A Literacy Tree Teaching Sequence for The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner
Text: The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner
Main Outcomes: By the end of this sequence children will have written an adventure story that
has: a problem and resolution; paragraphs and/or chapters with adverbials to signal time,
sequence or place; description of typical setting and characters; written dialogue that moves the
plot on (marking and feedback against agreed success criteria, self-assessment).
Recommended age: Y5/6
Duration: 3 weeks
Text genre/text type: Mystery and Adventure stories
Coverage from the new National Curriculum 2014
The statements below are not ‘single-lesson’ objectives, but statements intended to be covered by
the end of the year, phase or key stage. They will often be met in part and returned to across the
year. Some of these statements will be covered implicitly through the teaching of other Reading
and Writing objectives, tasks or activities.
Spoken language
- Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
- Speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
- Consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others
Word reading
- Apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology), as listed in English
Appendix 1, both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words that they meet
Prior learning
Check that the children can already:
- Demonstrate understanding of the features of particular types of text by talking about similarities and differences in
characters, settings and events.
- Write a complete story with: sequence of events in paragraphs for the opening, problem, resolution and past tense;
examples of patterned story language and dialogue with speech marks.
- Express an opinion and explain a point of view, for example, by using evidence from the text, ending; descriptions of
new characters or settings; complete sentences in third person
Stage 1 Learning outcomes
- Children can identify key features of adventure stories.
- Children can explain reasons why a character has behaved in a particular way.
- Children can identify how the author engages the reader and maintains interest.
Stage 2 Learning outcomes
•
Reading Comprehension
- Continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or
textbooks
- Reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
- Recommending books that they have read to their peers, giving reasons for their choices
-- Making comparisons within and across books
-- Drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying
inferences with evidence
- Distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
Writing Transcription (Spelling and Handwriting)
- Use a thesaurus.
- Indicating degrees of possibility using adverbs [for example, perhaps, surely] or modal verbs [for example, might, should,
will, must]
Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation
- Verb prefixes [for example, dis–, de–, mis–, over– and re–]
- Indicating degrees of possibility using adverbs [for example, perhaps, surely] or modal verbs [for example, might, should,
will, must]
- Linking ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time [for example, later], place [for example, nearby] and number
[for example, secondly] or tense choices [for example, he had seen her before]
Writing (composition)
- In writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what pupils have read, listened
to or seen performed
- In narratives, describing settings, characters and atmosphere and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance
the action
- Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing
-- Ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural, distinguishing between the language of
speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register
- Children can recount an incident from a story maintaining a first-person viewpoint.
Stage 3 Learning outcomes
- Children can plan an extended narrative using the key features of the text-type.
- Children can write an extended adventure story with logically sequenced events and a resolution.
Overview and outcomes
The children will receive recording from an American professor, leaving a message for the children (video or audio)
explaining that the class will be receiving a prototype of a new invention through the post. He will tell them that his
inventions are under threat from a saboteur. He has been receiving threats, because they are so valuable developed in
his laboratory under top-secret conditions. Just before one lunchtime, a large, sealed box will arrive, posted from
America. The teacher explains that you have been waiting for this to arrive and it is a prototype of a new invention from a
famous American professor. After lunch, the class will come back to find the box opened and empty. Teacher explores
possibilities with children, e.g. why would someone take an invention, where could it have gone etc. The teacher shows
them a ‘Wanted’ poster that she found this morning which includes a description of Dean D. Dean and information to
contact “The Templeton Twins” with any information.
By exploring the text in depth the children become familiar with the role the ‘narrator’ and write a short piece at the end of
the week 2, extending the book and imitating the voice of the narrator who then invites them to be their own narrator.
After this, the children go on to look at twins and they invent their own twin. After planning and inventing they go on to
write own twin story, based on ideas from the TTs and the story structure.
