Written by Anthony Legon Primary Literacy ... - The Literacy Tree

Primary Literacy Planning – Monster Poetry
Year Group/s: 1.
Text Level Work:
Write a Monster Poem based on reading of other Monster Poetry.
Written by Anthony Legon
Text/ Resources:
Monster Poems by John Foster and Korky Paul, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Engaging Starting Point:
Set the classroom up, half as a Police Station and half as a Where the Wild Things Are setting (this can then be used for the subsequent unit). The Police Station will be
used for interviewing key witnesses in Phase 1; for the children’s drama in Phase 2; and can become the writing role-play area in Phase 3. It will need to have
detectives’/police hats, interview notebooks, a telephone, pens and pencils, magnifying glasses and an evidence wall (this will be your Working Wall for this unit). Your
Monster area can have vines (made from strips of crêpe paper hanging from the ceiling), trees/plants (made from rolled-up/cut newspapers) and perhaps a monster wall
(made from camouflage netting).
Phase 1, Imitation (4 days): The unit opens with the teacher, dressed as a Police Officer, informing the children that a monster is on the loose somewhere in the local
vicinity. The Police Officer explains that, due to them being very busy, s/he would like to recruit them all as Police People to help catch the monster. In order to do that,
they must first of all learn as much as they can about Monsters, e.g. what they look like, how they move, what they eat, etc. The officer explains that s/he will be back in
three days’ time to find out the information from the children and to tell them what they need to do next to catch the monster. During the first phase (3 days) the children
interview key witnesses about the escaped monster, learn 2 monster poems, ‘magpie’ monster vocabulary and feed back to the Police Officer.
Phase 2, Innovation (3 days): The Police Officer returns to hear feedback and to tell the children that the monster is close by and now needs to be caught. The
children now have to decide how to catch it and then to go on a monster hunt to look for it. During this time, the children begin to collect the ingredients for an
interesting poem to add to their Evidence Wall as their success criteria for Phase 3. The Police Officer returns to give the children their next task. They will also write
poetic sentences.
Phase 3, Invention (3 days): The children use their poetic sentences and the Ingredients for an interesting Poem to write their own ‘Monster Hunt’ poem using a
mixture of Shared, Guided and Independent Writing. The Police Officer returns and the children go on a final ‘Monster Hunt’, this time inviting helpers from across the
school. They find their monster, catching it with their Monster-Catchers. The children’s Poetry is displayed around the school.
Text / Sentence Level Work (balance of shared reading and
writing over week)
Independent Work Plenary
Day Objective Whole class Activities/Teaching Strategies Core Activity Differentiation Key Teaching Points /
Questions
Day 1
Imitate –
Building
Vocabulary,
Oral Retelling
- Experiment
with and build
new stores of
words to
communicate in
different
contexts.
- Listen with
sustained
concentration,
building new
Set the classroom up as a monster habitat and a Police
Station (as detailed above).
Teacher dressed up as a Police Officer, inform the children
of the ‘escaped’ monster on the loose. Tell them that, as
yet, little is known about the monster, but that you are very
busy with other criminals at the moment and you would like
the children to become police officers to help catch the
terrible monster! Tell them that they will need to read some
information, interview some key witnesses and report back
in three days’ time.
Police Officer to then read Help by Jack Prelutsky as a way
Independent Activity: Investigating the Poem
Activity. As you read and reread Help, children to
use magnifying glasses to search for examples of
Interesting vocabulary to add to the Evidence
Wall. Tell children that we will need to remember
as much evidence as possible to feed back to the
Police Officer in 3 days’ time. Children to write
their Interesting ‘monster words’ onto strips of
sugar paper and add to ‘evidence wall’
themselves. Already have the 5 key questions on
the Evidence Wall:
Children in below
average groups to
sort words into two
hoops – those in
the poem and
those not in the
poem.
Activity: Story Whoosh:
Tell the children that they are
going to be learning the story in
Wednesday’s lesson. Hold a
story whoosh for the poem, with
children acting out key parts of
the poem, e.g. seven legs and
furry knees and prickles on its
chin.
stores of words
in different
contexts.
of asking for children’s help.
What does a monster look like?
How does a monster move?
Where does a monster live?
How does a monster eat?
What does a monster eat?
- I can identify
Interesting
words in a
poem.
As the children present their evidence from their
investigation, model adding it to the correct
question on the wall.

Day 2 - Interpret a text
by reading aloud
with some
variety in pace
and emphasis.
