Introduction
No Pens Day Wednesday lesson plans have been created by practising mainstream teachers and speech and language therapists. These have then been quality assured by a specialist speech and language therapist to ensure they are fit for purpose.
Lesson plans
As all schools will be covering different topics and have different ways of planning, the lesson plans provide an example for teachers to adapt and build on, though they can be used as they are if this fits in with your planning.
Teachers can use plans from different year groups and adapt them as necessary to be appropriate for the students you work with.
Lesson plans aim to follow good practice principles; e.g. they
· Identify explicit learning objectives.
· Support use of questioning, using Blooms taxonomy, to support learning.
· Include plenary sessions that encourage pupils to reflect on their learning.
Some lessons include reflection on how the “no pens” theme of the day has influenced learning. This could be a discussion you could have in any lesson in order to gather pupils’ views on how an emphasis on talk in the classroom has impacted on their learning and enjoyment of lessons.
Each lesson plan also has some key vocabulary identified, which is listed in the vocabulary section of the lesson plan, although you may wish to add particular key words of your own too. Vocabulary is key for all pupils, particularly those whose language is not at an age appropriate level or pupils learning English as an additional language. Teaching vocabulary explicitly as part of a lesson, using tried and tested strategies can make a significant difference to these pupils in particular. Teachers can have a look at strategies for supporting vocabulary in class in the information for staff section of our website.
A speaking and listening objective has also been identified for each lesson. Some have been taken from guidelines previously made available by QCA, whilst others have been taken from our Universally Speaking guides (available to download for free from www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/universallyspeaking), which track language development throughout the primary years. Many lesson plans predate the curriculum changes that were introduced in September 2014, so not all spoken language objectives link specifically to the spoken language requirements of the 2014 curriculum. However, the principles of including spoken language in your planning and considering spoken language objectives as part of every lesson remains the same. Therefore, we have continued to include the older plans, and if you wish, you can adapt the spoken language objectives to best suit the needs of your lesson and pupils.
How do no pens activities support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)?
The aim of No Pens Day Wednesday is to include all children in spoken language activities to support their learning. This includes children who require SEN support, many of whom will have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
The SEND Code of Practice, which came into effect in September 2014, emphasises the importance of all teachers playing an important role in identifying and supporting those who have SEND. By taking part in No Pens Day Wednesday you will be able to access and put in place lots of great ways to build in quality support for all children’s communication across the school day. This is an important part of removing barriers to learning and engaging in inclusive practice. You’ll also be able to access information and guidance that can help you better understand how to identify and support children who are struggling.
By placing a focus on spoken language in your setting, you may find that you’re more able to spot those children who are struggling with their speech, language and communication development. For those children who have already been identified as requiring SEN support, placing a focus on spoken language means that you are encouraging them to develop their skills in this important area, which is the foundation for so much of their learning.
Lesson plans could also be adapted to link with any objectives that have been set by specialist colleagues, such as a speech and language therapist.
You can find out more about identifying and supporting children with SEND, and in particular those with SLCN in our pack of strategies for every classroom, which can be found in the information for staff section of our website.
Year 4 Lesson Plans
Class: Yr 4 / Teacher: / Date: / Lesson: History – Nile giftsLesson objectives:
- To know how the Ancient Egyptians used the Nile
- To critically evaluate the benefits of Nile living / Speaking and listening objectives:
- Explain information clearly with relevant detail
- Include and respond to members of the group
Activity:
- Commutation gap and ambassador activity – sharing and critically evaluation information on Nile gifts / Differentiation / Resource
Starter:
Round Robin – recap any prior learning on Ancient Egyptians
Introduce topic and view video
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/discovery-atlas-egypt-the-nile-then-and-now/ / http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/discovery-atlas-egypt-the-nile-then-and-now/
Vocabulary: Ancient Egypt; Nile; papyrus; obelisk; desert
Main: Nile Gifts
Activity 1: Information gap
Pupils work in 5 groups. Each group has one piece of information – farming, fishing, papyrus, boats and trading, water use
Group 1 – Farming
Group 2 – Fishing
Group 3 – Papyrus
Group 4 – Boats and Trading
Group 5 – Water Use
In their groups they look at the pictures and written information and discuss the following questions:
· What can I learn about Ancient Egypt?
· What can I learn about the Nile?
· Why might the Nile be important to the people of Ancient Egypt?
Activity 2: ambassador grouping
Depending on size of groups, in each group give pupils a number 1 -5 or 1-6
Now remake the groups – all No:1 together, all No: 2 together, etc
In the new groups, pupils share and collate the information they have gathered from previous activity.
Activity 3: Diamond ranking
Each group has a set of Diamond 9 cards. Rank the cards in diamond shape
/ Give consideration to how pupils are grouped and information sheets distributed - some information ( water use) may be more contextual to lower ability pupils / Nile Gifts information sheets x 5 (farming, fishing, papyrus, boats and trading, water use)
Diamond 9 statements
Plenary:
Discussion:
Regroup as class circle.
· Summarise key benefits of the Nile
· Ask what if…………floods too high, floods failed
Assessment for learning:
Each pupils says something they learned -
· Sentence finish – around the class circle, first pupil says ‘Today I learned….’ next pupil finishes sentence, turns to next and says ‘today I learned…’ and so on till back to first pupil.
No Pens Homework:
· Teach someone in your family about the gifts of the Nile
· Do the Diamond 9 task with them – do you agree on the order?
· If not, can you persuade them of your reasons?!
The silt from the flooding made the land good for farming. / The river was used for trading and transport.
The Nile provided drinking water. / The Nile provided food from fishing and wild birds.
The water was used to irrigate the farm land. / The papyrus was used to make boats and paper, and to trade for other goods.
