You Will Need
Texts
Horrid Henry stories (various) by Francesca Simon
Fiction
English Year 4 Autumn Familiar Settings
Horrid Henry Stories
Relish in a selection of outrageous Horrid Henry stories. Explore setting, character and plot. Study expanded noun phrases and fronted adverbials. Write a new story.
Start with the core unit to introduce key texts. Then select from comprehension, SPAG and composition units.
Unit 1 Core: Introduction to Horrid Henry’s world, themes and characters
(suggested as 4 days)
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Introduce the Horrid Henry books by Francesca Simon and discuss any favourite stories. Discuss the basic idea (theme) of the books and read a sample opening chapter. Make a list of the features children suggest and display.
Activity
Children use discussion prompts to discuss elements of Horrid Henry stories. They make notes in the form of a spider diagram/mind map.
Day 2 Teaching
Show children the pictures of the Horrid Henry characters and discuss what Henry and Peter like. Children write some ideas on whiteboards and share. Children discuss with their learning partner about why people might like or dislike each character.
Activity
In groups of 3, children talk about and build up a descriptive character sketch of Horrid Henry or Perfect Peter. They describe both appearance and character and include detailed ideas about why people might like/dislike them.
Day 3 Teaching
Look at a series of character descriptions focusing initially on Horrid Henry. Children reflect on the description. Note that it is written from Horrid Henry’s perspective. Compare with Perfect Peter’s biography and challenge children to suggest how Perfect Peter’s mum might rewrite it.
Activity
Children read other Horrid Henry children’s character descriptions. They choose one and rewrite it from the point of view of the character’s mum or dad.
Day 4 Teaching
As a class come up with an alliterative name for a new character and get children to suggest, using adjectives, what their appearance and personality is like. Model sketching the character and writing the first two sentence of a description.
Activity
Children invent a new character. They come up with adjectives to describe their character’s personality and appearance and draw an illustration of them ‘in the style of Tony Ross’. Children then write a description.
Unit 2 SPAG: Expanded noun phrases; describing settings
(suggested as 2 days)
You Will Need
Texts
Horrid Henry stories (various) by Francesca Simon
Presentations
Grammar PowerPoint: Expanded Noun Phrases
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Discuss and record story settings found in the Horrid Henry stories. Show children slides 1-5 of the Expanded Noun Phrases presentation then look at a messy bedroom image and model writing a description using expanded noun phrases.
Activity
Children look at a familiar setting image and use the Expanded Noun Phrases Table to build descriptive sentences which they then record on strips of paper.
Day 2 Teaching
Revisit slides 1-5 of the presentation, then show slides 6-8 to explore using prepositional phrases. Play a game where you say an expanded noun phrase and in pairs children come up with a funny prepositional phrase to add on to it.
Activity
Children pick four familiar settings from your list from Day 1. They build expanded noun phrases which include prepositional phrases for each of their chosen settings.
Day 3 Teaching
Recap on expanded noun phrases and then look at slides 9-18 of the presentation. Discuss how Tony Ross might decide how he will draw the illustrations in Horrid Henry. Model discussing and writing a description of a new setting for Ross to draw.
Activity
Children discuss one of the characters’ possible perfect places with a partner. They then write a description of this place using expanded noun phrases that include some prepositional phrases.
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
Expanded Noun Phrases Presentation
Revise how noun phrases can be built with adjectives, adverbs and other nouns and then extend to explore how to extend these further with prepositional phrases.
Unit 3 Comprehension: Explore plot and structure; recommend a story
(suggested as 4 days)
You Will Need
Texts
A book containing Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman by Francesca Simon.
Optional Texts
Horrid Henry stories (various) by Francesca Simon
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Discuss favourite Horrid Henry stories and why children like them. Explore Henry further by through a hot seating exercise. Children prepare questions to ask the teacher in role as ‘Henry’.
Activity
In pairs, children discuss and record some further questions to ask Horrid Henry. They record them on cards then join up with another pair. They shuffle the cards and pick one to ask one of the children in role as Henry.
