GoalPlan, draft, revise and publish a short story set in 2040 that uses our design.
New words
plot · what happens in a story, in orderdraft · a first try at writing somethingrevise · to read again and make the writing betterpublish · to share a finished piece of writing
Explanation
A story set in 2040 can use the design that your team invented. First, draw an illustration that shows your characters using the design. Add details and colour. Then plan the story. Who are the characters? Where and when does it happen? That is the setting. What problem do they have? How does the invention help? How does the story end? Write your plan in three boxes: beginning, middle and end. Next, write a draft. Do not worry about neat writing yet. Ask a friend to read it and to say one thing they like and one question. Then revise. Add details about what the characters see and hear. Check capital letters, full stops and spelling. Use time words such as first, then, next and finally. At last, publish: write or type your final copy, add your picture, and share it with the class. The characters can be imaginary children, and you do not need to use real names or places.
Story part
Question to answer
Beginning
Who is in the story, and where and when?
Middle
What goes wrong, and how does the invention help?
End
How does the story finish?
Worked examples
Part
What happens
Beginning
In 2040, Habiba waits for the bus. The sign says 4 minutes.
Middle
Rain starts. The sign warns that the bus will be late, so she shelters.
End
The bus comes and Habiba meets her friend. They both arrive on time.
A story plan for “The Talking Bus Stop”.
First draft
After revising
The boat was good.
The silver boat hummed along the river and its belt lifted bottles into the bin.
Revising makes writing better. The revised sentence has more details.
Looking forward. From 2030 to 2040 is 10 years. A child who is 8 in 2030 will be 8 + 10 = 18 in 2040.
Class activity
Write the story. 1) Draw an illustration of your characters using your team’s design in 2040. 2) Plan the beginning, middle and end in three boxes. 3) Write a draft. 4) Swap with a friend. Each of you reads the other’s draft and gives one compliment and one question. 5) Revise: add details, use time words, and check capital letters, full stops and spelling. 6) Publish: write or type a neat copy and add your picture. Read it to the class. Use imaginary characters, and do not put real addresses or private information in the story.
Practice
1
Put these in order: publish, plan, revise, draft.
Plan, draft, revise, publish.
2
Write two time words you can use in a story.
For example: first, then, next, finally.
3
Which part of the plan is missing?
Part
Question
Beginning
Who and where?
?
What goes wrong, and how does the invention help?
End
How does it finish?
The middle, where something goes wrong and the invention helps.
4
A story has 3 paragraphs and each paragraph has 4 sentences. How many sentences is that?