Longer writing outcome: Look at features of adventure/mystery stories, e.g. introduction, build up suspense, problem,
resolution, and conclusion ensuring they using temporal connectives to move time on.
As an extra element to the sequence within weeks 2 and 3 the children could explore the features of explanatory writing
and create own inventions with names, similar to the ‘devices’ created by the professor. What would it do? How would it
work? Write an explanation text using causal conjunctions. This would be featured in the story in Week 3.
Stage 1 (5 days) - Immersion and engagement
The children receive a recording from an American Professor, leaving a message for the children (video or audio) explaining that the class will be receiving a prototype of a new invention
through the post. He will tell them that his inventions are under threat from a saboteur. He has been receiving threats, because they are so valuable and were developed in his laboratory
under top-secret conditions – see resources.
At the end of the day before the teaching sequence is started, a large, sealed box will arrive, posted from America. The teacher explains that we have been waiting for this to arrive and it is a
prototype of a new invention from a famous American Professor. The next day, the class will come back to find the box opened and empty.
Learning
Objective
1) To
discuss
possibilities
and predict
outcomes
using text
2) To identify
how a
character is
portrayed
through
various
authorial
devices.
3) To infer
meaning
from text
and interpret
actions
Success
criteria
I can discuss
ideas with a
partner
I can choose
relevant words
to describe a
character
Whole Class
(Including key questions/Vocabulary)
Teacher explores possibilities with children, e.g. why would
someone take an invention, where could it have gone etc.
Talk partners – have you ever thought about inventing
something? What would it do? What would you call it?
Scribe these ideas onto paper for working wall and save for
later. Model using the Talk to the Hand visual how to
generate questions. ‘Why would someone want a
prototype?’ ‘When did the incident take place?’ “what
inventions could be so valuable?’
Children arrive to find copies of the book with a message in
classroom – ‘Read this book to find out who is after me and
why.’ Shared Reading - Read book up to end of Chapter 2.
Discuss the style of the narrator and how he cannot be seen.
What style does he write in? Do all his questions make
sense? What does ‘compelled’ mean? (page 9) Why do you
think the narrator was ‘compelled’? Who could the narrator
be?
Read up to end of chapter one. Discuss using Talk partners
– what is the role of the narrator?
What is a rhetorical question? Find examples that the
narrator uses.
Shared Reading up to end of Chapter 6
I can use the
text to imagine
how characters
would act
towards each
other
Explain to the class they are going to meet the Professor
today! Arrange a whole class hot seating activity.
Teacher-in-role as the professor whilst the class ask him
questions about the twins and his inventions. Why do you
like to invent? How are the twins different? What is the same
about them? Where do you get the names for your
inventions? Children to note down answers.
In pairs discuss, what else have we learnt that we did not
already know?
Resources
Independent Work
Large sealed
box with
American
franking on it
In pairs, children will then write questions about the
event scaffolded around the question stems using Talk
to the Hand, e.g. What, when, where, why, who and
how.
Video/audio
Children to then discuss using the questions some
possibilities around why some inventions would be so
valuable and what motives someone may have for
stealing a design or prototype.
Working wall in
classroom to be
ready
Copies of book –
multiple if
possible so that
children can
have one
between a pair.
This is not
necessary but
helps as it will
support shared
reading.
What do we know about the narrator and what do we
think we know and what would be like to find out?
Pair of glasses
Lab coat and
hat. Not all
essential but at
least one prop
needed to signal
going into role.
Use the text to do some Paired Role-play. Focus on
the looks the twins give each other in the text. Give
each pair some text and see if they can imagine the
looks, e.g. page 64 ‘John gave his sister a look that
said, wordlessly, “Good grief, that’s the most
shockingly awful thing I’ve ever seen, and I can’t
possibly imagine who put it there and why!” Abigail
gave him a look that replied “It’s completely horrible
and outrageous, and we should make it our business
to find out who did this and set him or her straight!”
