Lesson video

Hi everyone and welcome to our lesson.

Today we're going to be identifying the features of a diary entry so that we are prepared for writing based on "How To Train Your Dragon".

Today you will be able to identify and analyse the layout and linguistic features of a diary entry.

Here are some key words we're going to use: Purpose, recount, layout, linguistic features.

Well done.

The purpose is the aim of the text.

A recount is a piece of writing that recalls an event or experience.

Layout refers to the way a text is structured.

Linguistic features are structures of language that use words.

Today we're going to be analysing the features of a diary entry to write from "How To Train Your Dragon".

We're going to begin by learning about the purpose and layout of a diary entry.

Then, we're going to learn about the linguistic features of a diary entry.

What is a diary entry? Take a moment to have a little think.

A diary is a personal book that an individual writes in.

Each time a person writes in their diary, it's called a diary entry.

The purpose of a diary entry is to recount important experiences and express feelings.

A diary is just for the person writing it to read.

It is personal and private to them.

What is the purpose of a diary entry? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that the purpose of a diary is to recount important experiences and express feelings.

You're going to be writing a diary entry from the perspective of Hiccup in "How To Train Your Dragon".

Each section of this diary entry will provide a recount of events and express Hiccup's emotions and thoughts.

Diaries often follow a similar structure: They have an opening which briefly summarises the day's events and describes the writer's feelings.

Then we have sections.

They describe the day's events chronologically, meaning in time order, and in more detail.

Then we have a closing.

The closing reflects on the day and looks ahead to the future.

We're going to read a model diary entry by Hiccup.

Let's read it through together.

"Friday 23rd of January, 1066.

Dear Diary, tonight was unbelievable! Out of nowhere, dragons attacked Berk.

The sky went dark and I swear you could feel the fear in the air.

I remember my heart racing as I jumped out of bed." Here's more of the model diary entry by Hiccup.

"I wanted to be all heroic, you know? I thought I'd grab a weapon and join the fight, but when I saw those huge dragons and felt the weight of the axe, I froze.

I couldn't move a muscle.

Watching those dragons tear through our village, I felt terrified.

I could hear everyone screaming, houses burning, sheep running for their lives.

Total chaos.

But you know what? In all that craziness, I felt this fire inside me.

Like, I can't just sit back and do nothing.

Tomorrow, I'll figure out how to fight back.

Even if I'm not the biggest or strongest, I've got to try.

Anyway, time to try and get some sleep.

Night, Hiccup." Diary entries follow a specific structure and layout.

Structure and layout refer to the way the writing is organised on the page.

We're going to examine the layout features of Hiccups diary entry.

What does the structure and layout of a text refer to? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that.

It refers to the way the writing is organised on the page.

Let's review some of the structure features and layout features of a diary.

Firstly, we have got the date.

A feature of a diary entry is a date written at the top on the left side.

This records when the entry was written.

Then, we have a greeting or an address.

A feature of a diary entry is a greeting which is always "Dear Diary" with a comma after.

Then, we have paragraphs.

A feature of a diary entry is the use of paragraphs to organise recounts in chronological order.

That means that information is retold and recounted in the order in which it happened or time order.

And finally, we have a sign off.

A feature of a diary entry is a sign off to end the entry.

These are personal and they can vary.

True or false? Diary entries follow a specific structure and layout.

Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that this is true.

Now decide how to justify your answer, and pause the video while you do that.

Well done if you spotted that they begin with a date and a greeting, which is followed by a recount and a sign off.

Answer the following questions to demonstrate your understanding of a diary entry and its layout features.

What is the purpose of a diary entry? Number the following to show the order in which they appear in a diary entry.

We've got paragraphs to organise the recount, a greeting, "Dear Diary", a sign off, and a date.

Number them from one to four to show the order in which they appear in a diary.

Pause the video while you complete your task.

Well done everyone.

The purpose of a diary entry is to recount experiences and express feelings.

First we have a date.

Then, a greeting, which is "Dear Diary".

Then this is followed by paragraphs to organise the recount.

And finally, the diary is ended with a sign off.

Well done everyone.

What a brilliant start to our lesson.

Now we're going to move on to learning about the linguistic features of a diary entry.

Diary entries have distinctive linguistic features in order to achieve their purpose.

Can you think of any linguistic features of diary entries? Well done if you spotted that we might see that they are written in first person using words such as I, me, we, you, and us.

They also might be written in the past tense when recounting past events.

They can also include the present tense when describing current thoughts and feelings.

And we can flit into the future tense when considering future events or looking ahead to what will happen next.

They have an informal tone and this is shown through informal vocabulary choices, exclamations and contracted words.

