Voices in the Park

#TheCompleteSeries6lessons

After familiarising themselves with the story, children will then compare and contrast the thoughts and actions of the four characters, who all have a different view of their day in the park. Children are encouraged to use their skills of inference and deduction to discuss each character's opinion of one another, and will also explore the effect the illustrations have on their understanding and enjoyment of the book. They will then use their knowledge and understanding of the story to write a final chapter for the book.

Each of the six lessons within this Voices in the Park planning pack comes with a detailed lesson plan, an engaging set of slides for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and printable resources. Please be aware that, for copyright purposes, we are unable to provide the full text for this scheme of work. Extracts are provided where appropriate.

#Lesson1BecomingFamiliarwiththeStory

With this first Voices in the Park lesson plan, children will be introduced to the book, and find out that there are four different characters who each tell their version of a trip to the park from their perspective.

In groups, children will read one chapter and discuss the events together before summarising it for the rest of the class, and answering any questions the other groups might have. At the end of the lesson, the whole book is read to the class, who discuss their initial thoughts about the story.

Included with this first Voices in the Park lesson plan is an engaging slide show for the teaching input, as well as differentiated activity ideas and printable resources.

#Lesson2ComparingandContrastingCharacters1

In this lesson, children will focus on the first two Voices in the Park characters, Mummy and Dad, in more detail. As a class, they will read the first two chapters together and look for clues in what the characters say or do that can tell us more about them.

In their independent activities, children answer questions by comparing and contrasting the two characters. In the alternative activity provided, they are challenged to write and perform a monologue for each of the characters as they are sitting on the bench in the park.

A detailed lesson plan, set of slides, differentiated activity ideas and printable resources are all included in this Voices in the Park planning pack.

#Lesson3ComparingandContrastingCharacters2

In this lesson, children will look at the final two Voices in the Park characters, Charles and Smudge, in more detail.

After reading and discussing both chapters as a class, children put themselves in the shoes of each character, and complete thought bubbles for different scenarios from the book, or write short diary entries. Alternatively, children are challenged to create freeze frames of different scenarios, and infer what each character is thinking and feeling.

Everything you need for a successful lesson is included with this Voices in the Park lesson pack - an easy-to-follow plan, a set of slides for the teaching input, and differentiated, printable resources.

#Lesson4DeduceandInferCharactersThoughtsFeelings

This lesson begins with children discussing what the skills of deduction and inference are, before using these skills to answer a range of questions about each character's impression of one another.

In their independent activities, children further apply their inference skills to answer questions in role, or complete a table detailing who thinks what about who! In the alternative suggested activity, children are challenged to create a short role-play on the premise of one of the children going to tea at the other's house, and how the characters would interact with one another.

As well as a detailed lesson plan with differentiated activity ideas, this Voices in the Park planning pack also includes an engaging slideshow and printable resources.

#Lesson5ExploringtheEffectofIllustrations

In this lesson, children look at the importance of the illustrations in 'Voices in the Park', and how they can add to the understanding of the story.

In their independent activities, children further explore the effect of the illustrations on the story by answering a range of questions. In the alternative activity, children are given a set of cards which point to different illustrations in the book, and promote discussion about what they can see.

This lesson pack comes with a detailed plan with differentiated activities, engaging PDF lesson slides and accompanying printable resources.

#Lesson6WritinganExtraChapter

In this final lesson, children recap on what they have learnt about each of the four characters in the book, and think about what the theme, or themes, of the story are.

After briefly discussing Anthony Browne's style of writing, children will create their own final chapter for the book - either as a bystander in the park, commenting on the actions of the other characters, or in the alternative activity, imagining the characters returning to the park the following day, and this time, all interacting with each other.

A detailed plan, set of slides, differentiated activity ideas and printable resources are all included in this final Voices in the Park lesson pack.

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Curriculum Objectives covered

• continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
• reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
• identifying and discussing themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing
• making comparisons within and across books
• checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context
• asking questions to improve their understanding
• drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
• summarising the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas
• Identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
• participate in discussions about books that are read to them and those they can read for themselves, building on their own and others’ ideas and challenging views courteously
• explain and discuss their understanding of what they have read, including through formal presentations and debates, maintaining a focus on the topic and using notes where necessary
• provide reasoned justifications for their views.

• in writing narratives, considering how authors have developed characters and settings in what pupils have read, listened to or seen performed

• listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
• ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
• articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
• give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
• use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
• participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates
• consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others