Sort it adjectives - Children to work in pairs with
adjectives to sort into the 3 boxes ‘I know he is” I think
he is” “I want to find out if he is’
Adjectives on card to include – smug, sarcastic, funny,
humorous, kind, clever, arrogant, boastful, happy,
ecstatic, devastated, mean, menacing, intelligent, selfcentred, self-indulgent (ensure there is a variety of
words, including some to challenge more able).
Children then go on to do a character analysis – a
double-sided Role on the wall, compare and contrast
the twins in the story using lines from the text.
Plenary
(Including key
questions)
The teacher shows them a
‘Wanted’ poster that she
found this morning which
includes a description of
Dean D. Dean and
information to contact “The
Templeton Twins” with any
information.
Read onto end of Chapter 4.
The children make
predictions about the actions
of characters in their
reading journals.
Write predictions, explaining
at least one idea in more
detail with reference to the
evidence in the text. ‘I think
he will.. because…’
Discuss how we need
evidence to infer and
predict.
Shared reading up to end
of Chapter 7.
Ask children: How does the
author build suspense? Start
with the closing line of
chapter 6 ‘as we shall see,
was that this wasn’t over’
4) To
understand
and map the
story
structure
To write in
role using a
character’s
perspective
5) To use
and reflect
on drama
techniques
to help us
explore
characters
and story
I can write
diary entries
from different
perspectives of
the same event
I can use
different words
for emotions
and feelings
I can use roleplay to make
predictions
about the story
Recap on events so far. Children to draw a story map to
identify what has happened so far.
Would it be different from each twin’s perspective? If so,
how? What kind of vocabulary would Abigail use compared
to John? Draw up a class compare and contrast chart
using parts from role on the wall exercise yesterday.
Model opening a diary from each of the twins. How would
they differ? i.e. language of Abigail to be more complex.
Role play – read opening page of Chapter 9 up to “The
Professor thinks it would be a fine idea if they went on a little
outing with me’
Children to write their predictions on what happens next from
this point in reading journals. First use talk partners to
discuss and review ideas. Teacher to model some opening
sentences using the connectives like the previous session to
back up a point. ‘I think…. because….’ And ‘so’ and ‘but’.
Also model sentences with ‘although’ at the start.
Remind children that events must hang together, so all
predictions must be realistic and credible!
Compare and
contrast chart on
large paper or
on IWB
1)
2)
3)
4)
Independent writing Children to write two short diary
entries – opposing sides from each twin retelling
events up this point from moving house. If there is not
enough time for this, then children can work in pairs
and each take a twin each to tell events from their
perspectives.
Points to cover –
Getting a dog
Moving house
Arriving at Tick Tock Tech
Seeing the poster
Role-play – in groups of 4 children to role-play the
story from this point on exploring their predictions to
see if they are credible. Children to take on role of
twins, Nanny Nan and the man at the door.
Independent reading – compare and contrast
predictions with what actually happens in chapter 9.
Children to have own copies and use them to read and
then write ‘we thought this would happen, but
actually…”’ and ‘Although we said… In the end…
happened”
Shared reading up to end of
chapter 8.
Share good examples of
vocabulary and place
interesting sentence starters
onto working wall, e.g.
‘and so it was’ (page 26)
Shared Reading – Chapter
10 ‘down in the dismal, dank
and dreary dungeon of Dean
D. And Dan D Dean’. What
is the effect of the alliteration
in this title?
What other alliteration do
you notice within the book?
List it and add to the working
wall.
Stage 2 (5 days) – Gathering Ideas
Learning
Objective
Success
criteria
Whole Class
(Including key questions/Vocabulary)
6) To
recognise the
features of
mystery books
I can identify
the structure
of a book
Shared Reading to Chapter 12 Teacher to highlight how
the author has created the problem – can we predict what
will happen next? What stories can we reference where a
problem is presented and the main character solves it by
’saving the day’? Put into a chart.
