Year 6 English Home Learning - MondayGuidance/tips: Good morning year 6 – I hope you enjoyed our first week on the theme of doors. We will continue this and our focus for this week will be on a ‘Portal’ narrative. We will use the magical doors you created last week and travel through them. Remember the things which inspired you last week and your own personal feelings about being behind closed doors currently. Consider what you would like to find on the other side of your door. There are only a few underlying story types, and a portal story is somewhat iconic. Nearly all portal stories follow a similar pattern:

Main character (MC) finds magical portal and enters new worldDescribe new worldMC explores this new world and encounters a problemMC has to escape and return through the portalMC cannot find portal again (sometimes has brought back a memento of new world)

Unlike traditional narratives where the setting is defined and described within the opening, the setting is described as the main element of the build-up and is key to a portal narrative. Don’t forget…

- Every day when you write consider your use of language for context and purpose – remember your audience!- Use a range of punctuation to help you embed clauses and add details- Review your work and amend it. - Don’t forget to keep your voice consistent

LO: To plan a portal narrative and write an engaging openingGrammar starter:

Main task: Today you need to consider two things – you will need to create a box grid to plan your portal narrative and you will begin writing your opening. Below are a couple of ideas you may want to use for your own portal narrative. Below is also a link to a short portal story which I am going to use as my inspiration. I would like you to use first person perspective for this narrative – you are the main character. https://www.literacyshed.com/something-fishy.html

Opening Sofia is playing in her Grandmother’s garden and notices a small fairy door. Touches door and shrinks/ enters.

James and Beila playing hide and seek in their house. James opens hatch to the loft and discovers new world

Build-up Arrives in an underground world full of caves, giant toadstools and magical creatures.

Transported to life onboard HMS Victory in Tudor England.

Climax /problem

Sofia explores new world and enters an area strictly forbidden. Picks magical flower.

Ship is thrown into battle

Resolution Alarms sound and Sofia runs. She is chased through the magical world by unknown threat and escapes.

James desperately searches for portal and way back to own world.

Ending Sofia cannot find fairy door again, but the cut flower lives on forever reminding her of her journey.

James escapes with a small amount of gun powder in his pocket.

My Opening: I need to ensure my MC is well established through their actions, thoughts and feelings.I’m fed up. Six weeks of being locked in this house. Six long weeks of having to look at my pimply brother across the breakfast table, the lunch table and the dinner table. There’s only so many games you can play on your phone before even that becomes boring. There are only so many times I can speak to gran – what do I say? Hi- it’s me – yes, I’m fine – yes, I can’t wait until it’s over -no, I haven’t fought with my brother. It’s all just so…. Exasperating. Today had been an especially exasperating day, mum who’s a nurse had a double shift and dad was locked in his study. My brother had tied up the internet with his ‘GCSE’ work (he was definitely on the X-box) so I was left with chores! I know mum works hard but really why did I have to sort the washing? Staggering down the stairs under the weight of a mountain of laundry (why anyone had to change their clothes daily when we were not allowed out was beyond me); my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket. Dumping the laundry in front of the machine I fished it out, damn – just missed it – it was Jade, I’d call her back once I’d started this load. I flung it down on the counter and begun loading the machine. Flicking the on switch, it was only after I had heard the water begin to gush that I realised my phone was no longer on the counter.

Bronze challenge Silver challenge Gold challengeCreate your own box-grid – use some of my ideas but ensure you keep to the generic structures. You need only create the boxes for your own narrative and do not have to copy the other boxes. Write your opening, ensure to include how you are feeling – these words may help: Discouraged, discontented, weary, disheartened, depressed

Create your own box-grid – you can use some of my ideas but ensure you keep to the generic structures. You need only create the boxes for your own narrative and do not have to copy the other boxes. Write your opening describing your MC through actions and emotions.

create your own box grid – remember: Imagination • Creativity & originality • Energy & life • Structure; beginning, middle & end. Write your opening, setting the scene using how not tell techniques ensure your main character is well established through their thoughts and feelings as well as their actions.

Year6 English Home Learning - TuesdayGuidance/tips: Today you are going to write the build-up part of your story, remember this is a very important part of the story and should have lots of figurative language devices and create vivid images in your reader’s head.

