Squidward

Imagine that you found the diary of one of these famous characters. What type of things

might you find written? Think and discuss.

Monday

Today, we will be looking at the contents of a diary

entry

Definition: A written record with discrete entries arranged by date.

Explanation of a person’s

experiences

Description of inner thoughts and feelings –usually more

honest and deep than would be discussed in everyday life.

May reflect and comment on

events outside of the narrator’s

own experiences – e.g. the big

news that day, politics, sport,

celebrity culture.

Description of what people, places,

objects, and events looked, felt, sounded like.

Normally written chronologically, but may refer back to events in the past, or look forward to events to come.

Discusses ideas/topics that the narrator couldn’t get away with discussing in public, e.g. their love interest or who is

annoying them.

Almost like the narrator is sharing

with a most trusted friend.

You are now going to look at extracts from different diaries. Read them carefully together (twice if needed).

Using the record sheet on slide 7, make notes about the diary extracts provided.

First, let’s be introduced to the people behind the diary extracts. Click on the icon next to the red arrow on the next slides to read a section of their diary.

ANNE FRANK’S DIARY

Anne Frank was a Jewish-German girl who lived at the time of the Holocaust.

At this time, Jewish people (amongst others) were being taken from their homes and sent to concentration camps. In total, over 6 million Jews died at the concentration camps.

Anne’s diary is kept throughout the time that she was in hiding with her family in Amsterdam, Holland. Her diaries chronicle her thoughts and feelings at her immediate experience in the secret attic, but also towards the wider events that were going on at the time.

Although she was only aged 13 when she began writing the diary, it is clear that Anne was extremely mature and a strong writer.

Unfortunately she was captured, and died in a concentration camp just before the war ended.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a fictional diary written by children’s writer Jeff Kinney.

It is narrated by Greg, a small high-school student, who details his day-to-day problems growing up alongside two brothers, parents who he doesn’t think understand him, and a best friend that he seems to spend a lot of the time being ashamed of!

Although it is a light-hearted and funny diary, after a short time reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid you begin to learn a lot about Greg’s character.

Greg can be pretty self-absorbed, and often makes selfish, sometimes cowardly decisions without thinking them through properly. He seems to be overly concerned with what others think of him. However, overall Greg is a good person, and normally does the right thing in the end.

THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole is another fictional diary, set in 1981 and 1982, written by Sue Townsend.

Even after a short browse, the reader can pick up that Adrian worries a lot about everyday things that young people often worry about (such as having spots) and believes himself to be an intellectual. However, he often misinterprets what is going on around him.

In the background the diary refers to some of the historic events of the time, such as Prince Charles and Lady Diana getting married, and the birth of Prince William.

Note: The diary entry written by the character ‘Max’ is not a published work, it is simply another example of a fictional diary.

Tuesday

Now that we’ve thought a little about the what goes in diaries (their content),

we now might want to think a little more about

how they are put together (the language and

structure of diaries.)

Now that we’ve thought a little about what goes in diaries (their content), we now might want to think a little more about how they are put together (the language and structure of diaries.)

TASK: - Read the diary entries assigned below. - Set out your page as shown on the

right.- From reading the diary entries, list the

language and structure features included in each of them.

Language Structure

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Language Structure

In Diary Writing

- Includes date

- Begins ‘Dear Diary’ or the name of the diary.

- Ordered clearly, often written chronologically

- End by summing up/reflecting upon what has happened

- Informal Language/ Tone

- First person – pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘we’, ‘us.’

- Emotive Language – vocabulary used to show emotion

- Uses lots of opinions/points of view

- Use of time connectives – then, next, afterwards, etc.

Wednesday

Today, we will be generating language and phrases to use in a diary entry. We will be

using the D Day landings to help inspire us with our

writing. Look at the attached PPT to learn more

of the D Day landings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncRsHc5bgVo

Watch the video link –‘ Beyond Enemy Lines’Make notes on the

following –• How the men on the

boat would have been feeling as they huddled

on the boat on their way to their impending

doom. • Note down words and

phrases which would describe the battleground.

Senses

Think carefully

What would the grandfather and

his comrades smell on the

battlefield?

What would they see?

What would they touch, taste, hear?

Remember to use descriptive

vocabulary!

Pick additional words and phrases to use in

your diary entry. Remember to use a dictionary

and thesaurus.

inconsolable

anonymous

deceased

despairing

unknown unscathed

dangerous

treacherous

turbulent

chaotic

unmarked

Thursday

Today, we will be planning a diary entry from the

viewpoint of the grandfather in ‘Beyond the

Lines.’Watch the clip again and

think about the thoughts, feelings and emotions

.

Key eventsAt different points in the video, there are actions taking place – travelling in the vessel

towards the shore, arriving on the beach, moving towards the enemy lines, etc.

At these points, the Grandfather character will be having different thoughts, feelings and

emotions. Think of all the different emotions, feelings and thoughts that would have an

effect on the Grandfather. You could note them in a table or make bullet points on paper.

Travelling in the

vessel

Towards the

shore

Arriving on the

beach

Moving towards

enemy lines

Planning – From the point of view

of Grandfather

Modelled WritingJune 7th 1944

Dear diary,

There was still a sharp wind blowing but soon after breakfast we raised anchor and sailed out of the harbour entrance. The chalk cliffs gleamed in the sunshine and hung like white curtains along the flat green coast. We got about 2 hours sleep and my eyes were like balls of fire and my back and legs were aching. Strange thing was, I couldn’t get to sleep when we finally got our heads down. We had all heard the rumours that our beach was the best defended and would probably have the worst casualty rating of them all. So we lined up waiting to board our landing craft as we shuffled forward in near silence, watching the sea rise and fall and the barrage balloons drift across the dim morning sky and I wondered if I would live to see home again. My stomach tied up in knots, tears streaming down my face, there was a chance I would not see my family again. I looked at each of my soldier’s faces; I saw the ever darkening circles shadowing their eyes, the look of fear and shock hidden within their faces as they visualised their deaths. All of this they tried to disguise with a macho confidence and anger worn as a mask, but the reality was they were scared. More than that though, they were exhausted; each one doubted himself and his reasons for being here. They glanced down at the photos they kept close to their hearts, and looked out at drenched, blood soaked field as the rain kept drumming harder and harder upon their helmets. I had their letters – I just hoped I wouldn’t need to send them – packed closely in my heavy rucksack.

Modelled Writing (con’t)

Next, there was a whirring sound as the winch released the ramp and a splash as it hit the

water. Hell was then unleashed. The sound of heavy machine guns blasted through the air

and the bullets rained down like a thunderstorm inside of the landing craft; slicing though

flesh and bone like a razor though rice paper. I managed to struggle my way out the landing

craft and looked behind me. The once salty sea was now a deep shade of crimson red. The

putrid smell of burning and gunfire suffocated me and I trudged through the thick, sandy

mud. My heart was pounding hard like a drum - it’s the first time in my life that I’ve been

under fire. That tightening feeling in the stomach when you hear the shore batteries fire and

then, a second afterwards, the whine of the shell and the gush of water where it hits the water and explodes. Will I ever make it home?

FridayTASK: You are going to write a diary

entry from the viewpoint of the

grandfather in ‘Beyond the Lines.’

Using all of the techniques that are in

our success criteria, write a diary entry

using the Year 6 writing skills and Year

5/6 spellings.

Remember to describe the events and

consider how the character must feel.

You can choose a template to help you

write your diary entry or you can use one

of your own!

Success Criteria

Make sure you

have included the

key features of

diary writing!