Day 2 Teaching
Read the opening of the story Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman; model discussing and answering two sample questions based on this part of the story. Children will continue to read the story and answer questions about the text.
Activity
Give children the text that continues the story. They read the text and answer the accompanying questions.
Day 3 Teaching
Recap the Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman story and discuss the story structure. Organise the key events under headings. Showing an example story map based on Horrid Henry’s School Election. Explore and label tension building.
Activity
Children discuss the key elements of Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman. They then plot the story as a story map, using the discussion notes from the teaching and the sample story map as reference.
Day 4 Teaching
Discuss Horrid Henry stories read or shared so far. Look at the sample recommendation and discuss the key elements of this form of writing. Model writing a recommendation for another Horrid Henry story of choice.
Activity
Children write a recommendation for a favourite Horrid Henry story. They discuss their story with a partner first before listing the positive elements of the story that they wish to highlight. Children write their recommendation in neat handwriting.
Unit 4 SPAG: Fronted adverbials: building tension
(suggested as 3 days)
You Will Need
Texts
A book containing Horrid Henry and the TV remote by Francesca Simon
Optional Texts
Horrid Henry stories (various) by Francesca Simon
Presentations
Grammar PowerPoint: Adverbials
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Read ‘Setting the Scene’, then shared read the extract from Horrid Henry and the TV Remote. Discuss how tension is built in this extract and introduce adverbials as a means of building tension. Look at slides 1-11 of the grammar presentation Adverbials.
Activity
Children complete the Adverbials Challenge, identifying and selecting adverbials as well as generating adverbials for their own short composition.
Day 2 Teaching
Recap adverbials, then use slides 12 & 13 to explore the impact of different adverbials and how they can build tension. Explain that children are going to add adverbials to part of a Horrid Henry story to create impact and start to build tension.
Activity
Children cut out the main clauses from the Horrid Henry and the Sweet Swipe resource and sequence them. They then cut out adverbials and try placing them before and after the clauses to find the best fit for impact.
Day 3 Teaching
Recap on adverbials then explore slides 14-17 of the presentation. Explore how fronted adverbials slow down the action. Discuss a possible Horrid Henry scene that builds tension, and model writing one or two tension building sentences.
Activity
Children write one scene based on the example explored during the main teaching. They use adverbials and fronted adverbials to build tension.
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
Adverbials Presentation
Children learn how adverbials modify verbs, how they can be positioned and the punctuation of fronted adverbials. Then explore their impact on creating a scene and building tension.
Unit 5 Composition: Write a new Horrid Henry story
(suggested as 4 days)
You Will Need
Optional Texts
Various Horrid Henry stories
Planning and Activities
Day 1 Teaching
Pick a favourite Horrid Henry story and use the story structure to recap and discuss the key events. Children discuss ideas for a familiar setting and a new character for their own Horrid Henry story. Model planning a story using the Story Planner.
Activity
Children discuss and develop ideas for a new character with a partner. They decide on the setting and the key elements of the plot, which they then plan out on the Story Planner.
Day 2 Teaching
Share one of the story plans from Day 1 and look at the characters, setting and plot. Recap how expanded noun phrases can be used to describe characters and settings then model writing the opening of the story.
Activity
Using their story plans from Day 1, children begin to write their stories using paragraphs. Children use expanded noun phrases to describe settings and characters. They also incorporate dialogue.
Day 3 Teaching
Today, children will focus on Henry’s plan and how it reaches its climax, resolution and classic Henry ending. Recap on the use of adverbials and model writing one or two sentences that use fronted adverbials for impact and to build tension.
Activity
Children write the main part of their story where Henry puts his plan into action. They ensure that they use fronted adverbials for impact and to build tension.
Day 4 Teaching
Today, children will finish their stories as well as editing and improving their work so far. Discuss possible classic Henry story endings and model editing work.
Activity
Children write the resolution and funny ending of their story. They then edit their work and correct and/or improve it.