Focus Narrative:

Mini-Saga (100 words) 🔗

Key Text/Stimulus:

Kensuke's Kingdom

Writing Outcome:

Overview

Using Kensuke's Kingdom as inspiration, pupils explore themes of isolation, survival, and unexpected friendship. They will focus on how small, powerful moments can reveal big emotions and changes in a character’s perspective, just as Michael experiences on the island.

Writing Task

Write a mini-saga (exactly 100 words) describing a moment where a character discovers they are not alone in a remote or unfamiliar place. This could be inspired by a meeting, a sound, or a sign of life. The focus should be on capturing the tension and emotion of that moment.

Writing Focus

Use precise vocabulary and carefully chosen details to convey atmosphere and emotion within a limited word count. Show a shift in the character’s thoughts or feelings, using subtle clues rather than direct explanation. Vary sentence structures for impact, and ensure cohesion by linking ideas smoothly so the narrative feels complete despite its brevity.

Focus Grammar

• Revisit previous content

Hot-seating as characters

Freeze frame

Conscience alley

Focus Non-Narrative:Non-chronological reports 🔗

Key Text/Stimulus:

Ancient Maya (History)

Writing Outcome:

Overview

As publishers working for Portal Publishing, you have been commissioned to create an in-depth non-chronological report about the Ancient Maya civilisation. Your report will be used to inform a new educational book in the 'Book of Wonders' series to be written by Regina Flowerton. it will inform readers about how the Maya lived, what they believed, and the legacy they left behind. You will need to present clear, organised information that engages and informs your audience.

Writing Task

Write a detailed non-chronological report about the Ancient Maya. Your report should include sections such as location and environment, society and hierarchy, achievements (e.g. writing, maths, architecture), daily life, and beliefs (including gods and rituals). Use clear headings and organise your ideas so that each section provides precise and relevant information for the reader.

Writing Focus

Use formal, factual language and maintain an appropriate tone throughout. Organise ideas into clear sections with headings and subheadings, ensuring cohesion across paragraphs by linking ideas within and between sections. Use expanded noun phrases (e.g. the advanced Maya civilisation of Central America), relative clauses, and technical vocabulary accurately. Include a range of sentence structures to explain, describe, and inform, and ensure clarity through careful use of conjunctions and topic sentences. Proofread to check for accuracy, consistency, and cohesion.

Cross-curriculum support genres:

Recounts (diary or letter)

Pathway: 2D Drawing to 3D Making 🔗

This pathway contains two choices: 1) working towards a piece of sculpture, or 2) working towards graphic design/packaging. Both options allow children to explore the idea that drawing as a 2 dimensional activity can be used to transform surfaces which can then be manipulated into a 3 dimensional object.

Disciplines:

Drawing, Sculpture, Graphic Design, Collage, Sketchbooks

Medium:

Card, Paper, Drawing materials.

Artists:

Lubaina Himid, Claire Harrup

Feedback/critique work

How can artists turn a 2D drawing into a 3D sculpture?

Artists begin with a 2D drawing to plan ideas, shapes, and structure, then use this as a guide to build a 3D form by manipulating materials such as wire, card, or clay. They translate lines and shapes into structures, considering balance, form, and how the sculpture stands and occupies space.

Structure – The way a sculpture is built and held together.

Form – The 3D shape of an object, including its height, width, and depth.

Armature – A framework used to support a sculpture while it is being made.

Context Link

Working as Publishers supporting Regina Flowerton, the children have been commissioned to research the Ancient Maya for her new Book of Wonders. They will explore key aspects of Maya civilisation, gathering and organising information to help Regina create an engaging and informative publication. The publishers will present and feedback to Regina in person.

Cross Curricular Writing Opportunity:

As researchers working for Portal Publishing, you will create a non-chronological report about the Ancient Maya to inform a new educational feature, linking your history learning with your writing skills. Your report should clearly explain key aspects such as where the Maya lived, their society, achievements, daily life, and beliefs, using organised sections and clear headings. Focus on writing in a formal, factual tone, using subject-specific vocabulary, expanded noun phrases, and cohesive links between ideas so that your information is clear, accurate, and easy for the reader to follow.

