Y5/6: Spring Term Fiction 1B: Stories with flashbacks Main texts: Harry Potter books

Wk 1 / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Whole class teaching / Discuss Harry Potter – ask chn who has read the books, seen the films, etc. Listen with chn to Stephen Fry reading the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (book 4) by JK Rowling, or read it to them yourself. Then read the first 2 pages of Chapter 2. Discuss with chn what they have heard. Harry Potter is in his bedroom in Privet Drive and he’s dreaming. Some of the first chapter is what he dreamt. Return to beginning of Chapter 1 where Rowling describes what happened 50 years earlier, when the Riddles are mysteriously killed. Write flashback on f/c. Take suggestions from chn as to what this means. Explain that it is a narrative device which writers, TV programme directors & film-makers use. It allows them to go back in time to describe something that happened before the ‘now’ of the story. How do we know it’s a flashback in HPatGoF? Comprehension 1 / Spoken language 1 / Read or listen to Stephen Fry reading, Chapter 1 & the start of Chapter 2 of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (book 1). The book is set at the time when Harry is nearly 11. The first chapter is a flashback. Explain that there are many ways to provide flashback information, look at the list created yesterday, e.g. dreams at start of HPatPS (Book 1) and HPatGoF (Book 4), diaries (some chn may know of Tom Riddle’s diary in book 2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), memories (some in Chapter 2 HPatPS), time-travel devices, magic, etc.
Comprehension 2 / Write ‘Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and sellotaped glasses.’ on f/c. Underline the relative clauses. Note how they begin with a word that relates to the head noun, in this case Harry (who), then school (when). Who is an example of a relative pronoun, others are whom, whose, which, that. Where is an example of a relative adverb which also begins relative clauses, others are when, why, while, whereupon, whence. Also note use of commas before relative clauses. Write ‘They’re a kind of Muggle sweet I’m rather fond of.’ on f/c. Ask a volunteer to identify the relative clause and the noun it refers to. Not so easy, as the word ‘that’ before ‘I’m’ has been left out. The relative pronoun that is often omitted. Grammar 1 / Composition 1 / Write ‘Frank was stubbornly repeating, again and again, that he was innocent.’ Each new owner said there was a nasty feeling about the place, which, in the absence of inhabitants, started to fall into disrepair.’ on f/c. Under-line innocent & inhabitant. These are two examples of words which end in -ant, -ance/-ancy, -ent, -ence/-ency. Can chn suggest any other words with those endings? E.g. observant, tolerance, assistant, decent. See plan resources for a list of words plus hints to help decide which suffix to use. Word reading/ Transcription 1 / Discuss why Rowling does not describe Harry’s childhood from the moment he is left by Dumbledore on the doorstep of 4 Privet Drive. It would take too long; the start of the story is really Harry finding out he’s a wizard; it’s not what the book is about; she wanted to get into the wizard community as soon as possible, etc. So the function of the flashbacks is to fill in some details for us. Read an extract from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (plan resource). Discuss the effect of the Dementors on Harry and read the excerpt (plan resource) from Chapter 10 where Professor Lupin explains the Dementors to Harry. Rowling is using the Dementors as another flashback device. We see, through Harry, what happened when his parents (James & Lily) died. He doesn’t describe it; he seems to re-live it. He hears his mother speaking in the present tense and it is shown as direct speech. Composition 2
Objectives / Dimension / Resources
Spoken language / Pupils should be taught to:
a. listen to adults
f. maintain attention and participate in collaborative conversations
g. use spoken language to develop understanding and explore ideas / 1. Monday: Discuss examples of flashbacks
Show chn a list of films that contain flashbacks that chn may have seen (plan resource). In groups, chn should discuss what techniques are used to show the viewer (or reader) that the character is having a flashback – wavy lines, black & white images, soft focus, use of particular vocabulary, referring to a dream, etc. Which characters have the flashbacks? Chn may also be able to suggest other books or films that include flashbacks – they should list any they know.
Plenary: Take feedback from chn and add to the list of films/books. Make a note of any techniques on f/c. Encourage chn to discuss flashbacks at home – their parents/carers may remind them of other books they have read or films they have seen. / List of chn’s films including flashbacks (see resources)
Compre-hension / Maintain positive attitudes to reading by:
b. reading books that are structured in different ways
c. increasing their familiarity with a range of books incl. modern fiction / 1. Monday: Understand the term flashback
Use an example from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to introduce flashbacks to chn. Discuss how Rowling lets us know that the first chapter is a flashback after reading the start of Chapter 2. Explain that this technique is used by writers, TV programmer directors & film-makers to describe something that happened before the ‘now’ of the story.
Plenary: See Spoken language 1. / Chapters 1 & 2 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (either the book or Stephen Fry audio CD)
e. Identify and discuss themes and conventions across a range of books
f. Make comparisons within and across books
Understand what they read by:
a. discussing their understanding
f. identifying how structure contributes to meaning / 2. Tuesday: Recognise flashbacks and understand why they’re used
Easy: Give chn some excerpts from Chapter 2 of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. They work in pairs to decide which of these are flashback memories and which are happening ‘now’ when Harry is nearly 11. Medium/Hard: Chn write a short paragraph explaining why it is necessary for the author to use memories at the start of the book (to give information, to help us understand the character of HP, to lead into the discovery that he is a wizard…).
Plenary: Choose some chn to read their paragraph – gives us a clear picture of the history of the character, enables us to read about the ‘now’ while informing us of significant events in the past. / Excerpts from HPatPS (see resources)
Word reading
Transcription / Pupils should be taught to:
a. apply their knowledge of suffixes to read aloud and understand the meaning of new words
Spelling
a. use further suffixes
e. use dictionaries to check meanings / 1. Thursday: Learn words ending in -ent, -ence/-ency, -ant, -ance/-ancy
Show chn examples of words with the suffixes -ent, -ence/-ency, -ant, -ance/-ancy (plan resources). Ask if chn can suggest any other words (of which there are many). Chn should choose several words from the list (Easy: 3, Medium: 4, Hard: 5 at least) and use them in a sentence. Challenge chn to try to use words they are not sure about. They can use dictionaries to check on the meaning of a word.
