how to find gold by viviane schwarz (walker) to find gold...music children will have opportunity to...

©The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE.

How to Find Gold by Viviane Schwarz (Walker)

In many ways the journey in pursuit of a goal and what you learn along the way is what makes it all worthwhile, much more than getting what you think you want. This is just one level at which this imaginative picture book could be read.

Anna is inspired to go on an adventure in search of gold and undeterred by the potential difficulties. Her friend Crocodile suggests the solutions to help them achieve this together. Anna is a spontaneous and strong girl character while Crocodile provides a steadying hand (or should it be claw?) in a friendship between child and animal which is portrayed as perfectly natural. In the early pictures the two characters stand out in colour against the black and white of their everyday environment. As the story progresses and they take to the sea in a boat and explore underwater, the illustrations become glorious full colour as they approach their objective.

Do they eventually find gold and what meaning does it have for them? A satisfying story which could connect cross-curricular links to science, maths and geography.

Overall aims of this teaching sequence: ● To talk confidently about a picture book and respond to it in a range of ways ● To explore important themes of courage, friendship, perseverance and determination ● To explore the story through a variety of teaching approaches including artwork, drama and role-play ● To engage in oral storytelling and bookmaking ● To write in role from more than one perspective ● To reflect on reading through keeping a reading journal

This teaching sequence is designed for a Year 1 or Year 2 class

Overview of this teaching sequence.

This teaching sequence is approximately 5 weeks long if spread out over 25 sessions. The characters and settings are well drawn, offering young readers a good stimulus for their own descriptive and story writing and writing simple non-fiction text types. The story is told almost entirely through the dialogue between Anna and Crocodile which may be an unusual format for the children. However, the rich illustrations move the story on in terms of time and space and provide plentiful opportunity for oral storytelling through much revisiting and re-enactment.

National Curriculum 2014 Links

Reading (Comprehension): ● listen to, discuss and express views about books at

a level beyond that which they can read independently;

● discuss the significance of the title and events; ● link what they hear or read to own experiences; ● explain understanding of what is read; ● discuss the sequence of events in books and how

items of information are related; ● discuss favourite words and phrases; ● answer and ask questions; ● predict what might happen on the basis of what

has been read; ● draw inferences on the basis of what is being said

and done;

Writing (Composition / Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation):

● draft and write by noting ideas, key phrases and vocabulary, and composing and rehearsing sentences orally;

● sequence sentences to form short narratives; ● write for different purposes including about

fictional personal experiences, poetry, non-fiction and real events;

● reread and evaluate writing to check it makes sense and make simple revisions;

● read writing aloud with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear;

● use new and familiar punctuation correctly; ● use sentences in different forms;


● participate in discussion about what is read, taking turns and listening to others;

● express views about reading.

● expand noun phrases to describe and specify; ● use past and present tense correctly and

consistently; ● use simple conjunctions to link subordinate and co-

ordinating clauses.

Speaking and Listening: ● listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers; ● ask relevant questions to extend knowledge and understanding; ● consider and evaluate viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others; ● participate in discussions, performances, role-play, improvisations and debate about what has been read; ● use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas.

Cross Curricular Links:

Maths: Number / Calculation: ● Children can count and share out treasure, as fractions of a whole as well as a number of coins. ● Children could count paces when seeking treasure and solve simple word problems as clues in a treasure hunt.

Geometry and measures: ● Children can investigate time passing (days, weeks, years), distance travelled, scale on maps, and height of

mountains. ● They can measure weigh the mass of ‘gold’ nuggets and coins as well as investigating the size and weight of an

average Crocodile. If a Crocodile is impossible for a child to carry, just how would one move a Crocodile up a hill? Science: Chemistry: ● Children can explore properties of materials they think most appropriate for a sea monster, such as those that allow

for flexibility and mobility, those that protect from attack, those that enable a life aquatic. They could also explore the properties of materials like neoprene in diving suits or lycra in swimsuits.

● Children could explore floating and sinking, especially comparing metals and (precious) stones for sunken treasure. ● Children could design a bag that is both waterproof and strong in which to carry sunken treasure back to the ship.

They could design an underwater mountain-proof boat using impenetrable materials that will also float. Biology: ● Children can learn about the plants native to tropical islands often found in treasure maps and pirate stories as well

as those living in the oceans. Computing ● Children can be encouraged to use ICT to enhance learning: recording storytelling, filming role play, using digital

photographs to make books or present ideas; create short simple e-text of book using PowerPoint that combines words with images and sounds; internet research. (See teaching sessions for more detail)

● Children can programme Beebots and use software that enables them to manipulate the toy or character to move according to instructions, such as: forward, backward, quarter/half turn, etc.

● Children could use technology to enhance their geographical understanding and sense of place in the world, such as Google Earth / Maps, the app Grid Finder, etc.

Personal, Social and Emotional ● Children can explore themes such as determination and perseverance, trust and true friendship.