- Listen with
sustained
concentration,
building new
stores of words
in different
contexts.
- I can listen to,
learn and recite
a poem using
drama.
Day 3 - Interpret a text
by reading aloud
with some
variety in pace
and emphasis.
- Listen with
sustained
concentration,
building new
stores of words
in different
contexts.
- I can listen to,
learn and recite
a poem using
music.
Written by Anthony Legon
Explain to children that they are going to be hearing from an
important witness who has seen the monster on her travels.
It is important that this witness has learnt the poem off by
heart so that she can recite it when asked the questions.
Activity: Witness Statement:
Children to be dressed as mini Police Officers. Give each
table a question to ask from the poem, e.g. What does a
Monster Look Like? As a group, the children ask the
questions and write the descriptive vocabulary from the
answers on strips of sugar paper ready to add to the
Evidence Wall later, e.g. pimply and warty. (As an
extension, children may want to add their own questions to
ask the witness.
Following from the witness’ questions, introduce the poem
Question Time to the children and model reading using an
expressive voice. Discuss the language used. Explain that
they will be learning this poem.
What does a monster look like?
How does a monster move?
Where does a monster live?
How does a monster eat?
What does a monster eat?
Activity: Listen and Draw:
Reread Help by Jack Prelutsky to children. As you read it,
ask them to draw (either in groups, or individually) the
monster that is described. As an extension activity, children
can add labels and captions to the drawing of the various
parts they have drawn.
Add group pictures (and vocabulary) to Evidence Wall.
Activity: Learn and Recite (Wearing Monster
Costumes):
Children to learn poems using actions – use
Question Time by Michaela Morgan. Separate
poem into stanzas so that each group has a
different section to learn. (Children may have
begun to make Monster outfits to continue to use
during Where the Wild Things Are unit.) Children
prepare for a group performance at the end of the
session.
Activity: Learn and Recite (Soundscape):
Children learn a stanza each of poem (so that by
the end of the unit they have learnt, by heart, at
least two poems). Add music using
Soundscape/Mood Orchestra. Children prepare
for a group performance at the end of the session.
Children work in
mixed ability
groups with more
able supporting
less. Cator for
specific needs
where appropriate.
Use differentiated
stanzas for group’s
differing abilities.
Children work in
mixed ability
groups with more
able supporting
less. Cater for
specific needs
where appropriate.
Use differentiated
stanzas for group’s
differing abilities.
Some groups may
learn more than 1
stanza.
Children perform their poems to
the class/group, dressed in
Monster outfits. Teacher in role
as Police Officer asks the
questions to the children and
they respond.
At the end of the lesson, the
Police Office returns to the class
to hear the children’s results of
their investigation. Children to
recite the two poems to the
Officer and share the findings
on their Evidence Wall. Tell the
children that they will need to
now write their own poem to tell
the officer what the monster
looks like to add to the Evidence
Wall.
End of Phase – Children have
now listened to and learnt 2
(at least in part) off by heart.

Day 4
Innovate –
Rewrite
known
poems
using a
range of
strategies.
Teacher
modelling
demonstra
tes poetry
writing
technique.
Build
success
criteria.
- Experiment with
and build new
stores of words to
communicate in
different contexts.
- I can identify
and use
interesting words
to write poetic
sentences.
Day 5 - Explore the effect
of patterns of
language and
repeated words
and phrases.
- Recognise the
main elements that
shape different
texts.
- I can write poetic
sentences using
repeated phrases.
- I know some of
the ingredients of
an interesting
poem.
Written by Anthony Legon
Remind children that the Police Officer will be coming back
in at the end of today’s session to hear their feedback. They
will need to perform their poems to him and also have a
class poem ready showing him what their monster looks
like.
Use Question Time by Michaela Morgan as a writing frame
to think of Monster ideas, e.g. What Does a Monster Look
Like?
Read poem and then read with blanked out words and
thought shower what our own Monster would look like. Use
ideas from Monster Hunt activity. Add to Evidence Wall.
Teacher models writing a stanza using words from Evidence
Wall of poem What does my Monster Sound Like?
Activity: Drama, Catching the Monster:
Share some ideas with teachers of how you might catch the
monster, e.g. With an enormous net made of magic string;
with a cage made from the strongest wire; with a lasso
made from the toughest wire. Teacher to model speaking
the sentences: I will catch my monster with… and acting out
each shared idea.
