Writing Overview Year 4 Week beginning – 20 April

Write the story that they’ve always wanted to write

Picture stimulus

A Dangerous Pet

Question time! (Children could verbally answer or write down their responses)

Why has the King given his children a dragon?

Do you think it’s a wise decision?

What do you think the children will try and train their dragon to do?

Can you think of any strategies that the children might use to train their dragon?

Where do the children live?

Can you think of a good name for their kingdom?

Why do you think the children will need ‘all the help they can get’ when they come to rule?

Can you think of names for the children?

What is the boy feeding the dragon?

What do you think the girl is carrying?

Sentence challenge!

1. Use the list of nouns (common, proper and abstract) and write a pronoun next to them?

King Albert - he Court jesters

Dragon - it The King and I

Princess The dragon’s mother

2. Can you write extended noun phrases to describe?

King

(add 2 adjectives) Crazy, orange-faced king

(add a preposition) The crazy, orange-faced king stood next to the throne.

Do the same for dragon, cave, prince, dragon-tamer

3. Can you write in past present and future tense?

To do this we often use was (past), is (present), and will (future) before the verb. Sometimes we add ed to past tense verbs.

The moody prince was amazed when he spotted the multi-coloured dragon.Re-write the sentence in present / future tense

Outside, there is a strange sound, and a wing scratches my window.Re-write the sentence in past / future tense

I will track down that bloodthirsty dragon and will chop off its tail!Re-write the sentence in past / present tense

4. Using adverbial phrases

Add more detail to a sentence using HOW, WHEN, WHERE The Dragon closed in.HOW - Dangerously close, the dragon closed in.WHEN – After the battle, the dragon closed in.WHERE – Inside the castle’s wide halls, the dragon closed in

Do the same for these sentences

The princess cried.The king gave an order.The dragon’s mother answered.

Perfect picture!

Write a dairy entry of The Day the Dragon Came

Use fronted adverbials including correct use of commas in Recount e.g. Later that day, I heard the news.

Choose nouns or pronouns appropriately for clarity and cohesion to avoid repetition

Story starter!

The King had known that the gift he presented to his children on their 5th birthday was dangerous. He was prepared to take the risk of letting them own a pet dragon, however. One day, the twins would rule the kingdom together, and they would need all the help they could get. No-one could deny that a dragon was a powerful ally!

Before that day, though, the children had much work to do. They had to train their dragon!

Complete the story – remember all word class (adverbs, pronouns and extended noun phrases)

Select appropriate vocabulary to create settings and character to guide the reader

Sick sentences!

These sentences are ‘sick’ and need help to get better by adding sentences starters and better word choices. Can you help? Think about pronouns, extended noun phrases and adverbials.

The boy held out some food. The dragon ate it. He was green and had horns.

Extra Writing Activity – in 100 words – imagine you are a flying dragon

Select appropriate vocabulary to create settings and character to guide the reader

Where are you heading?What is ‘paradise’? Why are they looking forward to it so much?Are these the only 3 dragons that exist, or are there more?Where have the dragons come from? Where is their home?