Geography


● Children can investigate and describe the climate and the physical features of treasure islands. ● Children can name continents and oceans of the world in which they might seek and find treasure. ● Children can map Anna and Crocodile’s journey in the story using simple plans, maps, symbols and imagined aerial

images. ● Children can follow maps, talking about how physical and human features are commonly represented. ● Children can experience using a compass to follow directions, North, East, South, West.

Art and Design ● Children can appreciate the artistry and range of materials and techniques involved in Viviane Schwarz’s illustrations

in How to Find Gold and in her other illustrated picture books. They can visit her website and blog to gain insight into her creative processes as well as CLPE’s Power of Pictures website:

o http://www.vivianeschwarz.co.uk/ o https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures

● Children can illustrate their stories, using a range of materials and techniques that capture the changing landscape in the story.

Design and Technology ● Children can design and make a treasure box as special as that sought by Anna and Crocodile. ● Children can make storyboxes to represent each of the scenes in this adventure story.

Music ● Children will have opportunity to create soundscapes linked to key events in the storytelling and to evoke

atmosphere in retelling this story and other quest tales. ● Children can explore percussion and tuned instruments to enhance performance readings.

Teaching Approaches ● Book Talk ● Responding to illustration ● Oral Storytelling ● Visualising ● Drawing and annotating ● Drama and role-play ● Mapping ● Debate and Argument – Conscience Alley ● Writing in role ● Book-making and publishing

Writing Outcomes ● ‘Tell Me’ responses ● Character description ● A plan to find gold ● Detailed description and directions in map work ● Writing in role (thought bubbles and diary entries) ● Play script ● Setting description ● Free verse poetry ● Persuasive note ● Advisory pamphlet ● Note in role ● Letter to the author illustrator ● Writing a narrative sequence, retelling the story

Links to other texts and resources:

Picture books by Viviane Schwarz: ● There are no cats in this book (Walker) ● There are cats in this book (Walker) ● Is there a dog in this book? (Walker) ● Welcome to Your Awesome Robot (Flying Eye) ● The Sleepwalkers (Walker) ● I am Henry Finch with Alexis Deacon (Walker)

http://www.vivianeschwarz.co.uk/

https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures


● Cheese Belongs to You with Alexis Deacon (Walker) ● A Place to Call Home with Alexis Deacon (Walker)

Quest Stories: ● Emily Brown and the Elephant Emergency by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton (Hodder) ● A Place to Call Home by Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz (Walker) ● Hermelin: The Detective Mouse by Mini Grey (Red Fox) ● Lila and the Secret of Rain by David Conway and Jude Daly (Frances Lincoln) ● The Princess and the White Bear King by Tanya Robyn Batt and Nicoletta Ceccoli (Barefoot Books)

Books that challenge gender stereotypes: ● The Emily Brown picture book series by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton (Hodder) ● Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (Oxford University Press) ● What are you playing at? by Marie-Sabine Roger and Anne Sol (Alanna Books) ● Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (Abrams)

Links to other resources on the Power of Reading Website: ● ‘Tell Me’ grid ● Reader’s theatre guidelines ● Bookmaking guidelines

Weblinks: ● Letterbox Library: http://www.letterboxlibrary.com ● Viviane Schwarz’s website and blog: http://www.vivianeschwarz.co.uk ● CLPE’s Power of Pictures: https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures ● Images of unusual creatures can be found on National Geographic:

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/strange-looking-sea-creatures/#/unusual-looking01-clown-frogfish_23805_600x450.jpg

● Benjamin Britten’s Sea Interlude (Storm) from Peter Grimes is particularly atmospheric: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTd2aXLTA84 (from 11:55 minutes)

● Underwater footage for Poetry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8XJAXtP81A.

http://www.letterboxlibrary.com/


https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTd2aXLTA84

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8XJAXtP81A


Teaching Sessions

Before beginning this story: How to Find Gold is a highly visual story and you will want to provide a variety of ways for children to conceptualise the world that it takes place in: ● Make some space on the classroom walls so that Anna and Crocodile’s journey can be tracked across them as you

work with the book. ● A supportive working wall, drawing on the sense of space and varied settings in the book, will help you to unfurl the

story with the children and to sustain their reading stamina, enable story recall and develop authentic writing. The book is a sophisticated blend of dialogic text alongside illustration that help move the narrative on, support children’s deeper understanding of character and add additional information and detail for young readers.

● Children will want to pore over the illustrations and act out the two protagonist parts so it is wise to plan extended opportunities for this kind of response to the book, whether it be individually, in small groups or as a class.

● Put together a collection of quest stories which includes both picture and longer versions of traditional quest stories for children to explore and enjoy in both independent and group reading sessions as well as for drawing on as a class read aloud.

● You may also find it useful to give the children their own creative writing journal and sketchbook for the children to explore ideas and create narrative through writing and artwork.

