Key Stage: Upper KS2 Y5/6

Genre: Fiction
Text: Beowulf by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Length of sequence: 3 weeks

Key learning outcome:

To write a story about overcoming a monster

Elicitation task:
Share with pupils the blueprint of an overcoming-the-monster story. See an example below.
Model how to elaborate at each point and talk through a story. Pupils should then do this in
pairs, before writing their own story.

Use the outcomes from this to adapt the medium-term plan and age-related learning outcomes.

Medium-term plan

Reading Writing Grammar

Increase their familiarity with a Plan writing by identifying Use semi-colons to mark
wide range of books, including audience and purpose, selecting boundaries between clauses (Y6).
fiction from our literary heritage. appropriate form and using similar
Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity
writing as models for their own.
Identify and discuss themes and (Y6).
conventions in and across a wide Note and develop initial ideas,
Expand noun phrases to convey
range of reading. drawing on reading and research
complicated information
where necessary.
Draw inferences, such as inferring concisely (Y6).
characters’ feelings, thoughts and In narratives, consider how authors
motives from their actions, and have developed characters and
justify them with evidence. settings in what they have read. Terminology
Y5: noun phrase, comma,
Discuss and evaluate how authors Draft and write by selecting cohesion
use language, including figurative appropriate grammar and
language, considering the impact vocabulary, understanding how Y6: hyphen, semi-colon
on the reader. such choices can change and
enhance.
Use a wide range of devices to
build cohesion within and across
paragraphs.

Spoken language
Pupils should be taught to use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary.

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 Age-related learning outcomes

Working at Working at greater depth

national standard within the national standard

• Write in paragraphs with links between them. • Use the power of three.
• Use alliteration. • Use semi-colons to link sentences.
• Expand nouns.
• Use a range of punctuation to aid meaning.
• Use a range of sentence constructions.

Guided group writing targets

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5

Teaching

Familiarisation/Immersion in text/Analysis

This sequence is based on the first half of the book, in which Beowulf takes on Grendel and
Grendel’s mother.

Learning about the text

Reading
Set up a shared area for pupils to role-play being the storyteller.
• With you in role as the storyteller, write, map and learn the bare bones of the story to tell pupils. Make sure you
include the features that you want pupils to use in their writing.
• Read the book in story time.
• Gather pupils’ initial responses to the story. You could use a likes/dislikes/puzzles/patterns chart, or just have
an open discussion. Record responses on the working wall, including any questions raised.
• Pupils identify sections they particularly like, then map, learn and remember them.
• Focus on the characters of Unferth and Beowulf. Using freeze-frames from various parts of the text, explore
how the characters are feeling.
• How is this text organised? Plot the story with pupils, using the overcoming-the-monster pattern (see example
below).
• Focus on paragraphing. Take a short section (e.g. pages 6 and 7) and explore the reasons for starting a new
paragraph, the impact of paragraph length on pace and tension, and how paragraphs are linked. Pupils
explore the ideas in the section that they have learnt and remembered. Use a photocopy of the section so
that they can annotate, highlight and circle parts of the text. Jot down findings for success criteria.
• Model writing about preparing to go on a school trip, using the findings from the paragraphs on pages 6
and 7. Pupils write their own version based on a family trip.

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Grammar
• Collect examples of the use of semi-colons on long strips of sugar paper. Ask pupils to come up with rules for
using them based on what the author does (listing clauses, joining two closely related sentences together).
Discuss the fact that this is a style choice. Could you use a full stop? Could you use a conjunction? Go back
to the text and talk about why Crossley-Holland has used a semi-colon.
• Give each child a sentence on a strip of card. Ask them to talk to other pupils and find a different sentence
that they could join with a semi-colon. In pairs, pupils say the sentences with all the punctuation (and an
action if you use them). Then ask pupils to record the sentences.
• Use the illustrations to do usual words in unusual combinations. Collect words and phrases to describe
elements in the picture and record them on the working wall. Generate lists of words and put them in two
columns, followed by some nouns. Choose words or phrases from the columns and finish with a noun to
create a noun phrase. Look at how the author uses hyphens in his noun phrases. Why does he do that? Do
any of the phrases need hyphens or commas? Record examples on the working wall.
• There is a very strong patterning of three in this text. Using photocopies, ask pupils to cut out the patterns of
three and then cut them up into three and arrange them one under each other. What is being patterned
(nouns, determiners, pronouns, clauses, verbs, sentences)? What effect do they have in the story? Model
transforming these patterns of three to fit other situations (e.g. a long bright gaze, a slow nod, a half smile
transformed to describe someone who is angry).
Summarise the purpose, organisation and language features in order to generate success criteria for writing
(either teacher or child generated).