I can say
what I like
about the
structure and
the content of
the book
7) To write in
role as a
character, at a
certain point in
a story.
8) To identify
how an author
builds up a
story and
presents a
problem
9) To vary the
way sentences
are opened,
e.g. through
use of an
adverbial
phrase for
when/where
10) To edit
and refine
writing for
cohesion
I can write a
letter
describing
the setting
and my
feelings
about the
place I am in.
I can use
adverbial
phrases for
where to
make my
writing flow
I can use
adverbial
phrases for
when to make
my writing
flow
Story
mountain
visual
Independent Work
Show children a Story mountain visual and demonstrate
how many of the stories discussed in the shared session
follow a similar pattern when deconstructed.
Children to independently use a Story mountain visual to
identify the structure of the story pitting the highs and lows
so far. They can note down titles of chapters at key points.
Problem – Solution. This will form part of Story
mountain on working wall.
Model using a colon or semi-colon within a list to identify
what is liked about structure and content.
Read to chapter 14 –re-cap on story so far. Class recall
and retell. Summarise storyline in class circle using
temporal connective cards to pick up when needed.
Power point
Emotions
graph
Recap on story mountain and show children an emotions
graph - how could we fill it in for this story if we were
following the Professor? How about one of the twins?
Model opening a letter to a friend – ensure vocabulary is
full of emotion. Use a shades of meaning for happy
(pleased to elated with all words brainstormed in-between)
and sad (upset to devastated, again, with all words)
Re-cap on The Templeton Twins so far and read to the
end of book.
I can
recognise
problems and
solutions in
stories
Resources
Recall the story mountain to identify highs and lows in a
story. Was the ending as predicted?
Model planning new chapter of Templeton Twins using a
story map. They have to go to a new town but where
could they go next? Would there be a threat looming?
Teacher models writing from plan – ‘The Dean Twins
return for one last attempt’. Teacher to model writing
opening paragraph ensuring there is sentence variation
and the inclusion of an adverbial phrase to say how or why
an event is happening,
e.g. in a small town (where adverbial)
far away (where adverbial)
If visualizer is available, display child’s writing from a
previous day (selected because connectives have been
used formulaically) and (if permission given), model how to
edit and refine writing to improve. This is a good
opportunity to make a teaching point about how to use a
variety of sophisticated adverbials, i.e. moving away from
first, then, next to within moments, seconds later, without
pausing.
Have story
maps from
phase 1
available – if
on working
wall, refer to
these.
Story
mountain
template
Children to retell the recent events in pairs as one of the
twins up to the point where they are reunited with their
father. This will feed into a piece of independent writing.
Children to write a letter as one of the twins to a friend
from their old town that tells them what has happened so
far and how he felt at every stage in the story.
Leave ending until following day for when book is finished.
Children plan own chapter –set within a new town, Talk
partners compare plans and how to start their chapters –
stress that this is a new chapter for the book so there is no
need to re-introduce the character. Although the setting
will be different as they were moving.
Plenary
(Including key
questions)
Share suggestions of
predictions as to what point
the story is at now with the
story mountain.
Can we use it to predict
possible events?
Are there other stories that
are similar? What would you
recommend to a friend
within this book and why?
Children to share their
letters. Use the following
questions for peer
assessment.
How do they make us feel
about the characters?
Can you empathise with the
characters?
Can you see what is coming
round the corner? Can you
predict ending?
Ask a few children to share
ideas so far – ask class
whether they could imagine
this being a Templeton twins
mystery?
Children story map their story and outline what will
happen.
Children write own chapter to lead on from the final page
where the father explains that he has come up with a new
idea for a new invention, which will mean moving to a new
university. Children to use sentence variation and
adverbials, writing in the first person as the narrator.
Compare predictions, what
is likely? What is unlikely?
What would you write as an
author?
Read Chapter 8. Discuss
how it compares.