Session 1: Responding to Illustration Learning Objectives: Children answer and ask questions Children participate in discussion about what is read, taking turns and listening to others ● Without revealing the book, explore the illustration in which Anna is pulling the boat towards Crocodile who is

holding a map. Engage the children in book talk, using the prompts from Aidan Chambers’ Tell Me (Children, Reading and Talk) with the Reading Environment (Thimble Press 2011):

o Tell me… o What do you notice in this picture? o Is there anything you like about it? Why? Why not? o Is there anything that you dislike? Why? o Does it remind you of anything? o Does anything puzzle you? o What kind of story do you think this will be? o What can you say about the characters? o What would you like to find out?

● Record responses around a copy of the illustration on the working wall / reading journal.

Session 2: Reading Aloud and Roles on the Wall Learning Objective: Children draw inferences about a character on the basis of what is being said and done ● On the working wall, prepare and show the children the outlined Roles on the Wall of Anna and Crocodile, still not

revealing the book. ● Read the first page aloud (‘“Let’s find Gold,” said Anna… “Let’s go!”’) whilst looking at the two characters on the wall.

o What does this say about each of the characters? o What do you think you know about them? How do you know this?


o How do they feel about each other? What makes you think that? ● Scribe the children’s ideas; outward appearance and facts on the outside; ideas about personality/characteristics,

thoughts and feelings on the inside. ● Encourage children to justify their ideas, relating back to facial expression and body positioning as well as what they

heard read aloud. Add to these Roles on the Wall in different colour pens as you unfold the book and the children find out more.

● You could ask the children to write a brief character description, which could be added to or developed several times as the story unfolds; incorporating the children’s ideas about the relationship the pair share as well as their individual characteristics.

Session 3: Reading Aloud and Visualising - Making a Plan Learning Objectives: Children discuss the significance of the title and events Children predict what might happen on the basis of what has been read

● Reveal the book and the front cover, predicting what the story might hold. ● Re-read aloud and read on to ‘“…takes planning,” said Crocodile.’ ● Ask children to collaborate to make a plan to find gold. Provide large scale paper on which the children can draw their

ideas and make annotations that begin to support the formation of a plan. ● Use your observations of the children at this stage to ascertain children’s prior knowledge of the world, popular

culture and texts through the connections that they make. ● Support the children by reading aloud and exploring pirate books as well as others that involve some form of quest or

treasure hunt: o What will you need to think about? o What preparations would you need to make? o Who or what might you meet? o What might be dangerous and difficult? How would you overcome these difficulties?

● Support each group’s ideas through discussion and share writing a set of sentences that will best articulate the plan they have formulated for Anna and Crocodile. These may work best in command form as instructions for the two characters (e.g. ‘Find a strong bag to hold the gold.’) or you may wish for it to be an advisory statement, like Crocodile (e.g. ‘You will need a strong bag to hold the gold).

● Have this discussion with the children, using metalanguage such as ‘imperative verb’ or ‘future tense’ in the context of embedding the grammar in an authentic writing task.

● Model the language structure and precise vocabulary involved in either form of sentence; yourself drawing on Crocodile’s authoritative or advisory tone which will support the children to tune into his voice prior to reading.

● Groups can go on to write a set of sentences that clearly articulates the planning required for finding gold. Have them read their writing aloud to response partners to check they make sense, making simple revisions where appropriate.

● This work could culminate in a letter that the children could send to Anna and Crocodile in anticipation of their predicted adventures. Alternatively, the children could create a guidance pamphlet for treasure seekers like Crocodile and Anna.

Session 4: Responding to Illustration, Reading aloud and Visualising – Mapmaking and Developing Narrative Learning Objectives: Children link what they hear or read to own experiences Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas ● If the children have written to Anna and Crocodile with their plans to find gold, have a letter arrive by return mail

from the characters thanking the children and explaining that they have made a map of the places in the world in


which they think they will find the gold. ● Explore the illustration in which Anna and Crocodile have created their large map, and eliciting responses through the

Book Talk prompts: o Tell me… o Where do you think Anna and Crocodile intend to go? o What makes you think that? o Does this remind you of anything you know in real life or stories? o Do you have any questions? Does anything puzzle you?

● Record responses around a copy of the illustration on the working wall / reading journal. ● Read aloud from the beginning until ‘“We need a map with a cross where the gold is.”’

o Where would you go in your search for gold? o What might happen on your adventure?

● Create a map that will help Anna and Crocodile to find gold. ● Encourage the children to verbalise the narrative that they are inevitably negotiating and playing out as they create

their map and develop their ideas. Annotate the map to support recall for the next session. ● Clarify, recast and enrich their language and vocabulary to support the children’s oral explanations and the

beginnings of oral storytelling.

Session 6: Oral Storytelling and Shared Writing and Bookmaking Learning Objectives: Children draft and write by noting ideas, key phrases and vocabulary, and composing and rehearsing sentences orally Children sequence sentences to form short narratives Children write for different purposes including about fictional experiences ● As a larger group, use Crocodile’s map as a storymap to create an imagined narrative in which gold is found. ● Model using oral storytelling language that connects and sequences ideas or add detail and drama such as adverbial

phrases or expanded noun phrases, again using metalanguage in context, whilst pole-bridge talking (thinking aloud) as appropriate.

