Planning for Quality Texts: Why the Whales Came
These documents are intended to support the planning of effective literacy units based on high quality books. They are not intended to be lesson plans, but offer a menu of possible
ideas for teachers to use as starting points to plan for purposeful learning and give pupils reasons for writing as well as the skills they need to write with impact on their reader. They
follow a learning sequence:
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a hook to fully engage and interest the children
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responding to reading activities to allow immersion in and exploration of the text, including picture exploration, book and writer talk
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capturing ideas activities which include drama and talk to support understanding of the text and to develop vocabulary, language and ideas for writing
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possibilities for the contextualised teaching of grammar
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sentence games to develop creativity, vocabulary, language and grammar
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links to guided reading
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a range of writing tasks which may be final unit outcomes or incidental opportunities during the unit
Specific mention is made of the writing sequence:
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modelled writing - teacher models the writing process aloud and the decisions writers make about sentences, paragraphs etc to create impact on the reader. This can
also include the modelling of planning and spelling strategies.
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shared writing - collaborative composition with discussion and suggestions about what to write and how to write it to create the intended effect. At this point children may
write a sentence/s, often in pairs, on whiteboards which are then discussed.
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guided writing - small group sessions based on specific needs of a specific group of children. The session may address misconceptions, bridge gaps or extend learning and
can take place at any point during the unit.
In addition, cross-curricular links are suggested, including links to challenges from the Learning Challenge Curriculum.
Copyright statement: This document should be used within the purchasing organisation only.
© Focus Education UK Ltd 2014
Possible Written Outcomes or Incidental Writing Opportunities
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poems-missing sounds (based on the knowledge that the bird man is deaf)
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Fact file on the Narwal whale or sea birds
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Newspaper report on the incident at Bryher beach
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Job advert for a preventative officer
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Write a travel report on the island
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Write a message in the sand to the birdman

Write a letter to Gracie to persuade her to tell her mother she has met the
birdman
WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY REACH
RUSHY BAY.
2. Capturing Ideas

In pairs ask the children for one to be the expert on the preventative ship and the second
to be a new person on board

Find all the facts about Narwal whales from the book

Chn are asked to be a nature or a whale expert and take on the “role of the expert”.
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Create a role on the wall for the birdman and add information to it as we develop our
knowledge of him
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Hot seating- Interview Daniel and the other characters about being on the Island and the
reasons that the curse came into existence
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Conscience alley- should Gracie tell her mother she has met the birdman?
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Map the life cycle on to a graphic organiser
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Annotate with specific, technical vocabulary
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Annotate each phase with linking devices - adverbials (how, when and where), connecting
adverbs
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Retell the life cycle to a partner/group in scientific language in complete sentences

Research another creature or plant and note key information
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Add information to life cycle graphic organiser, checking for scientific, precise vocabulary. Add
linking devices to each phase

Discuss and build a word bank of descriptive language for chosen creature or plant, drawing on
the features used by the writer - simile, metaphor, strong verbs, alliteration and annotate plan

Using different sentence types and starters, annotate plan with a topic sentence for each
phase’s paragraph
© Focus Education UK Ltd 2014
Year 4
Hook
Watch video about Narwal whales
Visitor talk from Chester zoo keepers-saving wildlife
Create a coastal display area within the
classroom
Make lighthouses for boats arriving in Liverpool
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Sentence Games (use throughout unit)
 Simile game
1. Responding to the Text
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Visual Literacy: use front cover. What
might happen in this book? What clues
are there?
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Book talk: do you think this a non-fiction
or fiction book? Give reasons.
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Book talk: does the book remind of other
stories?

Role on the wall for the birdman
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Book talk: find the clues that show where
the story is set

Visual Literacy: look at page 10. Turn the
volume up: what would be heard?

Writer talk: look closely at the language
that adds detail to the text and engages
the reader. Find strong verbs, effective
adjectives, specific nouns and similes.

Writer talk: look closely at the sentence
starters. Find all the time adverbs and
adverbials. How to they help the reader?
3. Contextualised Grammar Teaching
 Figurative language - simile, metaphor
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Metaphor game
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Use of different sentence types for impact
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Alliteration game
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Improve a sentence
Developing a topic sentence to open
paragraphs
Guided Reading Possibilities
 Non-fiction books with water information. Focus on
organisation and structure.

Water and the land- GINN Geography book

Identify and discuss features of text type.
4. Modelled Writing
Shared Writing
Guided Writing
Independent Writing
MAKING LINKS ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
Geography/Science/History
• States of matter- when does water change
state?
• Habitats/endangered species
Maths
Finding 1000 more and less than- endangered species populationsorganising them according to where they would be placed on a
conservation scale
PSHE
• Discuss life cycles and the link to the human life
cycle and death. Could read The Gift by Carol
Ann
Duffy
Art/DT
 Design a lighthouse for ships arriving at the Albert
Dock from the River Mersey
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Publisher: Walker Books
ISBN- 978-1-4063-1202-7
© Focus Education UK Ltd 2014
ICT
 Make a PowerPoint or Photo Story with a voice
over to present the life cycle of a creature
Useful links
WWF
Michael Morpurgo website
Year 4 Geography:
Why is the River Mersey so
important to Runcorn?