This thought-provoking set of English lessons for Year 5 encourages your class to explore and analyse the deceptively simple picture book, 'Voices in the Park' by Anthony Browne.

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.

Becoming Familiar with the Story

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.

View Lesson 1

Comparing and Contrasting Characters (1)

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.

View Lesson 2

Comparing and Contrasting Characters (2)

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.

View Lesson 3

Deduce and Infer Characters' Thoughts & Feelings

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.

View Lesson 4

Exploring the Effect of Illustrations

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.

View Lesson 5

Writing an Extra Chapter

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.

View Lesson 6