Don’t forget…- Every day when you write consider your use of language for context and purpose – remember your audience!- Use a range of punctuation to help you embed clauses and add details- Review your work and amend it. - Don’t forget to keep your voice consistent

LO: To create vivid images using a range of figurative language devices.

Grammar Starter:Today you are going to generate a word bank to use within your writing. Look back at your box grid – what is your imagined world like? Close your eyes and picture it. Consider what you see, hear, smell, taste, touch and how it makes you feel. Create a table like my one and fill in with the first words that come to mind. Look at your word bank – could you elevate any of these words? - If you do not have a thesaurus at home use this link for an online thesaurus https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-thesaurus

See Hear Smell Taste Touch feelingColourful fishWaving reeds

Ripples of waves Fabric softenerSoap powder

Salty water Sock fish Anxious, amazed awe-struck

Main task: Today I need to ensure I keep to my plan and focus on the description of the imagined world that I ensure I use cohesion to link to my previous days writing and include figurative language devices

Filled with dread, after rifling through the remainder of laundry I press my nose against the washing machine door. Clonk, oh no there it is going around and around. Sitting heavily on the floor I watch as my phone begins to… swim away. What, Phones don’t swim, neither do socks. I stare with awe and wonder at the images within the machine and before I know it I am reaching for the door handle and opening the machine. Looking back at the kitchen, everything is quiet, everything is in its place; behind me only the gentle ticking of the wall clock, counting out the hours and minutes. I turn back to the machine. In here I am free to turn and move as I wish, the ties of gravity faded to nothing The machine has so many secrets, so many stories yet to tell and here I can explore, admire the wonders and learn. Here my body has no weight that means anything, I can glide in any direction without fear of falling. This place, so far from the ordinary world outside, is the wonderland of my dreams. I glide amongst the fish, remnants of socks glittering with a dazzling kaleidoscope of colour, schools of them brush past me, beneath me, t-shirt octopi begin their ascent upwards, gliding effortlessly amongst the swaying emerald metal reeds. A family of turtle caps swims by, I follow wondering where they could be going, where could they lead me?

Bronze challenge Silver challenge Gold challengeLook at your box plan and recap what you wrote the previous day. Explain how you enter your magical world – describe what you find inside by referring to your word bank. Can you include metaphors and similes?

Look at your box plan and recap what you wrote the previous day. Consider how you link today’s writing to yesterdays – use a fronted adverbial to help you – this will be more than likely an adverbial of place or manner. Explain how you enter your magical world – describe what you find inside by referring to your word bank. Can you include metaphors and similes or groups of three to describe?

Look at your box plan and recap what you wrote the previous day. Consider how you link today’s writing to yesterdays – use a fronted adverbial to help you – this will be more than likely an adverbial of place or manner. Explain how you enter your magical world – describe what you find inside by referring to your word bank. Use a range of figurative language to describe what is in your world.

Year 6 English Home Learning - WednesdayGuidance/tips: Today we will write the climax to our narrative. This is the part of the story where all the action takes place, so use of short sentences to move the action on are useful and the use of dialogue can also aid this. Within my story I do not encounter anyone else so I do not have any dialogue.Don’t forget…

- Every day when you write consider your use of language for context and purpose – remember your audience!- Use a range of punctuation to help you embed clauses and add details- Review your work and amend it. - Don’t forget to keep your voice consistent

LO: I can use a range of sentence structure to move the action on.Grammar Starter:

Main task: As we are considering sentence structures today I need to ensure when I am writing I use different sentence types, today I am going to not only try to ensure a range of simple, compound and complex sentences but use ‘the more, the more’ and ‘3ed’ Alan peat structures:

Deeper and deeper I swam, following the dancing turtle caps; at ease in the water and lulled by the gentle scents of lavender softener and fresh cotton powder. Before long I could no longer see the washing machine door which cast a gentle and reassuring pool of light within the machine. It became darker. The scents grew stronger. With startling speed my quarry came rushing back towards me, I had to sway quickly to avoid a collision. Something was wrong, something was not right. I peered back over my shoulder, realising that I was no longer surrounded by the happy schools of fish; there was no longer bright kaleidoscopic colour. There was only… only what? Coming towards me with rapid speed – teeth! A Denim Shark! Confused, shocked, scared, I used all of my strength to swim away but which way? Which way was the washing machine door? The more anxious I became, the more the shark gained on me.