Cross Curricular Writing Opportunity:

As writers contributing to The Book of Wonders for Regina Flowerton, you will step into the role of an Ancient Maya person and write a recount in the form of a diary entry or letter, describing a day in your life. Drawing on your history learning, include details about Maya society, daily routines, beliefs, or rituals, while carefully shaping your writing for a modern audience who will read and learn from your account. Focus on balancing an authentic first-person voice with clear explanations, selecting details and vocabulary that help today’s reader understand your experiences, and using cohesion to guide the reader smoothly through your recount.

How was life in Mayan society different from life in Britain at the same time?Around AD 900, the Mayans had developed writing, mathematics, astronomy, and complex religious beliefs. Their cities were carefully planned and built from stone, with palaces, pyramids, and ball courts. In contrast, Anglo-Saxon Britain had mostly wooden buildings, no writing system of its own, and a different way of ruling and living. Comparing these societies helps us understand how cultures can develop in very different ways.

What questions can we ask about Mayan civilisation and why it changed?Historians ask why many great Mayan cities were abandoned after AD 900 and what caused these changes. Some think it was because of drought, war, or food shortages. Asking questions about change, cause and consequence helps us investigate why the past happened the way it did. It also shows that civilisations can rise and fall for many different reasons.

What does Mayan art and culture tell us about their civilisation, and how do we learn from it?The Mayans created impressive art and architecture, including temples, carved stone panels, painted pottery, and decorative masks. Masks were made from jade, wood, and stone, and were used in religious ceremonies, burials, and performances to represent gods, animals, or important people. These cultural objects help us understand Mayan beliefs, values, and daily life, especially since many of their books were destroyed by the Spanish. By studying Mayan art and artefacts, we learn about their civilisation in ways that are different from how we study British history.

Civilisation – A large, organised group of people with cities, laws, art, writing, and religion.

Temple – A special building used for religious ceremonies and worship, often built high in Mayan cities.

Artefact – An object made by people in the past, like masks or pottery, that helps us learn about their lives.

Compare – To look at two things (like the Mayans and Anglo-Saxons) and see how they are similar or different.

Change – What happens over time in history; Mayan cities changed and many were later abandoned.

How can a balanced meal be planned and prepared using a range of cooking techniques?

A balanced meal is planned by selecting ingredients from different food groups (such as carbohydrates, protein, dairy, fruit and vegetables) to ensure the body gets the nutrients it needs. It is then prepared using a range of cooking techniques (such as chopping, mixing, heating or baking), while considering flavour, texture and presentation to create an appealing and nutritious dish.

Balanced Diet – eating a variety of foods in the right proportions to stay healthy

Nutrients – substances in food that help the body grow, repair and function

Preparation – the process of getting ingredients ready before cooking (e.g. chopping, measuring)

Investigations:

Sun Bleaching (Artefact Damage):  Explore how materials change over time through observation. Place coloured layered paper or fabric in sunlight and shade, leaving them for several weeks and checking for fading or discolouration. Compare results and consider how artefacts may have changed over time and why some materials survive better than others.

Rainforest in a Jar: Explore how a rainforest sustains itself through an observation over time enquiry. Children will create a sealed environment using plants, soil, and a small amount of water, then will leave it undisturbed for several weeks, observing changes such as condensation, plant growth, and water movement. They will use this to understand how rainforests recycle water and resources, linking their observations to how real ecosystems maintain balance without external input.

Context Link

Working as researchers for Regina Flowerton’s Book of Wonders, pupils will investigate how environments change and sustain themselves over time. By creating a sealed “Rainforest in a Jar,” they will explore how rainforest ecosystems recycle water and support plant life, helping Regina understand how these rich environments thrive. Alongside this, pupils will test how sunlight causes materials to fade, linking their findings to the Ancient Maya and how artefacts may have changed over time due to exposure to the environment. Their discoveries will help explain how both natural systems and historical objects are shaped by their surroundings.

Online Safety

Lesson 5: Password protection 🔗

Learning what makes a strong password, how to manage them and what to do if someone hacks an account.