This Year 2 Real Writing unit uses an original diary entry by Gabrielle Kent about the Great Fire of London.
Pupils read Nell Saunders’ diary and explore events from a child’s perspective. They learn diary features, sequence events, and use adjectives with the suffixes -er and -est.
The children will learn to develop expanded noun phrases to enhance description and write their own diary recount.
The unit spans two to three weeks, with fully resourced lessons and detailed planning.
Curriculum links
- Writing: diary recounts, sequencing events, using time adverbials
- Grammar: expanded noun phrases, adjectives with -er/-est, conjunctions, apostrophes for contraction
- Reading: rereading, reading aloud, proof-reading
- History: The Great Fire of London
- PSHE: discussing feelings during historical events
Vocabulary
- Tier 2 words: columns, terrified, valuables
- Tier 3 words: ash, bakery, embers, fiery, London, scorching, Thames
- Common exception words: door, floor, children, cold, Mr, could, father, people, last, half, would, every, path, because, parents, whole, great, break
Resources included
- PDF of model diary (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- Annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint slides
- Teacher notes and teaching slides
- Diary planning sheets (circle and heading versions)
- Role on the Wall worksheet
- Vocabulary cards (Tier 2, Tier 3, CEW)
- Sequencing sentence cards
- What happens when? worksheet
- Writer’s checklist
Key teaching activities
- Hook and discussion: Show images of the Great Fire of London. Discuss events, feelings, and the memorial.
- Read the model text: Explore diary structure, informal style, contractions, and Nell’s perspective.
- Vocabulary work: Match words to images and definitions using tiered vocabulary cards.
- Mapping and sequencing: Identify key events, map diary sections, orally retell, and order events with cards.
- Understanding events: Identify days mentioned, sequence actions, and infer Nell’s feelings.
- Writing rehearsal: Plan and write diary entries, applying expanded noun phrases, adjectives with -er/-est, and time adverbials.
- Proof-reading and checking: Pupils read aloud, self-assess with the writer’s checklist, and correct errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Outcomes
- Write a diary recount of the Great Fire of London from a child’s perspective
- Use adjectives with -er and -est and expanded noun phrases to enhance description
- Sequence events clearly using time adverbials
- Apply Year 2 grammar, punctuation, and spelling objectives
- Read aloud their writing and self-assess using the writer’s checklist