Real Writing Year 4 - Unit 23
Model text: Echo and Narcissus, by Ross Montgomery
Curriculum links: Science (Sound); History (Ancient Greece)

Writing unit overview

This writing unit for Year 4 is built around an original model text by Ross Montgomery; a delightful retelling of the Greek Myth Echo and Narcissus. The example text is available as a PDF in three versions (plain, illustrated and annotated); annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations are also included.

In this 3-week unit, pupils will explore the difference between plurals and possessives and will learn how to punctuate direct speech, creating dialogue between characters. In their final writing task, pupils will write their own myth that explains a natural phenomenon, using ideas from the model text. This unit could be used within a science topic on sound, or the story could be used during a topic on Ancient Greece.

Key curriculum skills

Two fully-resourced lessons are included for the following Year 4 English objectives, which can form part of the unit or be taught discretely:

1. Vocabulary: To use the possessive apostrophe in words that are plurals

Pupils will: sort sentences to show whether they include plural nouns or show singular or plural possession; orally rehearse sentences that include singular or plural possession; use apostrophes to show possession in their own writing

2. Grammar: To punctuate direct speech KS2

Pupils will: create dialogue using speech bubbles; orally rehearse dialogue, exploring how direct speech might be said; write dialogue between characters, punctuating this correctly using speech marks

Additional skills to teach or revisit

• Apostrophes for contracted words
• Using prepositions

Additional Year 4 curriculum teaching points

• Fronted adverbials
• Modifying nouns to create expanded noun phrases
• Describing characters
• Use of pronouns to avoid repetition

Year 4 vocabulary

Year 3 / 4 statutory spelling words: answer, completely, continue, decide, different, enough, heart, sentence
Tier 2 words: distraught, instantly, nymph, wilt
Tier 3 words: echo, fainter, pitch, vibration, volume

What is direct speech?

Direct speech is when the exact words that someone says are written.

• “We are going on an adventure,” said Travis.

How do we punctuate direct speech?

• “We are going on an adventure,” said Travis.
• Travis said, “We are going on an adventure.”