This Year 2 writing unit from the Real Writing collection invites pupils to explore a fantasy story by published children’s author Jo Franklin.
Pupils begin by reading the model text – a portal story in which characters travel to a new world through a magical object. The children explore the story structure, identify key features and use retelling activities to internalise how a portal story works.
They then apply new learning about vocabulary, grammar and story composition to write their own version, inventing characters, settings and the objects that transport them into space.
Each stage in this two- to three-week unit builds on the last, guiding pupils from shared reading to confident independent writing.
Key skills and curriculum links
English (Year 2 objectives)
- Apply spelling rules when adding the suffix -ing to verbs
- Use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify
- Use question marks, commas in lists and the coordinating conjunction and
- Write in the past tense consistently
- Re-read and edit writing for sense, spelling, grammar and punctuation
- Read aloud written work clearly and with expression
Cross-curricular opportunities
- Science: link to learning about planets, materials and space exploration
- Art: design imaginative aliens, planets or spacecraft
- PSHE: explore friendship and cooperation through story companions
Vocabulary
- Common exception words: wild, water, grass, cold, beautiful, hour, full, could, hold, fast, behind, past, pull, only
- Tier 2 words: amber, collector, emerged, surface, tufts
- Tier 3 words: atmosphere, crater, galaxy, Mars, meteorite, moon, planet
Included in this unit
- Annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations
- Three versions of the model text (plain, illustrated and annotated PDFs)
- Detailed lesson plans for two to three weeks of teaching
- Vocabulary, grammar and spelling activity sheets
- Common exception word cards and Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary cards
- Story map templates, sequencing cards and writing paper
- Posters and image prompts for discussion
- Teacher notes, modelled writing checklists and pupil support sheets
Activities and teaching sequence
Phase 1 – Familiarisation
- Use images of space to spark curiosity and discussion.
- Read Out Of This World aloud and explore how a portal story works.
- Identify story features using posters and retelling cards.
- Introduce Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary with matching and definition activities.
- Retell the story using sequencing and story maps.
- Begin independent writing by describing who pupils would take on a magical journey.
Phase 2 – Teaching and rehearsing
- Teach how to add -ing to verbs using spelling rules for verbs ending in e, y and short vowel sounds.
- Practise writing expanded noun phrases to describe characters or monsters.
- Revisit and apply common exception words through reading and writing tasks.
- Introduce the possessive apostrophe in context and practise through short descriptive sentences.
Phase 3 – Application
- Generate ideas for new space adventures using the 'Things I might see in space' sheet.
- Plan new portal stories using story maps and shared modelling.
- Write a full fantasy story using adjectives, conjunctions and correct punctuation.
- Reread and edit writing using the writer’s checklist, ensuring each story flows logically and vividly.
Outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will:
- Understand the structure and key features of a portal story
- Confidently use adjectives and expanded noun phrases to describe
- Apply spelling rules for -ing verbs and common exception words
- Write in the past tense and punctuate sentences correctly
- Produce an imaginative space-themed narrative with clear sequence and description
- Reflect on and improve their own writing through re-reading and peer discussion