Bronze challenge Silver challenge Gold challengeRead your box grid and the last part of your story. Consider how you will link the build-up to the climax. Can you use a fronted adverbial for place?Can you include a 3-ed sentence to add tension and action?

Read your box grid and the last part of your story. Consider how you will link the build-up to the climax. Ensure you develop your problem – and include short sentences for tension – do you need any dialogue? Can you include a more the more or a 3ed sentence?

Read your box grid and the last part of your story. Consider how you will link the build-up to the climax. Ensure you develop your problem – and include short sentences for tension – do you need any dialogue? Remember to include your characters thoughts and feelings and use a range of differing sentence structures.

Year 6 English Home Learning – Thursday Guidance/tips: Today you will write the resolution and ending to your story. Consider the choices you made when you planned – will your main character escape? Will they bring back a souvenir of the imagined place?Remember your ending must link back to your opening.LO: To use a range of cohesive devices and maintain my readers interestGrammar Starter:

Main task: I need to ensure that today I maintain my reader’s interest and develop my use of cohesive devices (don’t forget cohesive devices are not just adverbials – they can be simple determiners, pronouns and punctuation too) I also want to try and include a colon to mark clauses as I haven’t yet. Can you include a de:de sentence?

The denim shark is a brutal creature: it kills by tightening its grip around your waist and stopping you from breathing freely. I had to get away. Ahead of me the darkness seemed to fade and shadows of emerald metal reeds appeared swaying with voracity, signalling impending doom. I could see the small circle of light that was my kitchen – could I make it? Every sinew within my muscles ached with each stroke and kick. It was almost upon me. One- more- push. Gasping for breath I welcomed the feeling of the cold stone floor beneath me. Behind me the washing machine lay open. The scent of lavender and fresh cotton filled the air. A pair of jeans had fallen from the machine and lay ominously on the

floor just beyond my slippered feet. In my back pocket a familiar vibration occurred – my mobile; Jade was calling back. Smiling, I answered the phone as I pushed the jeans back into the machine a closed the door. As we chatted I watched the laundry going round and around. The denim shark had gone.

Bronze challenge Silver challenge Gold challengeConsider your resolution – does your main character bring back a souvenir of their time away. Have they been able to find the portal again – do they want to find the portal again?

Consider your resolution – does your main character bring back a souvenir of their time away. Have they been able to find the portal again – do they want to find the portal again? Ensure you refer your ending to your opening; ensure you have used a range of cohesive devices.

Consider your resolution – does your main character bring back a souvenir of their time away. Have they been able to find the portal again – do they want to find the portal again? Ensure you refer your ending to your opening; ensure you have used a range of cohesive devices. Review your word choices to ensure you maintain your readers interest

Year 6 English Home Learning – Friday Guidance/tips: Today we will focus on what we have already written. If you do not have a purple pen use a different colour of your choice. This is like any other editing lesson. Ensure you are methodical and take your time.If you would like to I am more than happy for you to email your story to me – I thoroughly enjoyed reading your entries last week. cbennett@sacredheart.merton.sch.uk

LO: I can edit and improve my work

Main task: Read your narrative, slowly and aloud, ensure you point at every word as you read. (You will hear if there

are words missing or if any parts do not make sense) Underline these parts you will need to review. Make your changes – you may need to re-write sentences or a whole section.

Read again but this time focus on the spellings – do you need to check any words using a dictionary? Read again. Have you ensured every sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with appropriate

punctuation? Have you used capitals for proper nouns? Read again. This time consider the words you have used. Could you change some words to make the

writing more engaging? Read for a final time, is your writing cohesive?

Bronze challenge Silver challenge Gold challengeWhen you edit and review focus on your spelling and basic grammar – look at the year 5 and 6 words – have you included any? Are they spelt correctly?Do all of your sentences make sense? Have you used full stops, capital letters and commas correctly?

When you edit and review focus on the grammar across your writing as well as spelling and punctuation. Your writing should be cohesive across sentences and paragraphs.

When you edit and review focus on the impact of words, phrases, clauses and sentences – Are they impactful and purposeful? Is your writing cohesive across the entire piece? Have you used a range of punctuation for cohesion and parenthesis?

Grammar Answers:

Monday:

Wednesday:

Thursday: