Explore Aesop’s fables using this Key Stage 1 text types resource pack. Pupils will read two WAGOLL model texts, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Fox and the Crow.
Pupils will identify the key features of a fable, including the use of animal characters, a character learning a lesson, past tense, adjectives to create descriptive noun phrases, time adverbials to sequence events and coordinating conjunctions such as and, but, or. Pupils will discuss the moral of each story and how the author conveys the lesson.
After exploring the model texts, pupils will retell the fables in their own writing. Pupils will use the planning sheet to structure their story, decide the sequence of events, and choose which adjectives and time adverbials to include.
Pupils will use the image cards to orally retell the stories before writing, helping them to remember key events and plan ideas for their own version. Pupils will then draft their story and present it on the themed writing paper provided.
What’s included in this resource
- Model Text 1 – The Boy Who Cried Wolf: Pupils will read a version of this classic fable and identify features including the moral, past tense, time adverbials and descriptive adjectives
- Model Text 2 – The Fox and the Crow: Pupils will read a version of this fable and discuss the lesson about being cautious of flattery
- Fable writing sheet: Pupils will use the success criteria and examples of coordinating conjunctions and time adverbials to support their writing
- Fable image cards: Pupils will sequence and orally retell the fables before writing their own versions
- Fable planning sheet: Pupils will plan their story, deciding on key events, characters and the moral
- Writing paper: Pupils will present their fables clearly
Curriculum links
- Year 1: Pupils will write sentences by saying their ideas out loud, sequence sentences to form short narratives, and join words and clauses using and
- Year 2: Pupils will plan writing by speaking or drawing ideas first, write for different purposes, and use coordinating conjunctions such as and, but, or
Pupils will move from reading a WAGOLL to writing their own fables. They will practise sequencing events, using descriptive language and conveying morals through stories. In the process, they'll build their confidence and enjoyment in narrative writing.