● You might want to share writing your agreed story with the children. ● Groups can be supported to use their own (story)map to role-play then tell a story, retelling it to others. Encourage

the audience to ask questions that help the storyteller clarify or add detail. Model as appropriate. ● Perhaps scribe the story for them or have them write it in a simple zig-zag book of their own or their creative writing

journals. The children may benefit from drawing the illustrations before writing to help them sustain the narrative before then writing the text. This could have a positive impact on the ability to employ more precise language choices and appropriate grammatical structures as well as demonstrating the value of illustration in enhancing the reader experience.

● Display the published books in the reading area for the children to read and revisit and even borrow for home reading. Alternatively, you could voice record the children and make the audio recordings available for children to listen to whilst looking at the displayed (story)maps.

Session 7: Artwork and Visualising – Making Monsters Learning Objectives: Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas Children draft and write by noting ideas, key phrases and vocabulary, and composing and rehearsing sentences orally ● Revisit the sea monster that Crocodile and Anna talk about. Are there any clues in the illustrations that the children

have explored so far? What would this monster look like? What makes you think that? How might it be dangerous to ships?

● Show the children images/footage of unusual real life and fantasy sea creatures, eliciting and scribing their responses


and descriptions. Images of unusual creatures can be found on National Geographic: http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/strange-looking-sea-creatures/#/unusual-looking01-clown-frogfish_23805_600x450.jpg

● As a group, have children collaborate to create a sea monster with junk modelling, art materials, embellishments, large boxes, etc.

● Encourage the children to think about their monster carefully as they create it together: o What is it like? What can it do? o Where does it usually like to live? Why? With whom? o Where does it go? Why? o What would it like to do? o Who would it like to meet?

● You could scribe the children’s conversations or ideas about their monsters or ask them to annotate their model with description, perhaps using the Role on the Wall as a model.

● Have the children conduct a gallery walk, in which groups have opportunity to visit each other, asking questions and making comments about the sea creatures on display. Provide opportunity for children to act upon any comments made that they think would benefit their creature and the life they envisage for it.

Session 8: Artwork and Visualising Learning Objectives: Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas Children write for different purposes including about fictional experiences ● Ask groups to create a large scale imaginary world for their sea monster, considering all of its needs. This would work

well in the outside area; even considering ways in which the materials used could protect the monsters from the elements and from danger, e.g. waterproof tarpaulin ‘sea caves’. Have the children help you gather appropriate materials and resources for their large-scale underwater worlds, extending language and understanding of the nature of the setting by discussing, describing and comparing their properties.

● Encourage the children to play with and introduce each of their monsters to others within the worlds they have created; supporting their conversations and encouraging children to elicit detail with prompts, such as:

o What is it like? What can it do? o Where does it usually like to live? Why? With whom? o Where does it go? Why? o What would it like to do? o Who would it like to meet?

● Children could write and create stories using illustration, photographs of their monster play and writing in their personal creative writing journals. They could use Viviane Schwarz’s How to Find Gold blog entries as inspiration.

Session 9: Revisiting the Roles of the Wall, Visualising, Artwork and Poetry Learning Objectives: Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas Children write for different purposes including poetry Children read writing aloud with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear ● Re-read aloud from the beginning until ‘Anna sailed into the great storm and they dived right into the middle.’ ● After considering this latest act and exploring this illustration, add to Anna’s Role on the Wall, particularly their

perceptions of her character and using it as an opportunity to challenge gender stereotypes by looking at this act and others before that tell us of this girl’s determination and bravery.

● Provide opportunity for children to access, read or have read to them stories of girls, and indeed boys, that defy stereotyped conventions*, for instance:




o The Emily Brown picture book series by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton (Hodder) o Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (Oxford University Press) o What are you playing at? by Marie-Sabine Roger and Anne Sol (Alanna Books) o Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (Abrams)

*Letterbox Library has created a useful Gender Equality Book Pack for KS1: http://www.letterboxlibrary.com ● Revisit the illustration to look for clues as to the nature of the storm, such as the fork lightening reflected in the

telescope. Ask the children to imagine what Anna and Crocodile would have been seeing or hearing throughout the storm. How would they have been feeling? Would they both feel the same way? Why? Why not?

● Read the page aloud again and ask the children to listen out for and explore the printed text to find the words or phrases that describe the storm: ‘…where the sea is boiling and the clouds are like a tower and the fish are in the air.’

o How would you draw this? ● You could play music or watch footage of a sea storm to support and add detail to role-play and children’s

descriptions around this scene. Benjamin Britten’s Sea Interlude (Storm) from Peter Grimes is particularly atmospheric: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTd2aXLTA84 (from 11:55 minutes)

● Children could create a new illustration for this scene, inspired by the clues in the text and illustration and music / footage as well as connections that they are making with stories and real life experiences. It is interesting to discuss why Viviane Schwarz chooses not to do this in the book; what she might want her readers to experience and imagine for themselves.

