Focus Narrative:

Adventure stories

Key Text/Stimulus:

Starry Skies (Animation)🔗

Writing Outcomes:

Overview

Children use Starry Skies by Sarah Schmidt as inspiration for descriptive and narrative writing. They explore how authors create atmosphere, develop characters and bring magical settings to life before writing their own scene based on the animation.

Writing Tasks (Independent & Edited)

Character Description – Write a detailed description of the mysterious traveller, describing their appearance, movements, feelings and any magical qualities using ambitious vocabulary.

Setting Description – Describe the magical night sky, bringing the stars, moon, clouds and constellations to life through rich sensory language and carefully chosen adjectives and verbs.

Narrative Scene – Write the exciting scene where the traveller flies through the constellations. Describe the journey, the magical creatures or patterns they encounter, and how the experience makes the character feel. (Excerpt from The Firework Maker's Daughter - Firework Contest - as descriptive example)

Writing Focus

Use expanded noun phrases, ambitious vocabulary and powerful verbs to create vivid descriptions. Organise ideas clearly, vary sentence openings and use conjunctions to extend sentences. Punctuate accurately using capital letters, full stops, commas and apostrophes where appropriate.

Acting story of Starry Skies

Hot-seating

Focus Grammar

• Expanded noun phrases to expand and specify
• Full stop, capital letters, exclamation marks, question marks
• Questions, commands, exclamations, statements
• Commas in a list
• Apostrophe to contract
• Apostrophe to mark singular possession

Focus Non-Narrative:Persuasive writingKey Text/Stimulus:Starry Skies Shadow Puppet Show (Art)

Writing Outcome:

Overview

Children explore how posters use words and pictures to persuade people to attend an event. They will identify the features of simple persuasive texts before creating a poster to advertise their Starry Skies shadow puppet show.

Writing Task (Independent & Edited)

Write the text for a persuasive poster encouraging people to come and watch your Starry Skies shadow puppet show. Include a catchy title, simple reasons why the show will be exciting, and a clear message telling people when and where to come.

Writing Focus

Use exciting adjectives and persuasive words to encourage the reader. Write clear sentences using conjunctions such as and, because and so, and include commands and exclamation marks to grab attention. Use capital letters, full stops, finger spaces and accurate spelling of common words.

Cross-curriculum support genres:

Information Texts

Non-Chronological Reports

Pathway: Shadow Puppets🔗

Artists use their creative skills to re-see and re-imagine the world. Explore how you can transform a familiar object into new and fun forms.

Disciplines:

Making, Drawing, Sketchbooks

Medium:

Paper, Construction Materials

Artists:

Lotte Reiniger, Matisse, Wayang Shadow Puppets, Phillipp Otto Runge, Pippa Dyrlaga, Thomas Witte

Acting with puppets

Context Link:

Make links between the English (narrative) and Art by encouraging children to think about how key characters, settings and events from Starry Skies can be represented through shadow puppets. As they plan and write, discuss how descriptive language, dialogue and action can be brought to life through movement, silhouette and performance, helping children to visualise how their stories could be retold as a shadow puppet show.

How can artists take ideas from other cultures and make them their own?Artists often look at traditions like Malaysian shadow puppets or the work of Lotte Reiniger for inspiration. They then use their own ideas, tools, and materials to create something personal that reflects their culture or story.

How do artists improve their art and design skills?Artists improve their skills by practising different techniques like drawing, cutting, and joining materials. They test out ideas, make changes, and think carefully about how to make their work better each time.

Silhouette – A dark shape or outline of something, often shown against a light background.

Articulate – To make parts move using joints (e.g. split pins).

Influence – An idea or style that inspires an artist’s own work.

What does Sanatanis believe about Brahman? That Brahman can appear in many different ways but is always the one supreme being. He is present in the Trimurti and all other deities.

Who do Sanatanis believe Shiva and Parvati to be?They are believed to be parents to Ganesha. Due to him not realising Ganesha was his son, Shiva cut off his head so replaced it with the head of the nearest sleeping animal which was an elephant. He also granted Ganesha great wisdom and a power to remove any obstacles that come in the way of all people who truly worship him.

Who do Sanatanis believe Lakshmii to be? Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and good fortune. She is also the wife of Vishnu.

Brahman – The one supreme being in Hinduism, who can appear in many forms but is always the same ultimate power.

Deity – A god or goddess worshipped in Hinduism, such as Shiva, Parvati, or Lakshmi.

Trimurti – The three main forms of Brahman: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the protector), and Shiva (the destroyer).

Ganesha – The elephant-headed god, son of Shiva and Parvati, known as the remover of obstacles and giver of wisdom.

Lakshmi – The goddess of wealth and good fortune, and wife of Vishnu.

Computing systems and networks 1

Networks 🔗

Developing an understanding of computer networks by learning how devices communicate and share information.

Online Safety

Lesson 1: Beliefs, opinions and facts on the internet 🔗

Identifying the difference between fact, opinion and belief.

Start With Playing

Pathway: adding percussive layers to build to texture in our songs 🔗

In this unit, we continue to see the importance of developing and internalising a secure sense of pulse for successful music-making. Pupils combine their knowledge of pulse, beat, and rhythm to create rhythmic layers under songs. We build on pupils' previous experience of singing with a simple rhythmic ostinato as the second part, moving these additional layers onto untuned percussion. Pupils rehearse each layer of the piece separately, developing their understanding of how to practise and rehearse effectively for future ensemble units.