Bring the magic of autumn into your classroom with this engaging Year 1 writing unit from our Real Writing collection. Based on Hedgehog’s Journey, an original story by published children’s author Gabrielle Kent, this two to three-week unit develops pupils’ reading, writing and vocabulary skills while introducing them to the features of journey stories.
Key skills and curriculum links
This unit supports Year 1 English objectives:
- Read and spell compound words
- Compose sentences orally before writing
- Begin to punctuate sentences using capital letters and full stops
Pupils will also practise essential writing skills such as saying aloud what they will write, composing sentences orally, leaving spaces between words and reading aloud their own writing.
This unit links naturally to the science and geography curriculum through themes of seasons, animals and their habitats.
Activities and teaching sequence
Lessons begin with a hook using a hedgehog poster to discuss its habitat, diet and preparation for hibernation. Pupils will read Hedgehog’s Journey and discuss key questions: which animal is the story about, what is it doing, and what does hibernate mean?
They will sequence the story using retelling cards and act it out, supporting oral storytelling and comprehension.
Pupils will explore Tier 2 vocabulary (hedgehog, beetle, blackberry, caterpillar, snail, slug) and Tier 3 words (season, autumn, winter, hibernate) through discussion and matching activities.
They will create a story map of the hedgehog’s journey, which they will use to retell the story as a class, in groups or individually.
For their own writing, pupils will choose an animal and plan a journey story using story maps. They will add labels, compose simple sentences or captions and use story language to sequence events.
Teachers can provide support for emerging writers and challenges for more confident pupils to extend their ideas and vocabulary. Pupils will then write their stories, checking punctuation and reading back their work.
Resources included
- Model text PDFs (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- Annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint slides
- Story maps and sequencing cards
- Vocabulary cards for Tier 2 and Tier 3 words
- Common exception word cards
- Writing sheets and prompts
- Writer’s craft instruction sheets
These resources will help you deliver lessons confidently while engaging pupils in structured, creative writing.
Outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will:
- Retell a journey story confidently through speech and writing
- Use capital letters, full stops and compound words accurately
- Apply vocabulary from the story, including Tier 2, Tier 3 and common exception words
- Write their own autumn journey story, demonstrating creativity and understanding of story structure
This unit provides a clear, engaging framework that develops literacy skills while inspiring pupils to explore the world of animals and seasons through writing.