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Lesson Overview

Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 30 students
Year Group: 5
Subject: English – Narrative Writing
Focus: Creative narrative writing incorporating dialogue that advances action and conveys character, awareness of past and present tense, rich vocabulary, expanded noun phrases, and "show, don’t tell".

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National Curriculum Links

Writing (Year 5)

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Write narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what pupils have read, listened to or seen performed (English NC, Year 5)
  • Use a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs, including adverbials of time and place (EN5WR08)
  • Use expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely (EN5WR09)
  • Use dialogue to convey character and advance the action (EN5WR10)
  • Use paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme (EN5WR07)
  • Use and understand the grammatical terminology accurately (EN5WR14)
• Pupils should develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing
• Revising and editing their writing to improve and enhance vocabulary, grammar and structure (EN5WR15)

Spoken Language (Year 5)

• Participating in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations, and debates (SP5LS03)

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT:
  • Write a creative narrative using past tense narration and present tense dialogue
  • Use dialogue effectively to convey character and advance the plot
  • Employ expanded noun phrases and show-don’t-tell techniques to create vivid settings
  • Develop awareness of the reader’s experience when reading their story

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Success Criteria

• Use past tense for narration with examples of present tense dialogue correctly punctuated
• Include at least two pieces of dialogue that develop characters or push the story forward
• Create detailed noun phrases to describe settings or characters (e.g., "the ancient, crumbling stone tower")
• Apply "show, don’t tell" by describing actions and emotions rather than stating them directly
• Draft a short story segment suitable for animation storyboard purposes
• Attempt self or peer-assessment focusing on clarity and engaging storytelling

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Resources Needed

• Video clips showing different settings (urban, rural, fantasy)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Graphic organiser sheets for recording vocabulary and dialogue examples
• Writing books or lined paper for drafting stories
• Dyslexia-friendly printed guidance sheets (clear font, spacious layout)
• Audio recording device or app (optional, to model dialogue delivery)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Activity:

• Show 2-3 short video clips with vivid settings (e.g., a misty forest, bustling market, eerie abandoned house).
• Ask students to write two short descriptive sentences for the same scene, one using present tense and one in past tense.
• Briefly discuss how tense changes the feeling of the scene.

Purpose: Develop understanding of tense use in narrative and dialogue context.

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2. Teaching Input (15 minutes)

• Recap show, don’t tell with examples: Instead of "he was angry," write "his fists clenched, and his face turned red."
• Introduce expanded noun phrases through examples from the clips and model building phrases in pairs (e.g., replacing "tree" with "towering, gnarled oak tree").
• Explicitly teach dialogue punctuation and how dialogue reveals personality and moves the story forward.

I-AM / Procedural implicit pedagogy focus:

• Teacher models writing dialogue aloud, focusing on tone and emotion; students mime or repeat key actions/intonations to internalise the structure.
• Introduce a simple repetitive dialogue/action pattern (e.g., a character asking questions and another replying with increasing frustration) to build procedural memory.

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3. Guided Practice (15 minutes)

• In pairs or small groups, students choose a setting from the clips and jointly write a short narrative paragraph (5-7 sentences), including:
  • Past tense narration
  • At least two pieces of present-tense dialogue to convey action/character
  • Use of expanded noun phrases
• Teacher provides differentiated support:
  • For SEND students, use prompts with sentence starters and word banks of descriptive phrases
  • For dyslexic learners, provide dyslexia-friendly sheets with visual cues and spacing
• Encourage repetition of sentence structures to embed learning

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4. Independent Writing (15 minutes)

• Students individually draft their own version of the narrative snippet for their animation story. They should focus on:
  • Past tense narration with present tense dialogue
  • Using rich vocabulary and show-don’t-tell techniques
  • Dialogue that moves action forward or reveals character
• Extension for advanced writers: Add a short internal thought or reaction of a character without directly naming the emotion (e.g., "Her stomach tightened as the shadow loomed.")

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5. Plenary and Self-Assessment (5 minutes)

• Invite 3-4 volunteers to read their dialogue aloud, paying attention to expression.
• Quick peer feedback: Is the dialogue believable? Does it help you picture the characters?
• Students tick off the success criteria from their work and note one thing they did well and one thing to improve next time.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For SEND and neurodiverse learners:

  • Use I-AM approach: learning by modelling, repetition, and hands-on tasks rather than heavy verbal explanation.
  • Provide sentence starters and scaffolded writing frames.
  • Use visual aids and physical movement games mimicking dialogue patterns.

• For dyslexic learners:

  • Offer dyslexia-friendly resources (font like OpenDyslexic, coloured overlays if needed).
  • Allow oral rehearsing of dialogue before writing.
  • Break tasks down into manageable chunks with visual step-by-step guides.

• For advanced learners:

  • Challenge with added complexity: using figurative language or varied sentence lengths.
  • Encourage adding subtle character thoughts and emotions via indirect narration.
  • Prompt exploration of more complex dialogue (e.g., implied tension or conflict).

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Assessment & Next Steps

• Formative assessment through observation during pair and individual work and plenary feedback.
• Collect writing samples to assess use of tense, dialogue, and vocabulary against success criteria.
• Use identified gaps to plan future mini-lessons or targeted support.
• Prepare students for next lesson: drafting their animation story with focus on narrative flow and dialogue refinement.

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Reflective Notes for Teachers

• Encourage movement and acting out dialogue routines—this supports implicit procedural learning and benefits neurodiverse learners.
• Emphasise that effective narrative writing is as much about feeling and visualising as about grammar—this lesson balances creativity and structure.
• Use this lesson as a springboard for integrating multimedia creation, linking written stories to animated storytelling.
• Consider audio recording dialogue to further support auditory learners and those who express themselves better verbally.

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Summary:

This lesson uses a blend of direct teaching, modelling, paired work, and independent writing, grounded in the National Curriculum’s narrative writing expectations and the innovative Implicit Arts Method (I-AM). It supports neurodiverse learners through procedural, multi-sensory engagement, ensuring all pupils can meet the core competencies while preparing them for animation storytelling.