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Year 4

Exploring the story 'Greenling'

I can discuss and explore the narrative of 'Greenling'.

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New
New
Year 4

Exploring the story 'Greenling'

I can discuss and explore the narrative of 'Greenling'.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. 'Greenling' is a picturebook text; it can be considered to be a fable.
  2. Fables usually explain the creation of the world, natural events and the origins of rituals or customs.
  3. Words can have multiple meanings; pupils can explore these through a 'word explosion'.
  4. In ‘Greenling’, vignettes offer glimpses into specific moments or aspects of the story.
  5. The Greenling has a positive effect on the Barleycorns and their local community.

Keywords

  • Fable - A fable is a short story, typically with animals as characters conveying a moral.

  • Moral - A moral is a lesson that can be learnt from a story or experience.

  • Word explosion - Word explosion is a vocabulary-building activity designed to encourage mind-mapping and creativity in generating words related to a specific topic or theme.

  • Vignettes - Vignettes are small, focused illustrations that often capture a specific moment or scene within a narrative.

Common misconception

Pupils may find it challenging to find synonyms and antonyms of words.

It would be useful to pre-teach or practise a word explosion before commencing the lesson.


To help you plan your year 4 english lesson on: Exploring the story 'Greenling', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The illustrations in this text are incredibly rich and benefit from close analysis. Encourage pupils to spend time exploring each page.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2015 Templar Publishing edition of ‘Greenling’ written and illustrated by Levi Pinfold, for this lesson.

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who finds the Greenling?
Correct answer: Mr. Barleycorn
Mrs. Barleycorn
the Barleycorn's dog
Q2.
Where is the Greenling found?
underneath the train track
Correct answer: in a place where a tree once stood
in the Barleycorn's home
underwater
Q3.
Which of the following best describes a picturebook text?
a text that contains multiple poems by one author or on a particular subject
Correct answer: a form of text where images and words work together to create meaning
a contemporary tale explaining a culture's beliefs and customs
Q4.
Which of the following are genres of text?
Correct answer: fantasy
Correct answer: fable
Correct answer: fairy tale
poetry collection
graphic novel
Q5.
Which of the following are synonyms of the word 'rough'?
Correct answer: jagged
smooth
soft
Correct answer: uneven
gentle
Q6.
Which of the following are antonyms of the word 'hot'?
Correct answer: cold
sweltering
Correct answer: freezing
scorching
Correct answer: cool

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to the definition.
Correct Answer:fable,a short story, typically with animals as characters conveying a moral
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a short story, typically with animals as characters conveying a moral

Correct Answer:moral,a lesson that can be learnt from a story or experience
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a lesson that can be learnt from a story or experience

Correct Answer:word explosion,a vocabulary activity designed to encourage mind-mapping & creativity
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a vocabulary activity designed to encourage mind-mapping & creativity

Q2.
What are vignettes?
a short promotional description of a text, located on the back cover
the elements around a book, including its cover, title and blurb
Correct answer: small, focused illustrations that capture a scene or specific moment
Q3.
True or False? Mrs. Barleycorn is happy her husband brought home the Greenling.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q4.
Which of the following fruits and vegetables has the Greenling provided for the Barleycorns?
Correct answer: peppers
sweet potatoes
Correct answer: spring onions
rice
Q5.
True or false? Words can have more than one appropriate definition.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q6.
Sequence the following events in chronological order.
1 - Mr. Barleycorn discovers the Greenling.
2 - The Greenling is planted in soil.
3 - The Barleycorn's home starts to be taken over by the natural world.
4 - Crops and plants are provided for the Barleycorns to use.
5 - The Greenling leaves at the end of the summer.