a cohesive link (contrast like “however/on the other hand” or cause like “because/as a consequence”).
• At least one ellipsis or intentional omission to show thought flow (e.g., trailing thoughts).

5. 40–50 min · Teacher conferencing + grammar focus Teacher circulates with a checklist: emotion precision, evidence clarity, and sentence control. Students revise one sentence based on feedback, ensuring subject/object accuracy (e.g., making sure the “doer” of the feeling is clear).

6. 50–57 min · Share and respond Teacher invites 3 volunteers to read short excerpts (no whole entries yet). Class listens for: “What emotion is shown?” and “What evidence/motivation is given?” Students give one improvement suggestion using a sentence stem.

7. 57–60 min · Exit ticket Students complete: “Varjak felt ___ because ___. In my writing I used ___ to link ideas.” Teacher quickly checks responses for emotion specificity and cohesive linking.

Resources

• Character emotion cards (emotion + motivation pairings)
• “Emotion evidence” planning sheet (template)
• Sentence stems (emotion → evidence → motivation; cohesive links like however/because/as a consequence)
• Exemplar diary entry short paragraph (teacher-made, not a full model)
• Highlighters or colour-coding for emotions and evidence
• Timer and writing checklist
• Marking pens for self/peer revision

Assessment

• Formative checks during card sorting: correct linking of emotion to evidence.
• Teacher conferencing during writing: vocabulary precision and sentence clarity.
• Exit ticket review: identifies emotion clarity and at least one cohesive device used.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters and an emotion bank; allow students to choose from 6–10 emotions on the cards instead of the full set.
• Support: Offer a “fill-the-blanks” model sentence structure for diary entries (e.g., “Today I felt __ because __.”).
• Support for EAL: Encourage students to draw a quick “emotion timeline” first, then write 3 short sentences before expanding.
• Challenge/extension (as per teacher request): For students ready, add an additional emotional shift with contrast (e.g., “However, …”) and replace one repeated emotion word with a synonym/antonym.

Extension (optional)

• Write a diary entry from Varjak’s perspective that includes two paragraphs: Paragraph 1 focuses on one event and emotion; Paragraph 2 focuses on a contrasting event and emotion. Students must deliberately include either repetition of a key phrase or an ellipsis to create a natural diary voice.