Children to have some thinking time in Talking Partners to
decide how they might catch their monster, e.g. I will catch
my monster with a net made of gold and silver. Stress the
importance of using the full sentence to explain their ideas.
Sit in a circle with the children. Demonstrate going into the
middle of the circle and miming using your monster-catcher
to catch the monster, saying your sentence as you do so.
Give groups headings for their own group poem,
e.g. Where does a
monster live? (from Question Time poem).
Different groups of children are responsible for
different questions, e.g.
What does a monster Look like?
How does a monster move?
Where does a monster live?
How does a monster eat?
What does a monster eat?
Use the stanzas to create a class poem.
Children to use words from Evidence Wall to write
their poems.
Activity (cont.): Poetic Sentences. Catching the
Monster:
Children to write their sentences on sentence
strips, e.g. I will catch my monster with a…
Collect the sentence strips to create a class poem
on the Evidence Wall. At the end of each ‘stanza’
of three lines write… Will you come and help me,
please?
Cross-Curricular (DT)
Children to make their own monster-catchers for
the Going on a Monster Hunt activity.
Children use
differentiated
writing frames to
write their
sentences, e.g.
from some support
to higher level of
support (see
Writing Frame on
disk).
Children use
differing degrees of
writing frames to
write their
sentences.
Extension: to write
2 or 3 ideas in a
simple stanza.
Put different elements of poem
together to create a class poem.
Add to Evidence Wall and read
poem as a class.
Teacher in role as the Police
Office (again!). Tell the children
that the monster is close by, in
the local area and they are
going to be responsible for
tracking the monster and
eventually capturing it, but they
must return it unharmed! To do
this they will need to decide
upon the best way to catch it
and then to go on a monster
hunt.
On your Evidence Wall have an
area for the Ingredients for a
Interesting Poem. You may
wish to use the materials from
Pie Corbett’s Igniting Writing for
this (see resources).
Discuss the idea of repeated
words and phrases to add to
your Ingredients for an
interesting Poem on your
Evidence Wall.

Day 6 - Explore the effect
of patterns of
language and
repeated words
and phrases.
- Recognise the
main elements that
shape different
texts.
- I can write poetic
sentences using
alliteration.
- I know some of
the ingredients of
an interesting
poem.
Day 7 - Explore the effect
of patterns of
language and
repeated words
and phrases.
- Recognise the
main elements that
shape different
texts.
- I can write poetic
sentences using
similes.
- I know the
ingredients of an
interesting poem.
Written by Anthony Legon
Activity: We’re Going on a Monster Hunt Drama:
With children dressed as Police People, take the children on
a monster hunt. You may wish to begin by using the
classroom monster environment and then move into the
playground etc. You will need to have hidden monster
props around the area, e.g. tail, monster ears, googley-eyes
etc. If you have made monster-catchers, you can take them
on the hunt with you. Find props to build the monster’s
character, using repetitive chanted language.
We’re going on a Monster Hunt, we’re going to
catch a smelly one.
We’re not scared, uh-oh – smelly socks!
We’re going on a Monster Hunt, we’re going to
catch an ugly one.
We’re not scared, uh-oh – ten terrible
teeth!
We’re going on a Monster Hunt, we’re going to
catch a huge one.
We’re not scared, uh-oh – tremendous tail!
In Shared Writing, teacher models writing the poem created
orally.
Add vocabulary and shared poem to Evidence Wall.
Activity: Simile Arguments:
Tell children that they are going to need to decide exactly
what their monster looks like so that they can go and catch it
at the end of the week.
Teacher to boast:
My Monster is as tall as a tree.
TA to boast in return:
Well, my monster is tall as a skyscraper.
Teacher to boast:
My Monster is as smelly as cheese.
TA to boast:
Well, my monster is as smelly as a sewer.
Continue the argument using the following sentence
openers:
As tall as…
As big as…
As smelly as…
As ugly as…
As disgusting as…
Write some of the similes on sugar paper and add to the
Evidence Wall.
Children write using writing frame.
We’re going on a Monster Hunt, We’re going to
catch a ______ one.
We’re not scared, uh-oh –
________________________
We’re going on a Monster Hunt, We’re going to
catch a ______ one.
We’re not scared, uh-oh –
________________________
Independent Activity: Simile Arguments:
Explain to children that they will be working in
pairs to hold a simile argument.
Give children time to think about what they might
say, using the same sentence openers as before:
My monster is as tall as…
My monster is as big as…
My monster is as smelly as…
My monster is as ugly as…
My monster is as disgusting as…
Children to use sentence starter strips to write
their similes.