And fronted adverbials of time to support the chronological sequencing of events.

Label each part of the diary to indicate when is most appropriate to use past, present, or future tense.

Some parts may include more than one tense.

Pause the video while you complete this task.

Well done if you spotted that.

The opening could include the past and the present tense if we're talking about current feelings.

The sections are primarily written in the past tense 'cause they are recounting the past events.

The closing could include the past tense, the present tense, and the future tense if the writer is looking ahead to what might happen next.

Now we're going to pick out some linguistic features of a diary entry, focusing on first person and informal language.

Here we've got some first person pronouns, such as I.

Informal language choices.

A diary entry is written in the first person using the pronoun I.

Also we'll then see some informal language choices, such as, "I swear you could feel the fear in the air." This also includes a direct address to the diary referring to them as you.

The language here is informal because the writing is personal and private.

So the tone of a diary entry is often very similar to how someone might speak to a very, very close friend.

Which of the following are key linguistic features of a diary entry? Pause the video while you can complete your task.

Well done if you spotted that they're written in the first person and they include informal language.

Now, we're going to focus on past tense.

So, all of these verbs: was, attacked, went, could, "I remember my heart racing as I jumped outta bed", "I wanted to be heroic." I thought I'd, which is a contracted verb for I would, saw, felt, froze, couldn't.

All of these verbs are in the past tense.

They are used to recount experiences and events.

The present tense verbs include words like, can't.

"I can't just sit back and do nothing." Can't is the contracted form of can not.

"I'm, I am, not the biggest or strongest." "I've, I have, got to try." All of these words or these verbs are written in the present tense because they're describing the writer's current thoughts and feelings, so how they're thinking and feeling right now at the time of writing.

We've also got some future tense here.

"Tomorrow I'll figure out how to fight back." I will.

This is looking ahead to tomorrow and what the writer is going to do then.

A diary entry includes the use of past, present, and future tenses in different sections.

True or false? The writing in a diary entry is all in the past tense.

Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you spotted that this is false.

Now, choose how to justify your answer.

Well done if you spotted that it shifts into the present tense when the writer expresses how they are currently feeling.

It can also shift into the future tense when the writer considers what will happen in the future.

Now we're going to look for some fronted adverbials of time.

Here are some.

"Tonight was unbelievable." Also, "Tomorrow I'll figure out how to fight back." A diary entry includes fronted adverbials of time to sequence events chronologically.

Remember, we're recounting the events in the order in which they happened.

This is very helpful for the reader to understand the sequence of key events.

We can use time adverbials to do this.

Why are fronted adverbials of time a key feature of diary entries? Pause the video while you consider this.

Well done if you spotted that.

They help sequence a recount of events chronologically in time order.

Now it's time for your task.

Read the diary entry in the additional materials.

Find and copy one example of informal language in the form of a contracted word.

We know this if it's got an apostrophe for contraction.

Give one example of past tense used during the recount.

Give two fronted adverbials of time used.

Find and copy one example of present tense to express current feelings.

And find and copy one example of future tense.

Pause the video while you complete your task.

Great work everyone.

One example of informal language in the form of a contracted word could have been any of these words: I've, couldn't, didn't, I'm, tomorrow's.

All of them include an apostrophe for contraction.

An example of past tense used during the recount could have been any of these: Was, showed, wrecked, heard, leapt, were, wanted, saw, froze, couldn't, or didn't.

Well done if you find any of those.

Two fronted adverbials of time use could have been any two of these three: last night, at around midnight, and tomorrow.

And find and copy one example of present tense to express current feelings could have been any of these sentences: "Writing this now, the pen is still shaking in my hand." "I've, I have, never seen such huge, terrifying monsters in real life." "I feel embarrassed.

." "I'm, I am, not giving up." "I've, I have, got to go now." Any of these are correct.

One example of future tense.

"Tomorrow I'm, I am, going to figure out how to fight back." "I hope tomorrow's going to be a better day." Both of these examples look ahead to the future and what will happen next.

Great work everyone.

Brilliant work everyone.

That now brings us onto the end of our lesson where we have been analysing the features of a diary entry to write from "How To Train Your Dragon".

The purpose of a diary entry is to recount important experiences and express feelings.

A diary entry has a specific layout.

It is written in the first person and it uses informal language.

Past tense sentences recount what the writer experienced and felt.

Fronted adverbials of time support in sequencing events in a recount chronologically.

Present tense is used towards the end of a diary to show how the writer is feeling now.

And future tense is used when the writer is considering what will happen next.

Well done everyone.

I hope you've enjoyed identifying and analysing the features of diary entries and feel prepared to begin planning and writing our own diary based on "How To Train Your Dragon".