Visualizer
Children to edit chapter and review in light of modelled
editing. Teachers before this session to have marked
books and added asterisks where opportunities for
improvement lie.
Children to peer assess
each others’ writing,
choosing one adverbial that
they identify from their
partner’s work that they
could use to improve their
own writing.
At this point it would be useful if children could have time to design and create a prototype for their own invention. This could link to a teaching sequence
on Explanation texts, or be carried out as part of a Design and Technology project. The opportunity to use causal connectives to explain how it works
would be beneficial and to identify a name for the ‘device’ in the style of the Professor, e.g. the Foot-Activated Compressed-Air-Powered Page-Turner
with Clip-On Mount (FACAPPTWCOM)
Stage 3 (5 days) – Extended written outcome
Learning
Objective
Success
criteria
Whole Class
(Including key questions/Vocabulary)
Resources
Independent Work
Plenary
(Including key
questions)
11) To plan
and develop a
story structure
based on the
book
I can generate my
own ideas to fill
in a plan
Class receives a letter from the Narrator asking them to write their
own stories with a set of twins in. Apparently he had heard that they
had created a new chapter last week for the Templeton twins and is
aware that he may have inspired a new generation of narrators to tell
stories like him – see resources. Children then discuss in class how
to construct an own version of a story.
Ideas for story
Children will use story mapping as a method
for planning their own adventure, making
links to the story maps they produced in
stages 1 &2. Children will also have the
opportunity to refer the story mountain,
referred to in stage 2, which should be
displayed on the working wall to identify
structure.
Discuss ideas from planning.
Children to evaluate in pairs.
To create a
set of
characters
with opposing
attributes
I can create a
new set of twins
Children to invent their own twin. How
similar and how different are they?
To identify
words with
opposing
meanings
I can use dis/mis
as a prefix to
explore different
ways of
describing
characteristics
I can describe a
setting
Refer back to the double-sided Role on the Wall from stage 2.
The _______ Twins weren’t like ordinary twins.
As soon as they got together…
Compare and contrast to ‘Dean’ twins. Create your own set of evil
twins, e.g. Matt M. Mean and Martha M. Mean.
Model writing a paragraph describing a completely new set of twins,
a girl and a boy whose characters are different.
Look at words to describe
opposing twins. Discuss how
words that oppose are called
antonyms. Model how to use
a thesaurus to explore wider
antonyms – collect. Are they
still opposing descriptive
words?
12) To write
an opening to
a story
I can use a
thesaurus
13) To write a
build up/
problem for a
story
I can set a
problem within
my plot
14) To write
the resolution
and
conclusion for
a story
I can write a
resolution and a
conclusion to a
story
I can edit my
work to improve
my sentences
I can ensure my
tenses agree
Story
mountain
With class or guided group explore the effect
of dis and mis as prefixes. What effect do
they have? What are the root words? Use in
a description as below Matt was mischievous and often misled, he
tended to disagree and disapprove whereas
Martha was very agreeable.
Model writing Look at features of Tick Tock Tech. Create your own
town. “Whenever the church bell rang, everybody…” Draw maps:
use map in text as starting point.
That summer, without warning, they had to move to _________.
Setting description.
Model writing a paragraph with a setting.
Model writing a part of the story where the invention mysteriously
disappears, referring back to the disappearance at the beginning of
the teaching sequence. Refer to story map. Model building up
suspense through writing i.e. short sentences for effect, elipses,
dashes, use of atmospheric words and phrases, finishing with the
short sentence; “It was gone.”
Same as - discuss how story needs to flow from one section to
another and have an appropriate resolution. Reread the conclusion
of The Templeton Twins and discuss structure.
Recap on modelled writing so far and ask the children which element
is missing. Are all ends tied up? Re-read the end when all events
come together. How can we recreate that effect? Model writing the
end in one paragraph.
Ask children to share with class - How they will finish their stories?
Model checking for tenses and subject/verb agreement.