● Encourage the children to make annotations that describe the storm and their thinking as they develop their illustration. Have them discuss and compare each of their illustrations, further extending their descriptive language.

● Children could write a description of the storm to add to the existing text in the book or they could write a descriptive word, phrase or sentence each that could be put together with their peers to create a free verse poem. Share writing to support the children’s writing process, including modelling response partnerships, redrafting and editing.

● Give children time to practise performance reading their storm descriptions or poems, adding appropriate sound effects, intonation or actions for impact on the audience.

Session 10: Responding to Illustration, Freeze-Frame, Thought Tracking and Writing in Role Learning Objectives: Children ask relevant questions to extend knowledge and understanding Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas ● Give pairs of children ample time to explore the illustration spread in which the characters are diving through the

underwater cavern, encountering a range of dramas. ● Scribe children’s ideas about what they notice happening to Anna and Crocodile around a copy of the illustration in

the journal / on the wall. ● Encourage children to discuss the narrative that they envisage in every dramatic scene as the characters travel

further into the underwater cave. ● Ask the pairs of children to role-play then freeze their chosen scene for the rest of the class to guess which part of the

illustration they are re-enacting. ● In small groups, ask children choose a moment in the illustration to re-enact and role-play, taking on the roles of the

two protagonists and the other sea creatures, as appropriate. ● On your count, have the children arrange themselves into a silent tableau to replicate the body positions and facial

expressions illustrated. Take photographs of the children’s Freeze-Frames to refer back to later. ● When you tap a child on the shoulder, ask them to suggest what their character might be saying in this moment and

have them voice the thoughts and feelings in role as the chosen character. ● Children can go on to write speech or thoughts in bubbles and display these around the photographs and the

pertinent part of the illustration.

Session 11: Visualising, Artwork and Writing in Role – Diary Entry

http://www.letterboxlibrary.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTd2aXLTA84


Learning Objectives: Children participate in discussions, performances, role-play, improvisations and debate about what has been read Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas Children write for different purposes including about fictional personal experiences ● Show the children the underwater footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8XJAXtP81A. ● They could be encouraged to make notes and drawings in their journals of what they notice, ready for discussion,

considering the simple prompts: o What do you see? o How does it make you feel?

● Support children to collaborate as a group to create a large piece of artwork that captures the energy, mood and atmosphere of the underwater world that Anna and Crocodile experience. Watercolour paints and ink washes would lend themselves well to this depiction. They could create scenery for their drama or play created in the previous session.

● Ask children to annotate/scribe on their painting with descriptive words and phrases, supporting and enriching their vocabulary around mood as well as the scenery.

● Children could go on to write a description of the underwater world, perhaps even as a diary entry by Anna as she reflects on this part of her quest to find gold.

Session 12: Movement, Dance and Collaborative Composition - Free Verse Poetry Learning Objectives: Children draft and write by noting ideas, key phrases and vocabulary, and composing and rehearsing sentences orally Children write for different purposes including poetry Children read writing aloud with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear ● Display the children’s annotated artwork and diary entries so that they can refer to it in this session. ● Provide the children with brightly coloured juggling scarves/fabric and ask them to create a dance /movement that

capture the energy and movement of the underwater world that they have seen in the footage. The footage can be playing whilst the children dance and move.

● Have the children practise and perform their dance to the wider group, eliciting positive responses from the audience.

● You could scribe some of these descriptions on coloured strips of paper around photographs that you have taken of the performances.

● Support the children to each write a word, phrase or sentence on their own coloured strip that they think best describes the underwater world / animals they have just experienced in their dance.

● Read the children’s lines aloud and talk about any words or phrases that they enjoy or think works particularly well. ● Help the children put their individual strips together as a group and organise them to create a verse of a poem, for

example: deep blue sea floating seaweed colourful fish swishing and swerving darting through caves waving

● Read aloud with the children and help them to prepare a performance reading to the wider group. ● Work with the children to use voice, body movement, scarves and sound effects to enhance the performance

reading.

Session 13: Role-Play and Writing in Role – Captions and Dialogue in a Play Script

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8XJAXtP81A


Learning Objectives: Children draft and write by noting ideas, key phrases and vocabulary, and composing and rehearsing sentences orally Children write for different purposes including about fictional personal experiences Children read writing aloud with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear Children use new and familiar punctuation correctly ● Revisit the underwater cave illustration and the children’s initial responses. ● Ask pairs of children to re-enact and role-play a couple of their favourite underwater scenes in role as Anna and

Crocodile. Ask the children why they find these scenes memorable? ● Have the children imagine conversations that take place between them and how they reacted to each dramatic

event. They can draw on the ideas generated throughout the Thought Tracking activity to support and develop their thinking.

● Take photographs to which pairs could add a caption. You could model this through shared writing. ● They could use this work to create an extended piece of writing in the form of a short play script with their drama

group, revising their initial thoughts to reflect genuine interaction between the characters at the moment illustrated. ● Provide opportunity for drafting, redrafting of writing throughout the rehearsal and performance before the final

script is acted out for an audience. Again, shared write to support this process. ● Use the models of speech and dialogue in the book to guide the children’s understanding of voice and the register of

formality that they will choose in a given scenario. Use metalanguage of ‘inverted commas’ contextually as you embed them in authentic reader response and find opportunities throughout the writing task.