Guided Group (AA) to work with teacher to extend
the similes shown.
Children use
differentiated
writing frames to
write their
sentences.
Children to use
sentence openers,
both for oral and
written work.
Discuss the way we have used
alliteration to create our monster
descriptions. Add to this to the
Ingredients for an Interesting
Poem.
Discuss the way we have used
repetition in this poem as well.
Children to share their Simile
Arguments in pairs.
Discuss the way we have used
similes to describe our Monster
and add similes to our list of
Ingredients for an Interesting
Poem.
Police Officer returns at the end
of the session to find out how
the children are getting on. The
children can share with the
Police Officer the monster items
they have found and their
Evidence Wall so far. Police
Officer to give children their next
challenge: They are getting
closer to the Monster, but they
are going to need to recruit help
from other people by writing
their own poem asking for help!
End of Phase – Children have
now innovated’ independently
and in groups. They have
performed their ‘poems.
Children understand the
‘ingredients’ of an Interesting
poem.

Day 8
Invent –
Children
use the
language
gathered in
phases 1
and 2 to
invent their
own poem,
checking
against
success
criteria.
Poem is
based on
their
knowledge
of a known
poem.
- Explore the effect
of patterns of
language and
repeated words
and phrases.
- Create short
simple texts on
paper and screen
that combine words
with images (and
sounds).
- I can write a
poem by grouping
sentences, using
the ingredients of
an interesting
poem.
Day 9 - Explore the effect
of patterns of
language and
repeated words
and phrases.
- Create short
simple texts on
paper and screen
that combine words
with images (and
sounds).
- I can write a
poem by grouping
sentences, using
the ingredients of
an interesting
poem.
Day 10 - Compose and
write simple
sentences
independently to
communicate
meaning.
- I can write and
perform a poem
by grouping
sentences, using
the ingredients of
an Interesting
poem.
Written by Anthony Legon
Use the 3 ideas from Phase 2 to begin to build up the first
stanza of an invented poem. Teacher models selecting
appropriate vocabulary from Evidence Wall.
Model the following (or similar):
I am going on a Monster Hunt,
I am going to catch an ugly one
With my enormous net made from magical string!
My monster has green gills and ten terrible teeth.
It is as tall as a tree and as big as a bus.
Will you come and help me, please?
Writing Activity: Write the First Stanza of a Poem:
Use the 3 more ideas from Phase 2 to begin to build up the
second stanza of your invented poem. Teacher models
selecting appropriate vocabulary from Evidence Wall.
Model the following (or similar):
I am going on a Monster Hunt,
I am going to catch a smelly one with my huge cage made
from the strongest wire !
My monster has stinky socks and pongy pants.
It is as smelly as a cheese and as disgusting as a sewer.
Will you come and help me, please?
Police Officer returns for the final Monster Hunt. Ask
members of the school to join you so that children can read
their poems to ask for help.
Activity: We’re Going on a Monster Hunt Drama:
Take the children back on the route of their Monster Hunt
(wearing their Police costumes and carrying their monstercatchers),
this time taking it in turns to say their own stanzas
of their own poems, either read or recited.
Children to think of their own stanza in pairs,
adding their own vocabulary from previous writing
opportunities in Phase 1 and 2.
I am going on a Monster Hunt,
I am going to catch a ______ one
With my _______________!
My monster has g_____ g___ and t_______
t______.
It is as big as a _____ and as smelly as a ______.
Will you come and help me, please?
Children to think of their own stanza in pairs,
adding their own vocabulary from previous writing
opportunities in Phase 1 and 2.
I am going on a Monster Hunt,
I am going to catch a ______ one
With my _______________!
My monster has g_____ g___ and t_______
t______.
It is as big as a _____ and as smelly as a ______.
Will you come and help me?
At the end of the Monster Hunt, the children
discover the Monster they have been looking for.
The Police Officer, overjoyed at the children’s
help, gives them his Special Police Officer
awards.
Children use
differentiated
writing frames to
write their
sentences.
Children use
differentiated
writing frames to
write their
sentences.
Support for children
to read/say their
poems as
necessary.
In groups of 3, children to listen
to one another’s poems and
orally say 2 stars and a wish for
each other.
Tell children that their special
task is to try to learn at least one
stanza of their poem for the next
session, where they will be
going on their final monster
hunt.
Teacher to display children’s
their finished poems.