Plenary: Give out differentiated spelling lists to chn to learn for next week. There are more words than normal, as many are the same root with related suffixes. / Hints for adding suffixes
-ent, -ence/-ency, -ant,
-ance/-ancy (see resources)
List of words (see resources) Differentiated spelling lists (see resources)
Dictionaries
Grammar / Develop understanding by:
f. using relative clauses beginning with who, whom, which, where, when, whose, that or with an implied relative pronoun
Indicate features by:
a. using commas to clarify meaning / 1. Wednesday: Identify relative clauses
Explain that relative clauses are a special kind of subordinate clause that modify nouns. A relative clause can also be attached to a clause and in that case it refers back to the whole clause rather than a noun. Relative clauses are used to add description to a text. Chn identify the relative clauses, and the noun they relate to, in a set of sentences (plan resources). Chn who find this difficult can work in pairs and use the resource provided to check which clause is underlined.
Plenary: Check chn’s answers together, discussing any problems chn had in identifying the clauses or nouns. Then see Composition 1. / Sentences containing relative clauses (see resources)
Composition / Draft and write by:
a. selecting appropriate grammar
d. using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within paragraphs / 1. Wednesday: Write sentences containing relative clauses
Challenge chn to write some sentences about the characters or places they have heard about in the excerpts from Harry Potter books, e.g. describe Frank Bryce, Riddle House, Lord Voldemort, Mr or Mrs Dursley (Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon), Dudley, Harry, Dumbledore, 4 Privet Avenue, the zoo, the snake, etc.
Easy: Chn should write 3 sentences, Medium: 4 sentences, and Hard: 5 sentences at least.
Plenary: Volunteers read out their sentences. Other chn raise their hands when they hear a relative clause. / None
Plan their writing by:
a. selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own writing
Draft and write by:
a. selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary
Evaluate and edit by:
c. ensuring the consistent use of tense through a piece of writing / 2. Friday: Write their earliest memory
Give chn 5 or 6 minutes to think about their earliest memory, which might be happy, sad, scary or humorous, but must be real. It might be easier to do if they close their eyes and really focus for a while.
Easy: Use the Memories as Flashbacks sheet (plan resource) to rewrite some early memories in the present tense as if they were happening now (flashbacks).
Medium: Chn share their memories with a response partner. Model writing a few sentences written as a flashback, i.e. in the present tense, as if it is happening now. Chn then write their own memory as a flashback.
Hard: Give chn longer to think about/discuss with a response partner their memory before they write it as a flashback.
Plenary: Ask random chn to share their flashback memory. Did they stick to the present tense? What was the effect on the listener of this insight into their classmate’s past? Sadness, happiness, surprise? / Memories as Flashbacks (see resources)
Wk 2 / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Ask chn to talk to an adult at home (parent, grandparent, carer, aunt, uncle, etc.) about a memory that adult has when they were secondary school age. The memory can be about something at school, home or on holiday but it must be a substantial memory, involving something happening (an incident) and lots of dialogue, e.g. they were pinching apples and they got caught…! They should discuss the place where it happened too. Suggest they make a few notes as they chat (perhaps find a photo of the adult at that age). They need to do this ready for Wednesday.
Whole class teaching / Recap on the different flashback types identified last week by asking chn to write them in pairs on a w/b. Explain that Rowling used another device called a ‘Pensieve’ to include flashbacks (introduced in Book 4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). Ask if any chn know what a Pensieve is and encourage them to explain (see plan resources for a full explanation). Read (or listen to Stephen Fry reading) the description from Chapter 30 (see plan resources).
Comprehension 3: Group reading / Spoken language 2 / Watch the scenes featuring the Pensieve on the DVD of the film of HPatGoF. Discuss with children whether this scene was better in the book or on film. Which did they enjoy more? Ask chn to give clear reasons for their opinions. Identify the differences between the two versions. The film scene is much shorter (it’s a long book so some sections have to be missed out or the film would be too long to show at the cinema), the settings and characters don’t have to be described in the film as you can see them. What role might audio books have? Remind chn what an adverbial is: a word or phrase that is used, like an adverb to modify a verb or clause – it says HOW, WHEN, WHY or WHERE something is done. Adverbs can be used as adverbials, but so can other types of word/phrase incl. prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses. Check chn’s understanding of the term preposition (plan resources).
Spoken language 3 / Grammar 2 / Explain that chn are going to write their own Pensieve memory. Read chapter 28 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix from where Harry decides to go into the Pensieve up to when the children all leave the exam (plan resources). Discuss differences between Snape’s memory here & Dumbledore’s thoughts that Harry saw in HPatGoF. Snape’s memory is personal; it is about things that happened to him at school. Harry sees his parents as teenagers. He sees some ordinary daily life instead of a trial or other special event. Discuss why Rowling might have wanted Harry to see his father & teacher (Snape) as teenagers at school. What is the purpose of the flashback?
Comprehension 4 / Composition 3 / Ask chn how long ago the memory happened that they are going to read in the Pensieve (this doesn’t have to be totally accurate). Talk about the things that might have been different then, e.g. the clothes people wore, carrying a satchel to school rather than a modern bag, where people went on holiday, how they travelled, how the setting has changed since the time of the memory, etc. Warn chn about using anachronisms, e.g. an object that didn’t exist then such as a smart phone, expressions that were not used such as modern slang.