Session 14: Music – Soundscaping Learning Objectives: Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas ● Revisit the illustration of Anna and Crocodile diving through the underwater cave. ● Create a soundscape to represent the mood, characters and events as they unfold. Choose and use appropriate

instruments, voice or body percussion. ● Rehearse and perform to the wider group commenting on effective features of the soundscape in capturing mood,

movement or character. ● Children could record their soundscapes using digital media, playing it back later, and using it, along with their large

scale underwater scenery, to enhance a dramatic performance of the scene.

Session 15: Debate and Argument and Writing letters in Role Learning Objectives: Children participate in discussions, performances, role-play, improvisations and debate about what has been read Children write for a range of purposes including non-fiction – letters ● Read aloud the whole book until the pair do indeed find the sunken treasure and are deciding what to do with

it…stopping at ‘“What will we do with it?” asked Crocodile.’ ● Ask the children what they would do with the treasure if they found it. Pose the dilemma for them to discuss and

debate: Would you spend it or hide it? If you were to spend it, what would you spend it on? Would you spend it on yourself? At this point, or perhaps later in the session, might be an opportunity to consider the needs of others through discussions around ethical spending or charitable donations.

● Model starting off the debate with some well chosen sentence starters and arguments presented by you, additional adults and countered by confident children. You could make some of the suggestions that Crocodile and Anna debate such as hiding it by burying it, not spending it because people will know about it, etc. and elicit the children’s responses to this logic.

● Have small groups collaborate to consider what they would do with treasure they found and what they might spend it on, recording their ideas with drawings and writing. Re-engage them in discussion and debate.


● Conduct a Conscience Alley in which a child in role as Anna walks between two lines of children whilst each advises her what they think she should do with the treasure. Have ‘Anna’ walk towards an image of the pile of gold on the IWB before she tells the class of her decision, based on the most compelling arguments she shares.

● You could finish the session with the children writing a note of advice, persuading Anna to either hide, save or spend the gold and if she were to spend it advising her on how to spend it.

● The notes could be countered by readers acting in role as either Anna or Crocodile. ● This is an ideal time to engage in cross-curricular opportunities. You might follow up this session by having the

children realise some of Anna and Crocodile’s experiences by preparing a treasure hunt around the school grounds or local area, enabling the children to use maps, co-ordinates and overcome obstacles, finding a small sum of real money as the prize (perhaps donated by the Parent and School Association or similar fundraising body, or through an allocated budget). The children could then be challenged to consider and agree what to do with the money. They could choose to spend it on a special learning resource for the class, such as equipment or books, or donate it to a chosen children’s charity, or engage in a class or school-based enterprise in order to try and make more money than the original find.

Session 16: Re-reading, Reading Aloud, Revisiting and Re-enactment Learning Objectives: Children participate in discussions, performances, role play, improvisations and debate about what has been read Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas ● Re-read and read aloud from the beginning until the end of the book, allowing the children time to explore the

illustrations and re-enact the story in a range of ways, through role-play, storytelling props or small world play. ● Make opportunities for the children to re-read and revisit the whole book so that they get to know it well. ● Children can act out their favourite scenes and have the other children guess which scene it is. ● Create small world scenes, puppets and props through which the children can re-enact the story. ● It is beneficial to capture the children’s re-enactment as an audio or visual recording to revisit and talk about later.

Session 18: Drawing - Exploring Character Learning Objectives: Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas ● Show children a range of illustrations of Crocodile, asking the children to mimic his eyes, facial expression or body

position and talking about how they think he is feeling in each. ● Model drawing Crocodile, asking the children to decide with you how they would like his eyes, eyebrows and mouth

to be drawn, demonstrating how this changes his expression and what he might be thinking. ● Ask the children to draw Crocodile themselves, using chalk and large paper.

Session 19: Role on the Wall – Crocodile Learning Objectives: Children draw inferences on the basis of what is being said and done Children participate in discussion about what is read, taking turns and listening to others Children draft and write by noting ideas, key phrases and vocabulary, and composing and rehearsing sentences orally ● Re-read aloud the whole book from the beginning. ● Revisit Crocodile’s Role on the Wall, encouraging the children to justify their ideas about him by talking about what

he does in the story or what they have seen in the illustrations. ● The children could go on to write a character description of Crocodile, supported by shared writing. They could create

their own handmade books about Crocodile in which their drawings could illustrate the front cover.


● This could lead to some rich cross-curricular work in which the children learn about real crocodiles, comparing their

behaviour in the wild to that of the fictional character Crocodile in the story. ● In shared writing, model how to craft a non-fiction text about crocodiles. This could be presented as a poster, digital

text, big book or factsheet. Allow time for the children to write their own texts to present the information they have found.

