English Planning – Year 2 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg w/b___10+17/12/17____

Learning Objective/s To become immersed in a story. Resources: Story/film, split pin trains, candy canes, googly eyes, pipe
cleaners, pom poms, cookies, Christmas cake decorations, icing sugar, blankets,
cushions, bells, tickets, hot chocolate.
Teaching Input – Session 1 SEN LA MA HA


Task Success criteria

KS1 Enrichment Day- The Polar Express Become familiar with the story ‘The Polar Express’.
Children to arrive at school in pyjamas. T to hand out Polar Express tickets.
 Discuss the story ‘The Polar Express’ afterwards.
Children to follow the train tracks to the hall and get their ticket stamped
before they enter. Take register as the conductor.
Decorate hall as the North Pole, set up train stations with different activities
for groups to carousel (to help Santa Claus to get ready for Christmas Eve!).
Children to carousel all activities in the morning and watch the film in the afternoon.
Split pin train
Candy Cane reindeer- TA.
Christmas cookies
North Pole story corner to tell the story (use cushions, blankets and bean

Evaluation
bags)- T.

After lunch, children to watch the film ‘The Polar Express’ with Christmas
cookies and hot chocolate.

Each child to take a small bell home with them.

SMSC­ To hear imaginary and fantasy stories to take them out of the 
mundane.  
Learning Objective/s To use the senses to describe a story setting. Resources: Story, large sheet of paper/ markers.
Teaching Input – Session 2 SEN LA MA HA
 
Task Success criteria

Recap our Polar Express Day in school. What did we do? What Predict what might happen in a story. Imagine what it would be like in a familiar story
did you enjoy most? Why? Why do you think we had this day  Compose sentences to give own ideas. setting.
in school?  Write sentences to give own ideas.  Use adjectives to describe further.

Recap the story with the children. Use book or ppt. Encourage
children to notice ans comment on the descriptive language used Children to work as a group Children to work as a Children to work as a Children to work as a
throughout. How does the author describe the forests/ to brainstorm what they group to brainstorm what group to brainstorm what group to brainstorm what
mountains/ the train/ the hills/ the ice cap? might have been able to see they might have been able they might have been able they might have been able
at the North Pole. What to hear at the North Pole. to touch/ feel at the North to smell/ taste at the North
would that look like? TA. What would that sound Pole. Encourage the Pole. Encourage the
like? T. addition of adjectives. addition of adjectives.
English Planning – Year 2 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg w/b___10+17/12/17____

Evaluation
Stop where the train gets to the North Pole. How do you think
the children were feeling? How did you feel as you were
waiting to get on our Polar Express?

Encourage children to close their eyes as you read the description

of the North Pole.

Plenary- Children to share ideas with the rest of the class.  

SMSC­ To hear imaginary and fantasy stories to take them out of 
the mundane.
Learning Objective/s To use adjectives/ expanded noun phrases to describe a story setting. Resources: Story/film, A3 paper.
Teaching Input – Session 3 SEN LA MA HA

Task Success criteria

Recap last session and children’s ideas. What did you think you  Draw a detailed picture of the North Pole setting  Draw a detailed picture of the North Pole setting
might have seen/ heard/ touched/ smelled/ tasted at the North as they imagine it. as they imagine it.
Pole?  Describe the North Pole using adjectives.  Describe the North Pole using adjectives and
expanded noun phrases.
Display images from the story/ film to spark further ideas.
Children to draw a detailed Children to draw a detailed Children to draw a detailed picture of the North Pole
Discuss describing what you could see/ hear/ touch, smell/ taste picture of the North Pole picture of the North Pole setting. They should label with expanded noun phrases,
using adjectives and challenge the MA/HA to use expanded noun setting. They should discuss setting and label objects e.g. some sparkiling, twinkling fairy lights. T.
phrases. How could you put that adjective into an expanded their picture with TA. What within their picture with
noun phrase? would that look/ sound/ appropriate adjectives.
like?
Plenary- Children to share their work with their partner. Can
Evaluation

you suggest any adjectives that are more powerful? Can you
improve that expanded noun phrase? How?

SMSC­ To hear imaginary and fantasy stories to take them out of 
the mundane.
Learning Objective/s To describe a story setting. Resources: North Pole images, writing frame for
SEN, self assessment checklists- differentiated
Teaching Input – Session 4 SEN LA MA HA
 
Success criteria

Explain that today we will imagine that we are the boy from the Describe what they would be able to see/ hear/ Describe what they would be able to see/ hear/
story, about to step off the train at the North Pole. Remind the touch/ taste/ smell. touch/ taste/ smell.
children about how they felt before they stepped into our North  Use adjectives to describe.  Use adjectives and expanded noun phrases.
Pole. How did you feel?  Use a variety of sentence starts.
 Extend sentences using conjunctions.
English Planning – Year 2 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg w/b___10+17/12/17____

Task
Look again at the images from the book/film. What can you see/ Children to write a Children to write a Children to write a Children to write a
hear/ touch/ taste/ smell? Put children in the hot seat as they boy description of the North Pole description of the North description of the North description of the North
from the story. setting using ideas generated Pole setting using ideas Pole setting using ideas Pole setting using ideas
throughout the week. generated throughout the generated throughout the generated throughout the
Model putting some of the ideas from the week into a setting Provide with sentence starts. week.Provide with week. week.
description. Shared Writing. TA sentence starts. T

Evaluation
Model including adjectives/ expanded noun phrases. Encourage
MA/HA to start sentences in different ways and extend sentences
using conjunctions.

Plenary- Choose children to share their work, encouraging 
reading with expression.  Self assessment checklist.   

SMSC­ To hear imaginary and fantasy stories to take them out of 
the mundane.
Learning Objective/s To write own version of a familiar story. Resources: Sequencing pictures, Polar Express paper.
Teaching Input – Session 5 SEN LA MA HA
 

Task Success criteria

Recap the end of the story. How do you think the children Sequence pictures from the story. Sequence pictures from the story.
would be feeling now? What about the boy?  Write sentences to match each picture.  Write own version of a familiar story.
 Draw on previously taught narrative conventions.  Draw on previously taught narrative
Sequence pictures from the story a a class using activ slide. conventions.
What happened first/ next/ after that?
Children to sequence their Children to sequence their Children to write their own Children to write their own
Discuss what is happening in each picture. How will you link own set of pictures on the own set of pictures on the version of the story using version of the story using
one scene to the next? How will you open your story? How writing frame provided, writing frame provided, their own set of pictures to their own set of pictures to
will you engage the reader? writing sentences to match writing sentences to match help structure their writing. help structure their writing.
each one in order to retell the each one in order to retell TA T
Plenary- Choose children to share their work, encouraging  story. Provise with a word the story.
reading with expression.   bank of useful vocabulary.
Evaluation

SMSC­ To hear imaginary and fantasy stories to take them out of 
the mundane.

EVALUATION OF TOPIC SEN LA MA HA

English Planning – Year 2 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg w/b___10+17/12/17____

GROUPS

IEP
INTERVENTIONS