Note: Children working significantly above or below age-related expectations will need differentiated support, which may include tracking forward or back in terms of learning objectives. EAL learners should be expected to work within the overall expectations for their year group. For further advice see the progression strands and hyperlinks to useful sources of practical support.

Context

Prior to the sessions children should have undertaken a science project on growing and changing with a focus on the life cycles of plants and animals. As part of the science project, children make drawings of the changes to a plant or animal they are observing over a period of time. Photographs of a seed at various stages of growth will be needed to support children's speaking and listening activities and whole-class planning. Children's observational drawings from the science lessons form the basis for the stop-frame animations. Specific teaching of reading and speaking and listening objectives needs to be layered across each phase of the unit.

Phase 1: Listening; reading; analysis and discussion (3 days)

Teaching content:

• Explain that children are going to use science observations to create their own animated recount of events.
• During shared reading, read simple recounts of events or observations with the children. Investigate the key features of the text-type. Focus on the language features that denote the sequence of events for the reader and collect words such as first, next, then on an IWB frame.
• Annotate the shared text to show children that a good recount contains not just the main facts but also details that bring the recount alive. An IWB can be used to underline the main events in one colour and the details in another colour.
• Discuss and contrast the recounts with how narrative texts work, highlighting the main differences. Emphasise how both types of text are written in a sequence of events but recounts are about real events using specific words and have a distinctive text structure.
• Insert the photographs taken of the seed showing different stages of growth into an IWB skeleton frame of a recount. Arrange the images at random on the page so they can be sorted into sequential order as part of the shared session.
• Explain that children are going to combine what they have learned about recounts with their observations of a seed growing. On an IWB display the skeleton planner and photographs. Discuss the photographs and the various changes to the seed. The photographs could be annotated by circling the observable details of change.
• Organise children into groups. Ask children to identify the sequence in which they think the seed developed, by organising a set of laminated photographs into the correct order. Encourage children to circle evidence that backs up their opinion using a whiteboard marker.
• During the plenary, assign two children from each group the role of envoy. Each pair of envoys visits another group. The members of the group explain their sequence of photographs to the envoys who then return to their own group and revise their own group sequence if necessary.
• Record children's findings on an IWB by dragging and dropping the photographs onto the recount skeleton planner. Remind children that a good recount should contain extra details to make the reader interested in the events. With their response partners, ask children to identify an interesting, funny or unusual detail that could be added to each step of the recount. Children could refer to their science observation drawings to support this discussion. Annotate the skeleton plan with children's ideas in note form.
• Specific teaching of reading and speaking and listening objectives should be layered throughout this phase of the unit.

Learning outcomes:

• Children can sequence a set of events based on their own experience and observations.
• Children have made appropriate progress in line with national expectations of phonic development.