Session 20: Book Talk – ‘Tell Me’ Learning Objectives: Children listen to, discuss and express views about books at a level beyond that which they can read independently Children explain understanding of what is read ● Having re-read and revisited the entire book, engage the children in book talk:

o Tell me… o what did you like about the book? Why? Why not? o was there anything you disliked about it? Why? Why not? o did it remind you of anything in stories or real life? o do you have any questions? Does anything puzzle you?

● Record the children’s responses on the ‘Tell Me’ grid. ● Use the children’s responses to facilitate opportunity for the children to write emails or letters to Viviane Schwarz

herself. You might spend time familiarising yourself and the children with appropriate selections from her blog to personalise their comments to their audience: Viviane Schwarz’s website and blog: http://www.vivianeschwarz.co.uk

Session 21: Reader’s Theatre Learning Objectives: Children participate in discussions, performances, role-play, improvisations and debate about what has been read Children use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas ● If they begin to take the story to heart through much revisiting, children could be supported to learn parts of the

dialogue. ● Support small groups of children to share reading short scenes from scripts that you have prepared (i.e. omitting ‘she

said / he said’ – see below). ● They could be helped to read, rehearse and perform certain words using voice, action and body percussion and

sound effects to emphasise meaning, e.g. ‘mountains’ could be read with voice pitch rising, arms pointed high in the air, looking upwards.

● Film the performances so that the children can revisit them and engage in conversations about aspects they found enjoyable or memorable.

Group A “Where are the ship-sinking mountains?” Anna asked. “Where are the monsters?” “Underwater,” said Crocodile. “How about holes?” “They are sunk with the ship,” said Crocodile.



Group B “Ah,” said Anna. “Finding gold is difficult.” “Very,” said Crocodile. “Not dangerous though,” said Anna. “Ha!” said Crocodile. “How about over there, where the sea is boiling and the clouds are like a tower and the fish are in the air?” “A great storm!” said Anna. “There will be gold!” “Hold on tight,” said Crocodile.

Session 22: Respond to illustration, Looking at language and Book Talk Learning Objectives: Children listen to, discuss and express views about books at a level beyond that which they can read independently Children explain understanding of what is read ● Revisit the children's reactions to the story, focusing on the aspects that they found most interesting or surprising.

Retell the story, encouraging children to contribute. ● Ask the children to think about what kind of story they think it is. Support them in their thinking? Does it remind them

of any other stories, either in books or films? It may resonate with the children’s experience of pirate stories or other stories that follow a quest or adventure plotline. Record the children’s ideas in the class journal and make a display of other books of which the children are reminded.

● Read aloud the story and discuss the way it has been written, drawing on their Reader’s Theatre activity. The children can be supported to identify the prominence of dialogue in shaping the story and that this makes it trickier for young children to follow the storyline. Ask the children what they think supports young children to engage with this story, eliciting and recording ideas around a copy of the front cover in the class journal.

● Discuss with the children the crucial role of the illustration in providing additional information and meaning to the conversational text. Enlarge some example spreads for the children to explore, such as the illustration of Anna carrying Crocodile with its accompanying text or the way in which the storm is written about in the text but implied in the illustrations, e.g. through the reflection in the telescope or the energy in the mark making.

● Provide small groups of children with different examples of double page spreads from the book in which the text and the image provide different pieces of information and detail around plot, character, emotional journey, setting or events. Use these as prompts to support the children to organise their thinking and guide the discussion, recording their ideas around a copy of the spread being examined.

Extended Session 23: Storymapping, sequencing events and retelling Learning Objectives: Children discuss the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related Children can retell a known story in sequence, using story language

● Re-read the story aloud and ask the children to retell the story with a partner, recalling the main events. ● Swiftly demonstrate how to map the story horizontally on a large roll of paper to demonstrate the events and the

quest undertaken by Anna and Crocodile, allowing the shape of the return journey and plot to shape the story map.


● Invite the children to create a story circle in which they take it in turns to relate events in the story, checking that they are sequencing them in the right order so that the story to makes sense. Model the use of adverbials lifted from the story or others you have read that support the chronological sequencing, the emotional journey as well as the different places inhabited throughout the story.

● Label the story map with the rich adverbials used in the oral retelling. ● In pairs, invite the children to draw a map of the story. If possible, use backing paper that can be rolled out as

they draw. ● When completed, encourage the children to retell the story using their story maps to check they support recall. ● Encourage children to add detail and description on different parts of the story map; modelling how to draw on

their work throughout this sequence as displayed on the working wall, e.g. the atmosphere and drama of the storm, the underwater scenes they Freeze-Framed, characterisation taken from the Roles on the Wall.

Session 24: Oral storytelling Learning Objectives: Children can retell a known story in sequence, using story language

● Prior to the following session, support the children in developing better understanding of quest story structure and story language by creating a display of story books for the children to read and revisit, through a rich routine of reading aloud and oral storytelling.