Practising writing
• With pupils, create a class monster. Discuss the problems that heroes have with monsters. Pupils will draw
heavily on animations and superheroes here. Jot down ideas and then choose one of them for the story.
• Model completing the Text structure chart with your new hero and monster, talking through what could
happen at each stage. What other stories do pupils know that fit this pattern?
• Convert the bare bones map into a map for your story, talking through where you will expand it.
• Take your examples of the power of three and decide where you might use them for effect in your story.
Make notes on your map about where they might go.
• Using images of pollution and chemicals that relate to the story you have created, generate words to
describe them. Use the usual words in unusual combinations activity from the previous phase. Record some of
the phrases on the working wall and consider whether any need hyphens to make them clear to the reader.
• Talk through your map, modelling clearly how each section could be expanded, thinking about the use of
paragraphs – their size and how that adds to the effect/meaning of the story.

Shared writing
• Model writing the story (this may need to be done in parts), showing pupils how and why to use paragraphs,
alliteration, hyphens, semi-colons and powers of three.
• Pupils write their own version of the story.
• Model editing for improvement.
Provide feedback about aspects children need to develop further when they write independently.

Independent writing
• Pupils create their own monster and hero. Using the list generated in the previous phase, choose a problem
and resolution to go with the characters. Collect images of the settings and some that support the problem.
• Using the Text structure chart, create the bare bones of the story and then convert the map into your own
story.
• Generate words and phrases to describe the settings, using the usual words in unusual combinations activity.
Pupils record the ones they want to use and consider the use of hyphens where necessary.
• Convert the powers of three into ones that would work in the context of the new stories, and explain where
they are going to be used and why.
• Tell the story, using the map and elaborating at appropriate points. Tell your story to a small group of pupils in
the class and take feedback about effectiveness.
• Support pupils in their writing through revising and editing.
• Present the writing in a book.
• Compare and comment on the progress made from the elicitation task to the Independent writing.

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Overcoming the monster – structure

Features of plot Simplified features of plot

1 Anticipation stage and the call 1 We meet the monster and the hero.
Usually become aware of the monster 2 The hero moves towards the monster
from a distance. Become aware of the but still feels safe and comfortable.
destructive power of the monster. Hero
is called to defeat the monster. 3 The hero and monster meet. They
battle and it looks like the hero might
2 Dream stage fail.
Hero moves towards the monster. Still a
feeling of safety and comfort. 4 There is a big battle where all seems
lost but is finally won.
3 Frustration stage
We come face to face with the 5 The monster is dealt a fatal blow and
monster. Hero seems really small and its dark power is overthrown. The hero
almost feels as if they are falling into enjoys the prize.
the monster’s clutches and that the
struggle can only have one outcome.
4 Nightmare stage
Nightmare battle where odds seem
stacked against the hero. But at the
climax, just when all seems lost, comes
the ‘reversal’.
5 The thrilling escape from death
In the nick of time the monster is
dealt a fatal blow; its dark power is
overthrown.
The hero emerges to enjoy the prize; a
great treasure, union with the princess,
succession to some kind of kingdom.

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Text structure

Overcoming the Text model Practising writing Independent

monster writing

We meet the The storyteller The teacher tells

monster and the tells Beowulf and the class the story
hero. others the story of a monster
of the monster who is polluting
Grendel and the environment
sets the scene with chemicals
that Grendel is and insecticides.
still terrorising the Charlie is part of
people. the class.

The hero moves Beowulf and his Charlie and his

towards the men set off for friends set off to
monster but still Denmark and the forest where
feels safe and when they land they have heard
comfortable. they head for the that the monster
Great Hall. is now destroying
the landscap.

The hero and That night, That night the

monster meet. Grendel comes monster comes to
They battle and it to the hall and the forest to pour
looks like the hero kills more warriors. more chemicals
might fail. Beowulf and on it and Charlie
Grendel fight rips off his arm
and Beowulf rips but the monster
Grendel’s arm off. escapes.
Grendel escapes. Charlie goes after
Beowulf goes him and meets
after him and the monster’s
meet’s Grendel’s mother.
mother.

There is a big They fight in an They fight in

battle where all underwater hall a cave in the
seems lost but is with Grendel’s mountains with
finally won. mother stabbing the monster’s
at Beowulf’s mother slashing at
heart. his arms and legs.

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The monster is Beowulf spots Charlie spots a
dealt a fatal a sword, made chemical that he
blow and its by giants, and knows will dissolve
dark power is uses it to cut the the monster
overthrown. The monster’s head and pours it
hero enjoys the off. over them. He
prize. Beowulf swims to comes out of
the surface of the the cave with all
water. the treasure that
The prize is the the monster had
two peoples no collected.
longer at war but
now friends and
all the treasure
that the monster
had collected.

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