Spring 1
Literacy – Kings, Queens and Castles
Year 3
Background knowledge
Adverb: In their most common use, adverbs modify verbs to give us more
information about how something is done.
Clause: A phrase that has as its main word a verb that describes the state of things.
Conjunction: Links two words or phrases together.
Preposition: The link between a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence.
The perfect form: The perfect form of a verb is generally used to draw attention to
the consequence of a situation. It is also used to raise questions about things that
have happened.
Verb: A word that often describes actions, identifiable by the changes in tense it can
take.
.
Week
Lesson
1
1
2
3
4
5
Summary of
activities
Arrange a real or
virtual castle visit
and
research
information about
castles.
Investigate the
layout and
associated
vocabulary of
castles.
Develop the use of
prepositions for
their
writing (on,
through, around,
down, and so on),
to describe moving
around a castle.
Write a first-person
recount about the
castle
visit (virtual if
necessary).
Edit and improve
work, paying
particular
Outcome
• Can record
relevant facts in an
ordered
manner.
• Can use
dictionaries to
check the meaning
of words.
• Can use the
terms conjunction,
adverbs and
prepositions, and
identify and use
prepositions
in sentences
• Can use devices
such as headings
to
organise a text.
• Can add interest
to writing by using
time
Spring 1
Literacy – Kings, Queens and Castles
Year 3
2
1
2
3
4
5
3
1
2
attention to time
and cause words.
Research the
range of people
who lived and
worked in a
medieval castle.
Develop sentences
using conjunctions
to join
clauses.
Introduce the
perfect form of
verbs through
examples where
they are used to
create time
and cause
relationships
Enact
conversations
between castle
dwellers,
structured around
use of the perfect
form and
conjunctions.
Complete a jobs
rota in role as
workers in a
castle.
Look at and
discuss castles
from different
stories, and
consider the
features and
language that
describe a good
fictional castle.
Read and discuss
a short version of
‘The Princess and
the Pea’, then retell
it,
incorporating more
adverbs and
and cause words.
• Can find
information in
non-fiction texts
• Can write
sentences with
more than one
clause.
• Can recognise
the perfect form of
verbs.
• Can create and
transcribe short
conversations
using correct
punctuation.
• Can write in
context using the
perfect form
and conjunctions to
create longer
sentences.
• Can discuss
descriptions from a
range of
books.
• Can retell stories
with their own
language.
Spring 1
Literacy – Kings, Queens and Castles
Year 3
3
4
5
4
1
2
Craft a character
for their story.
3
Use their plan and
character sketch to
roughly
storyboard and
orally compose a
castle story.
Write the first draft
of the story
focusing on
adverbs and
prepositions, then
conduct peer
reviews.
Review and
improve their castle
stories.
4
5
5
descriptive
vocabulary.
Discuss examples
of the suffix ‘-ly’
and ‘-ing’
and their effect on
spellings.
Analyse the text of
‘Sleeping Beauty’
to
understand its
structure and style.
Rewrite a small
scene from
‘Sleeping Beauty’
with enhanced
vocabulary,
incorporating
prepositions and
adverbs.
Plan a castlebased story
1
Listen to and
discuss the stories
of ‘King Midas’
• Can understand
and use suffixes to
create
new words and use
them effectively.
• Can identify
different aspects of
a story.
• Can use
prepositions and
adverbs to create
interest in a story.
. • Can plan a story
with a clear
beginning,
middle and end.
• Can create
characters
appropriate to story
type.
• Can draft and
constructively
review stories.
• Can use
prepositions and
adverbs to create
interest in a story.
• Can effectively
review and improve
their
work.
• Can appreciate
stories and ask
questions
Spring 1
Literacy – Kings, Queens and Castles
Year 3
2
3
Compare and
contrast the kings
they have
learned about.
4
Discuss what is
important in life:
money,
health, love, and so
on. What would the
group
have as their wish
if they had one?
Write royal decrees
about the
importance of
values.
Read and
summarise ‘The
King’s Breakfast’.
Recite sections of
‘The King’s
Breakfast’.
Plan a royal poem.
Write poems about
rulers to the style of
their
choice.
Present and recite
royal poems.
5
6
and ‘The Emperor’s
New Clothes’ (and
King
Canute if desired).
Prepare questions
that
would be
interesting to ask
each ruler.
Ask questions to
adults in role as the
kings.
1
2
3
4
5
about them.
• Can ask
appropriate
questions and draw
conclusions.
• Can compare
stories and recall
and
comment on events
in them.
• Can participate in
discussions and
debates.
• Can justify a point
of view or idea.
• Can summarise
the narrative of a
poem.
• Can recite poetry
to an audience.
• Can plan a poem.
• Can write a poem
in a chosen style.
• Can present work
legibly and neatly.