The water was used for washing clothes. / Heavy stones for pyramids and wood for boat building could be transported on the Nile.
Ancient Egyptians could go hunting river animals like hippos and crocodiles for sport.
Year 4 Lesson Plans
Class: Yr 4 / Teacher: / Date: / Lesson: PSHE – thinking togetherLesson objectives:
- Thinking skills
- Communication skills – listening, sharing information, rational thinking
- Working together / Speaking and listening objectives:
- Listening
- Communicating clearly
- Asking and answering questions
- Rational thinking
Activity:
- Line Ups
- Pupils work together to ‘line up’ in order of a specific list, sequence of priorities, etc, for example birthday order, time they got up this morning... / Differentiation / Resource
Starter:
Circle activity icebreaker – Never have I ever …
Pupils sit around in a circle and put 5 fingers out in front of them to keep score. One pupil starts by saying "Never have I ever...." and then stating something that he has never done. If any of the other children have done that particular thing, then they lose a life and must turn one finger under. Play continues until someone has lost 5 lives and is out / Give a few starter ideas – ‘never have I ever been skiing’; never have I ever worn pink shoes’
Vocabulary:
Main: Thinking and communicating
The lesson may be best taught in a hall or outside (weather permitting). If in the classroom it may be helpful to push class furniture to one side.
Identify an imaginary line across the classroom.
Explain to pupils that they are going to be asked to organise themselves along the line in order of a certain sequence. To do so they will need to work with, cooperate and communicate with their peers
Activity 1:
Number pupils 1-(class number)
Line up in order as quickly as possible!
· What went well?
· Even better if……?
Activity 2:
Line up in height order.
· What went well?
· Even better if……?
Activity 3:
Line up by birthday.
· What went well?
· Even better if……?
Other possible line ups –
· First name alphabet letter order;
· House numbers
· Number of siblings or cousins (can pupils work out a system for all the pupils who will have the same number? – e.g make a line perpendicular to the sequence line)
Choose some pupils to suggest the criteria for the line up. / Hall or outdoor area, or classroom with furniture cleared to one side.
Plenary:
Return to circle
· What went well
· Even better if…………
· Skills needed – careful listening; give answers to questions clearly and coherently; listen to others;
Assessment for learning:
Pupils self assess (thumb up, horizontal, down) their achievement –
· I can work out my place in a sequence
No Pens Homework:
Line up is based on an old party game. Talk to some members of your family, especially older one, about party games they know. Ask them to teach you one of them.
Can you remember it to teach your teacher and friends at school?
Year 4 Lesson Plans
Class: / Teacher: / Date: / Lesson: Y4 Literacy: Narrative RecountsLearning objective:
To retell a known story by jointly planning the main points and including key features of narrative. / Previous learning:
Pupils are familiar with the chosen story and have previous learning of narrative story features. / Speaking and listening objectives:
· Speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of
Standard English
· Give well-structured descriptions and explanations
Activity / Differentiation / Resources
Starter:
· If there is an opportunity, investigate the tradition of oral storytelling and possibly find clips of storytellers performing their art. Examples can be found on the internet e.g. http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/storyteller-videos or those by Michael Rosen e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BxQLITdOOc
· Talk about how stories told verbally can be different from written stories – e.g. use of more animated expression, variation in the re-telling, opportunity for sound effects etc.
· Talk about how the story can be “boxed up” (i.e. how it can be segmented into approximately 8 key parts, dependent on the story chosen). Note that as it is No Pens Day, this will need to happen through discussion – different groups within the class could identify different sections of the story.
· Use pictures (see resources, you can make up picture cards from well-known stories) to create a visual story board depicting the whole story.
· In groups of 4, practise retelling the story modelled by the teacher following the boxed up / segmented story plan. Children should use a story stick when it is their turn and then pass it to the next child to tell the next part of the story. /
Differentiated groupings - Differentiation could be achieved by providing less familiar stories or completely new stories.
Examples of key vocabulary / phrases can be supplied to lower ability children to support them.
Success criteria relating to language to be included in the oral retellings. (See vocabulary)
E.g. the success criteria could be provided to children as a visual stimulus.
Teacher/TA support.
/ A familiar story.
8 pictures relating to key parts of the story.
Story sticks for each group.
Pictures cards for each group relating to other stories (differentiated).
Recording equipment – talking tin lids, microphones, tablets, computers, talking books etc.
Vocabulary
Story language relating to the story chosen e.g. ‘Once upon a time’. Use the chosen success criteria for key words to focus on e.g. adverbs; who clauses; sentences with 3 parts or speech sentences.
Main activity:
· Children to work in groups of 4 using picture cards that box up / show the key elements of another story.
· As a group they are to order the story then work as a group to add description to retell it, ensuring they use the success criteria relating to which key language to use.
· When they are prepared as a group, they should practise passing the story stick around as they retell each part. Ensure they assist each other by providing suggestions on how to improve each time they recite it e.g. Consider their audience (this could be younger children in the school).
· Finally, practise working from start to finish with no interruptions to the flow.
· Record onto lap tops, microphones, tablets, talking books etc. (These could then be given to another class or the school library as a set of audio books).
Plenary:
· As a whole class, watch and evaluate the recited stories.
· Ask the whole class to critique the stories using the 2 stars and wish (slide 8) method. (Two things they have spotted that fulfil the success criteria and one thing that could be improved on).
· Ask each group after they have performed to assess their own performance – did it go to plan? What could they improve on next time? How have their storytelling skills improved after this activity?
Assessment for learning: Teacher targeted questioning, self-assessment, observation of inclusion of the differentiated success criteria. / No Pens Homework: Retell the whole story to a family member as a bed time story.
Year 4 Lesson Plans