Sentence
starters and
adjective
splats
Children to write paragraph of own setting
and opening of story, where the characters
planned from the previous day are also
introduced.
Children to share ideas with their talk
partners about their next paragraph where a
problem is presented and events are built
up. Children to then write independently and
allow time for editing at the end.
As above with talk partners writing the next
section. Swap partners at the end to check
with a fresh pair of eyes that the whole story
to this point makes sense. Identify good use
of descriptive language. Children to write
their conclusions independently and edit
their writing to check all of it makes sense.
Use talk partners to aid. – pairs swap stories
to provide peer assessment to complete.
Are all ends tied together? Does it make
sense?
Some children to read their
improved story openers.
Discuss how they have been
improved.
Identify good examples of
adjectives to describe.
Different children to previous
day share their build-ups
and problems. Take
suggestions from class as
‘agony aunts’ as to how the
problems could be resolved.
Ask children to share stories
to this point and how they
have evolved. Have they still
kept to the structure of the
boxing up?
Discuss titles for stories.
What would be appropriate
for your story? What
illustrations would you like to
see?
Glossary:
Likes, Dislikes, Puzzles and Connections – Think of 5 things you like and dislike about a story. Give evidence where possible.
Think of 5 things that puzzle you about the text. This could be in the form of questions, e.g. Why does the main character leave
at the end? And finally think of 5 connections you can make with this and another text, film or experience.
Sculptor and Sculpted – Work in pairs to ‘sculpt’ a partner into a position which demonstrates their emotions at a given point in
the story.
Shades of Meaning – Children use paint charts to rank synonyms in order to strengthen or weaken a word.
Talk to the hand – A questioning visual in the shape of a hand,that has different question stems on each finger.
Role on the Wall – activity where children are provided with an outline of a character. Within the outline they add words and
phrases to describe how that character might be feeling or what they might be thinking. Outside the outline, they add words
and phrases to describe other people’s perceptions of that character.
Word-Cloud – See www.wordle.net
Emotions Graph – Plot a character’s emotions at different points throughout a story and see visually how moods and feelings
change.
Working Wall – An ongoing display inside the classroom, where the process of writing is demonstrated through the addition of
examples of writing and visuals, to be referenced by both teachers (during the modelling process) and children (during the
writing process)
Story Mountain – A visual method of planning the different elements of a story, to reflect the shape of a mountain with the
‘problem’ at the peak.
Story Map – Children plan the different elements of a story visually, using a flow-chart structure to support sequencing of ideas.
Thought-Tapping – Whilst children ‘freeze-frame’ a point in the story, another ‘taps’ them on the shoulder. The frozen child then
expresses how they feel and explains how.
Modelled Writing – Demo by explaining aloud, talking as a writer, focusing upon the objective, include: new and difficult aspects
of writing; transforming the plan into writing; rehearsing, evaluating, rereading; -referring to checklists, scaffolds & models.
Teacher as Scribe – Pupils participate with the teacher as editor and scribe. Keep focus clearly on the objective. Encourage
pupils to rehearse sentences and reconsider weak suggestions. Maintain a lively pace and interactive teaching style.
Supported Writing – Practise trying out words, sentences or paragraphs on whiteboards. Use a range of strategies such as
writing partners, working from model text, writing frames, paragraph pointers, sentence prompts etc.
Independent Writing – Remind pupils of the specific writing focus before they write. Some pupils may need support.
Prior to writing, refer to models of quality examples, including those developed in class. Refer to prompts on learning wall.
Display examples of pupil work during plenaries or further class sessions to support editing process.
Editing and Improving and Publishing – Use response partners to develop revising and checking.
Show samples to the whole class on a visualizer so that children can talk about their writing.
Pupils mark in a colour where they have used a feature and comment on success of writing. Decide on presentation standard.
Teacher-in-Role – Teacher takes on a role from the text.
Writing-in-Role – Whilst in role, model writing as the character.