Writing paragraph one of the build up of 'A Christmas Carol'
I can write the first paragraph of the build-up of ‘A Christmas Carol’.
Writing paragraph one of the build up of 'A Christmas Carol'
I can write the first paragraph of the build-up of ‘A Christmas Carol’.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The first paragraph of the build-up gradually conveys an eerie atmosphere, building suspense for the reader.
- Precise vocabulary is used to describe sensory details and ‘show and tell’ conveys Scrooge’s emotions.
- A range of sentence types supports text flow and the building of suspense.
- Including a character’s internal thoughts communicates to the reader what a character is thinking and feeling.
Keywords
Suspense - a state of feeling excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen
Sensory details - descriptions that include touch, sight, taste, sound and smell
'show and tell' - a writing technique for showing a character’s feelings with description of their actions and expressions
Internal thoughts - a character’s thoughts that are not spoken out loud
Common misconception
Children may think the only way to convey Scrooge's thoughts is to use the phrase 'Scrooge thought'. They may struggle to incorporate different ways to incorporate his inner thoughts.
Highlight the different examples that convey Scrooge's internal thoughts and ask the children to spot the different verbs used instead of 'thought'. Other examples are 'considered', 'wondered', 'told himself'.
To help you plan your year 4 english lesson on: Writing paragraph one of the build up of 'A Christmas Carol', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 4 english lesson on: Writing paragraph one of the build up of 'A Christmas Carol', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 english lessons from the 'A Christmas Carol': narrative writing and reading unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
a sentence about one idea that makes complete sense
a sentence formed of two main clauses and a coordinating conjunction
a sentence formed of at least one main clause and a subordinate clause
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a sentence about one idea that makes complete sense
a sentence formed of two main clauses and a coordiating conjunction
a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause
a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause
Just then, a whispering sound trickled through the corridors.
Scrooge shook his head and he told himself it must be the wind.
As Scrooge arrived home, he considered how peaceful the silence was.
The eerie noise, which sounded like whisperings, unnerved him.
Scrooge considered how grateful he was to be at home.
Scrooge reassured himself that everything must be fine.
Scrooge began to worry that something lurked in the darkness.