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Year 5

Writing part one of the opening of 'Macbeth'

I can use a plan to write a narrative opening based on Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.

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New
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Year 5

Writing part one of the opening of 'Macbeth'

I can use a plan to write a narrative opening based on Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Writing is most successful when structure, content and vocabulary is planned.
  2. A narrative opening should engage the reader and describe the setting and any characters who are present.
  3. Using a wide range of precise, ambitious vocabulary enhances text cohesion.
  4. The senses can be appealed to when generating ambitious descriptive vocabulary.
  5. Structuring sentences in a range of ways enhances text cohesion.

Keywords

  • Senses - the physical abilities of sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste

  • Complex sentence - a sentence formed of at least one main clause and a subordinate clause

  • Fronted adverbial of place - a sentence starter that tells the reader where something is or happens

  • Figurative language - the use of simile, metaphor and personification to create vivid imagery

Common misconception

Pupils may struggle to convert notes into complete sentences.

Provide lots of time for oral rehearsal at each stage of the lesson and ensure children have access to vocabulary and plans used earlier in the unit.


To help you plan your year 5 english lesson on: Writing part one of the opening of 'Macbeth', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

If pupils are not secure in using complex sentences, refer to our Year 5 Grammar unit 'Five sentence types'. One slide is left lined so that you can complete shared writing with the class.
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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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What features should we include in the first part of our opening of Macbeth?
Correct answer: a description of the setting, using all of our senses
Correct answer: figurative language to build atmosphere
a description of Macbeth
direct speech to show the dialogue of the characters
Q2.
What tense will we write our opening in?
present tense
future tense
Correct answer: past tense
Q3.
Which of the following words would accurately describe the atmosphere we want to create?
serene
Correct answer: eerie
uplifting
Correct answer: foreboding
enchanting
Q4.
Match each feature to the correct example.
Correct Answer:simile,Fog wrapped around the heath like a suffocating blanket.
tick

Fog wrapped around the heath like a suffocating blanket.

Correct Answer:fronted adverbial ,Up above,
tick

Up above,

Correct Answer:alliteration,salty sea sprayed
tick

salty sea sprayed

Q5.
How will we order our setting description?
Correct answer: We'll start by describing from the top and work our way down.
We'll start by describing things on the ground and work our way up.
It doesn't need to be in any order.
Q6.
Which of these sentences creates the right kind of atmosphere for our opening?
A chorus of chirping songbirds sang sweetly.
Correct answer: Dried, withered grasses rustled ominously in the chilling wind.
Correct answer: Shrouds of mist drenched the shrubs that were trying desperately to survive.
Graceful deer grazed serenely.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which sentence starts with a fronted adverbial of place?
All night long, eerie shadows danced in the wind.
Correct answer: Beneath the trees, eerie shadows danced in the wind.
Flittering maniacally, eerie shadows danced in the wind.
Q2.
Which of the following are complex sentences?
The barren landscape stretched for miles and miles.
Correct answer: The barren landscape, which showed little sign of life, stretched for miles.
Correct answer: The barren landscape lay empty, stretching for miles and miles.
It was a desolate place.
Q3.
What linguistic features can be seen in the following sentence? 'Above the heath, the eerie moon shone, trying with all its might to break through the dense clouds.'
Correct answer: non-finite (-ing) subordinate clause
Correct answer: fronted adverbial of place
alliteration
relative subordinate clause
Q4.
Which sentence includes a metaphor?
Battered plants begged for mercy from the raging tempest.
Correct answer: A thick blanket of mist suffocated the trees.
The storm raged across the heath like a violent predator on the rampage.
Q5.
Which sentence includes personification?
Correct answer: Battered plants begged for mercy from the raging tempest.
The wind whipped wild waves of wilted heather into the salty air.
The wild heath stretched out like a vast quilt of tangled threads.
Q6.
Which sentence includes alliteration?
Battered plants begged for mercy from the raging tempest.
Correct answer: The wind whipped wild waves of wilted heather into the salty air.
The wild heath stretched out like a vast quilt of tangled threads.