New
New
Year 4

Planning the final paragraph of a diary entry based on 'Into the Forest'

I can plan the final paragraph of a diary entry based on ‘Into the Forest’.

New
New
Year 4

Planning the final paragraph of a diary entry based on 'Into the Forest'

I can plan the final paragraph of a diary entry based on ‘Into the Forest’.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. This paragraph recounts the final part of the boy’s journey and his discovery that his dad is at his grandma’s.
  2. The boys emotions heighten and he experiences intense fear leading up to him being reunited with his grandma and dad.
  3. Thoughts and feelings can be explicitly stated and conveyed through the use of ‘show and tell’.
  4. There is a shift from past to present tense during the final paragraph.
  5. Present tense writing at the end of a diary entry conveys current reflections and feelings.

Keywords

  • Emotions - strong feelings that result from a person’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others

  • 'show and tell' - a writing technique for showing a character’s feelings with description of their actions and expressions

  • Present tense - refers to a verb form that indicates an action or state happening in the current moment

  • Reflection - a careful thought or consideration

Common misconception

Pupils may find it hard to come up with ambitious vocabulary for each part of their plan.

Come up with precise and ambitious vocabulary as a class first and create a word bank for display. Pupils could work in pairs or small groups to complete their plans.

You may wish to teach or review the Y4 grammar unit 'Tense forms' prior to this lesson.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2022 Puffin Books edition of ‘Into the Forest’ by Anthony Browne for this lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), 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.
Put these parts of your diary entry in the correct order.
1 - ‘Dear Diary,’
2 - general statement and beginning of recount
3 - recount of strange encounters in the forest
4 - recount of reaching grandma’s house, finding dad and returning home
Q2.
Which of the following pronouns are in the first person perspective?
Correct answer: me
Correct answer: we
they
she
Correct answer: I
Q3.
Which of the following sentences is written in the correct perspective for a diary entry?
Correct answer: I ran as fast as I could.
She ran as fast as she could.
They ran as fast as they could.
Q4.
Which of the following are features of 'informal language'?
Correct answer: exaggeration
Correct answer: emotive language
formal fronted adverbials
Correct answer: contractions
subject-specific vocabulary
Q5.
How does a fronted adverbial of time support your writing?
It explains the manner in which an action happened.
Correct answer: It sequences events clearly.
It explains where an action took place.
Q6.
When recounting events, what tense do you write in?
Correct answer: past tense
present tense
future tense

6 Questions

Q1.
What will the final paragraph of your diary entry begin with?
Correct answer: a recount of the end of the day
your current feelings
a recount of the start of your day
Q2.
Put the following events in the correct order to show the chronology of the boy's final recount.
1 - I ran towards Grandma’s house as quickly as I could.
2 - I became really scared because it felt like I was being followed.
3 - I arrived and it didn’t sound like Grandma inside. I panicked!
4 - I went inside and I found Grandma AND Dad! I told them everything.
Q3.
Which of these convey fear?
Correct answer: heart pounded
felt safe in their embrace
felt like I could breathe again
Correct answer: sprinted for my life
Q4.
What tense do you switch to when conveying current feelings in a diary entry?
past tense
Correct answer: present tense
future tense
Q5.
What is a reflection?
Correct answer: a careful thought or consideration
a memory
a prediction
Q6.
Which of the following sentences would be appropriate for the end of your diary entry?
Correct answer: I am exhausted after such a turbulent day!
I was at home when I realised how lucky I was.
I felt proud of myself.
Correct answer: I feel so grateful for my family.