● Tell the children that they are going to become adventure storytellers themselves then have a go at publishing their own versions in their own books for a younger readership. Ask the children to begin to consider what they know of favourite and memorable books from their early years and those enjoyed by younger children in the school. To support their own storybook making, they can start bringing in these books and create a class collection, upon which to draw ideas, plot structure, voice and language.

● Discuss the way in which the story starts and how they would like their quest story about Anna and Crocodile to begin, drawing on their experiences from traditional tales and adventure stories in their reading repertoire.

● Through paired talk, ask the children to consider what we can say about the characters, their shared interests and their relationship

● Following this brief character description, concentrate on sequencing the main events, starting with the dream. Encourage the children to retell the story in stages, providing them with suitable adverbials to order their retelling.

● Make explicit the way in which the adverbial phrases and precise language choice demonstrate the passing of time as well as the changing location.

Extended Session 25: Shared writing, bookmaking and Publishing Learning Objectives: Children can retell a known story in sequence, using story language Children draft and write by noting ideas, key phrases and vocabulary, and composing and rehearsing sentences orally Children sequence sentences to form short narratives Children write for different purposes including about fictional experiences Children reread and evaluate writing to check it makes sense and make simple revisions

● In pairs, use the storymap to retell the bare bones of the story. ● With the class, and using shared writing, plot out the main events of the story, ensuring they are organised into

chronological order, checking with the storymap. ● Re-sort these so that they fit into no more than ten main sections. As a class, think of a chapter heading to fit

each of these sections and decide where each chapter will begin and where it will end.


● Children go on to work independently or in pairs to write a given part of the story in draft. As they work, ask them to stop occasionally to read parts of what they have written to a response partner. Ask them if there is anything they want to change; a section, sentences or phrases? When a whole section is complete, it can be edited with the help of a response partner.

● Once each section is finished children can write a final copy of their story and illustrate it. ● The chapters can then be bound together to make complete books which can be placed in the book corner for

everybody to enjoy and celebrate.

Word Reading and Transcription (National Curriculum 2014) Use and Application of Phonics and Spelling The following words could be used to exemplify learning at phonic phases: Phase 2: let, can, but, it, on, not, am, put, bit, map, Phase 3: how, that, good, wait, tell, hang, down, wow, boat, sail, right, storm, with, /er/ ever Phase 4: think, thinking, plan, strong, ask, spend, remember, cross, agreed, went, monster Phase 5: alternatives: /e/ heavy, again, bury /ai/ face, great, safe, safest, they /ee/ be, probably, very, heavy, carry, even, really, believe, breathe, people, bury, sea /igh/ find, finding, crocodile, try, like, dive, hide /oa/ go, know, home /oo/ you, drew /ur/ first /u/ should, would, could, another /ow/ about, found /or/ draw, drawing, more /l/ middle, people /n/ know Alternative pronunciations: /c/ face Storytelling Language: dangerous and difficult, secret, where is the gold, strong enough, How do we get to France?, Finding gold is difficult, Not all gold is buried, sunken gold, Let me explain, even more, and then.., sailed into the great storm, right in the middle, ship-sinking mountains, where the sea is boiling and the clouds are like a tower and the fish are in the air. High Frequency Words: to, said, would, could, should, be, we, me, go, do, doing, does, it, no, one, what, are, look, my, can, you, about, because, but, know, very, on, not, where, is, the, will, your, for, they, went


Spelling:

Suffixes

‘-ed’ suffix ‘-ing’ suffix

root word simply + ‘ed’ double consonant then +‘-ed’

-e then + ‘-ed’

change y to i then + ‘-ed’

simply + ‘-ing’

double consonant then + ‘-ing’:

-e then +’-ing’

find (irregular) found finding

plan planned planning

take (irregular) took taking

do (irregular) did /done doing

think (irregular) thought thinking

try tried trying

make (irregular) made making

put (irregular) put putting

carry carried carrying

draw (irregular) drew drawing

sail sailed sailing

dive dived diving

bury buried burying

hide (irregular) hid hiding

NB/ Capturing the children’s oral rehearsals and outcomes will enable you to assess how secure the children are with common irregular past tense usage or whether they are attributing the rule of -ed suffix for past tense to all root words, e.g. ‘finded’ instead of ‘found’. Support children through a range of planned opportunities for talk in order to recast and model this language until the children come to possess it.

‘-s’ plurals

simply + ‘-s’ change y to i then + ‘-es’

coins

maps

plans

treasures

Contextualised Grammar Opportunities: Contractions: let’s, it’ll, don’t, Inverted commas: throughout dialogue Present progressive: spending, taking, finding Expanded noun phrases: great storm, right in the middle, ship-sinking mountains, sunken gold Conjunctions: The story is told almost entirely through the dialogue between Anna and Crocodile and doesn’t use conjunctions to move the story on chronologically. However, the rich illustrations move the story on in terms of time and space and provide plentiful opportunity for oral storytelling through much revisiting and re-enactment. Throughout these learning opportunities, model a range of suitable conjunctions that provide transition and pace the oral storytelling for the children.

how to find gold by viviane schwarz (walker) to find gold...music children will have opportunity to...

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