Year 4, Sequence 10

Fiction: Exploring playscripts

Sequence 10
Fiction: Exploring playscripts
Approximate duration: Two weeks
Big Picture
Through this teaching sequence, children will explore the way in which playscripts are constructed. Exploring
characteristics common to playscripts will help children to use these techniques in their own writing. Children will be able
to write text that has an impact on readers’ responses.
Phase 1: Enjoy and immerse
Children analyse the structure and content of the model text, Sophie’s Rules.
Phase 2: Capture and organise
Children begin to develop ideas for creating their own playscript versions of a known story.
Phase 3: Collaborate and compose
Children undertake supported writing sessions to develop the content and layout of their playscripts.
Phase 4: Write independently
Children write, edit and present their own playscript versions of a known story.

Main source text Spoken outcome

Treasure House Anthology Sequence 10 text. Sophie’s To perform playscripts to an audience of peers or parents
Rules, Keith West, ISBN 978-0-00-733634-0, pp.3–11

Writing outcome
Extra source text To rewrite known short stories as playscripts, focusing on the
‘In the Rue Bel Tesoro’, Lin Coghlan, Treasure House Pupil quality of stage directions
Book and Treasure House Online, Year 4 Comprehension
Unit 10
Prior knowledge
Check children's knowledge and understanding of:
Background knowledge
Sophie’s Rules is a playscript containing seven speaking parts:
 the conventions of playscripts

five children and two adults. It tells the story of a girl, Dana,  the wider story of Sophie’s Rules by Keith West
who attempts to fit in with her peers at a new school. Dana is
keen to make friends with Sophie and her fellow classmates.  the wider story of ‘In the Rue Bel Tesoro’ by Lin Coghlan.
However, Sophie feels that Dana threatens her social position
and she responds with bullying behaviour. As well as
providing a model of a playscript format, this story provides
plenty of thought-provoking content about personal and
social issues. The extra source text, ‘In the Rue Bel Tesoro’, is
a playscript containing four speaking parts: two children and
two adults. It tells the story of two children and their dog
who attempt to board a train surrounded with soldiers, trying
to find their grandmother during a period of war.

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Year 4, Sequence 10
Fiction: Exploring playscripts

Diagnostic assessment options Resources

Before starting the sequence, you may want to conduct an Source texts – see Anthologies; Story planner; My writing
initial diagnostic assessment of the children’s understanding checklist; Editor’s checklist
of playscripts.
Ideas for initial diagnostic assessment options include:

 discussion about the common characteristics and

purpose of playscripts

 a brief, unsupported writing activity creating a short

playscript based on a class topic or well-known story

 a rehearsed reading of a playscript

 a short reading comprehension activity / quiz on a

playscript text.

Cross-curricular links
KS2 PSHE/SRE [non-statutory] – Relationships
Recognise risky or negative relationships including all forms
of bullying and abuse.
Respond to risky or negative relationships and ask for help.
[From the government-recommended PSHE Association’s
PSHE Education Programme of Study]

Treasure House links

All digital and pupil book units have the same names and
numbers, but different questions.

 Treasure House, Year 4, Comprehension Unit 10:

Playscript: ‘In the Rue Bel Tesoro’

 Treasure House, Year 4, Composition Unit 3: Writing a

playscript

 Treasure House, Year 4, Vocabulary Unit 6: Standard

English word choices

 Treasure House, Year 4, Grammar Unit 9: Plural or

possessive?

 Treasure House, Year 4, Grammar Units 12–13: Standard

and non-Standard verbs

 Treasure House, Year 4, Punctuation Units 2–3:

Apostrophes to show possession

 Treasure House, Year 4, Spelling Unit 8: The prefixes

anti- and auto-

 Treasure House, Year 4, Spelling Unit 16: The /k/ sound

spelled ch

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Phase 1: Enjoy and immerse
In Phase 1, the children are introduced to an extract from a playscript about Dana, a girl who moves to a new school and struggles to
be accepted by Sophie, the class bully. Over several sessions, they are offered the opportunity to immerse themselves fully in the
text through comprehension and discussion activities, as well as exploring its content and structure through drama, storytelling,
writing and analysis of the text.

