1. Teacher Notes

3. Symbols
I do: my turn to talk. This is the explanation section of our lesson where you are required to listen. We do: this is where we discuss or work on the concepts together. You do: your turn to be involved. You may be working in a group or on an activity individually.

4. Writing Narrative Texts Year 5 and Year 6

5. Narrative Texts - Overview
The main purpose of a narrative text is to tell a story which entertains the reader or listener. Narratives may also be used to teach or inform.
There are many types of narrative texts, such as:
picture books
short stories
novels
traditional tales.
Narratives can be imaginary or factual, long or short, humorous or serious. They are often grouped into categories called ‘genres’. Some examples include fairy tales, romance, adventure and science fiction.
Narrative texts usually follow a clear and distinct structure.

6. Narrative Texts - Structure
Orientation – the beginning of the story, which introduces the setting (time, place and atmosphere), the plot (storyline) and the characters.
Complication – the main characters experience a problem or challenge, which they must try to solve or overcome.
Series of events – the main characters work to resolve the complication, leading to an event of high tension and suspense (the climax).
Resolution – the main characters find a solution to the problem or challenge, which may lead to a happy or unhappy ending to the story.

7. Narrative Structure - Example
Title
Sally’s Bad-Luck Day One frosty morning, Sally was as warm as toast, tucked up in her cosy bed. She had been dreaming about all the things she was hoping to get for her birthday next week. Suddenly, her dad came into her room, yelling at the top of his voice. “Sally, get up! Get up, Sally! It’s eight o’clock! You’re going to be late for school!” Sally had slept in!
Orientation
Complication

8. Narrative Structure - Example
Series of events
There was no time for breakfast. Sally quickly threw on her clothes, grabbed her school bag and charged out the front door. She ran as fast as lightning to the bus stop, getting there just in time to see the bus driving away. She would have to walk to school. What a disaster!
Tired and grumpy, Sally arrived at school just as the bell was ringing for the start of class. She couldn’t concentrate during her lessons, because her stomach was grumbling so loudly. She couldn’t wait until lunchtime, when she could finally have something to eat.

9. Narrative Structure - Example
Climax
Finally, at one o’clock, the lunch bell sounded. Sally raced into the playground and opened her school bag. To her dismay, the only thing she saw inside was her hat! Sally could not handle any more surprises on this awful, bad-luck day. She sat down on the grass and cried.
Sally’s teacher noticed her crying and went to comfort her. When she heard about Sally’s horrible day, she quickly made her a delicious salad sandwich and shared some of the chocolate cake she had brought for her own lunch. Sally’s day was starting to improve, at last!
Resolution

10. Narrative Structure – Example
Can you label the narrative structure correctly?
Title
Tony’s Tantrum Tony was tired. After a long session of football practice, all he wanted to do was take off his boots, flop onto his bed and relax for a while. As he walked into his bedroom, Tony was greeted by a disaster zone. His football trophies lay strewn across the floor in all directions. His school books, splayed open, were covered in scribble. His shorts, t-shirts and socks had been flung into all corners of the room. In the middle of the chaos sat Tony’s little brother, Terry, with a huge smile on his face.
Orientation
Complication

11. Narrative Structure – Example
Series of events
“Get out!” Tony screamed, angrily. “I’m sick of you always coming into my room and going through my things. I wish you’d never been born! Go away and just leave me alone, will you!”
Terry’s lower lip trembled like jelly. A few seconds later, tears were flowing uncontrollably down his four-year-old face. He rushed from the room, leaving Tony standing in the midst of the mess.
At that moment, Tony’s mother came into the bedroom. “Before you say a single thing,” Tony said, “look. Just look. This is what he did. I’m sick of him using my things. He wrecks them and breaks them. It’s not fair. I just need him to leave my stuff alone!”
Tony’s mother opened her mouth to speak. Tony prepared himself for the lecture he knew was coming.
Climax

12. Narrative Structure – Example
Resolution
Tony’s mother smiled gently. “Tony, you do understand why Terry likes to come into your room and use your things, don’t you?”
“Of course I do!” cried Tony. “He loves annoying me!”
Tony’s mother chuckled. “No, my darling. He doesn’t love annoying you. He just loves you. That’s why he comes into your room and touches your things. He wants to be like his big brother.”
“He does? Really?” Tony was surprised. He’d never thought of anyone wanting to be like him before. Suddenly, he felt terrible.
“Mum? Can you ask Terry to come back? Maybe he’d like to play a game with me. I think I need to give him a hug, too.”
Tony’s mother smiled. “Of course I’ll ask him,” she said. “And I’m sure he’ll be happy to come.”

13. Review
Correctly label the narrative structure of this well-known fairy tale.
The wolf blows down the straw house and the stick house. The first two pigs run to the brick house.
The pigs leave home to seek their fortune. They each build themselves a house using different materials.
The wolf lands in a pot of boiling water at the bottom of the chimney. The pigs live happily ever after.
The wolf cannot blow down the brick house. He decides to come down the chimney instead.
Orientation
Complication
Climax
Resolution

14. Narrative Texts – Language
Narrative texts use descriptive language. The author ‘paints pictures with words’ so that the reader can visualise what is happening in the story.
Here are some examples of language you might find in a narrative text:
use of a range of verb types, usually written in past tense
use of adjectives and adverbs to describe nouns
use of imagery (simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia)
use of emotive words and phrases
use of direct speech
use of connecting words and phrases to link events together.
Let’s find some examples of this language in the two texts we have examined so far.

15. Narrative Language - Example
past tense
There was no time for breakfast. Sally quickly threw on her clothes, grabbed her school bag and charged out the front door. She ran as fast lightning to the bus stop, getting there just in time to see the bus driving away. She would have to walk to school. What a disaster! Tired and grumpy, Sally arrived at school just as the bell was ringing for the start of class. She couldn’t concentrate during her lessons, because her stomach was grumbling so loudly. She couldn’t wait until lunchtime, when she could finally have something to eat.
action verbs
simile
emotive phrase
adjectives
time connective

16. Narrative Language - Example
Can you label the persuasive language correctly?
direct speech
“Get out!” Tony screamed, angrily. “I’m sick of you always coming into my room and going through my things. I wish you’d never been born! Go away and just leave me alone, will you!”
Terry’s lower lip trembled like jelly. A few seconds later, tears were flowing uncontrollably down his four-year-old face. He rushed from the room, leaving Tony standing in the midst of the mess his little brother had created.
saying verbs
emotive phrase
simile
time connective
adverbs
past tense

17. Review
Correctly label the descriptive language used in this well-known fairy tale.
Little Red Riding Hood wore a cape as red as blood.
She skipped down the path to her grandma’s house.
The sly, cunning wolf eagerly watched the little girl.
“Why don’t you take this path instead?” he said.
When she arrived, her grandma looked very strange.
What terrible, frightful deeds had taken place!
imagery
action verb
adjectives and adverbs
direct speech
connecting phrase
emotive phrase
Complete the Identifying Descriptive Language Worksheets.