Programmes of study: Year 4

 Comprehension: Listen to and discuss a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or
textbooks.
 Comprehension: Prepare poems and playscripts to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through
intonation, tone, volume and action.
 Comprehension: Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.
 Composition: Discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its
structure, vocabulary and grammar.
 Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation: Use Standard English forms for verb inflections instead of local spoken forms.
 Spelling: Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them.

Sparking interest  Why do you think they treat Dana like that?
Introduce the sequence by highlighting the overall Big Picture
to the children: they will be working towards writing their
 In your opinion, how and why is the extract effective in
portraying the character’s emotions?
own playscript versions of a story they know well.
Use an opening question such as: ‘What would you do if you  What similar stories do you know?

moved to a new school and someone there wasn’t being

kind?’

Reading and discussion

Introduce the main source text, read it with the class and
check the children’s understanding of the language. Discuss
children’s understanding of the content of the text.
Discuss the following with the children:

 Who was new to Deepvale School?

 How does Dana feel when she walks up to the other

girls? How do you know?

 How do the other girls feel about Dana? How do you

know?

 Why are the stage directions important?

 What reasons do Sophie, Anna and Jade give for not

liking Dana?
Drama and storytelling
Use drama and storytelling to reinforce the children’s
understanding of the contents and structure of the text.
Select the activities that would suit your class or fit in with
your lesson timing. Encourage mixed-ability grouping for the
chosen activities.
 Storytelling: Become a storyteller. The children should
accompany your performance by using props for sound
effects or by taking the roles of the characters.
 Role-play discussion: Ask the children to role-play the
conversations Dana, Sophie, Anna and Jade might have
with a teacher if Dana explains her problems. Encourage
the children to step into the shoes of each character
and consider why they act the way they do.
 Hot-seating Dana and Sophie: This activity can be done
in pairs, small groups or as a class, with nominated
children assuming the roles of the characters. Questions
could include: ‘Dana, why did you move house?’, ‘Dana,
what were your first impressions of Deepvale School?’,
‘Sophie, why don’t you like Dana?’ or ‘Sophie, how do
you feel when you are mean to Dana?’
the scene, the speaker’s name followed by a colon, the lack
of speech marks, a new line for each speaker, and the stage
directions in brackets. Discuss the way that the layout helps
speakers to navigate and read it. Ask: ‘Why is it important
that all speakers can interpret the script in the same way?’
‘What do actors need to do, as well as saying the words on
the page?’ Discuss the importance of intonation, body
language and action, and look again at the stage directions.
Look at the way that each speaker says a reasonably short
amount before the next character speaks. Suggest that this
helps the conversation between characters to flow and keeps
the action progressing through the story.
Grammar: Using Standard and non-
Standard verbs
Remind the children that Standard English is different from
formal language: it simply means correct spelling and
grammar. Many people use non-Standard English in speech.
Show the children the following sentences. Ask them to
change each of them into Standard English. Then ask them to
compose a non-Standard English sentence of their own for a
partner to change into Standard English.

 Freeze-framing key moments: In small groups or as a  The dog digged.

class, ask the children to create a freeze-frame of Dana  It were mine.

meeting Sophie for the first time. Ask each character in
turn to use thought-tracking to express their character’s  I seed her.
feelings.
 I was waiting of the letter for a long time.

Incidental writing  It was more harder.

A short writing activity would enhance the children’s

understanding of the text. Select activities that you think
appropriate for the abilities and interests of your class. Use
the children’s written outcomes to inform the emphases
during the collaborative composition phase.

 A prose version of part of the playscript, written from

Sophie’s perspective

 A letter from Dana’s mother to the school to inform

them of the bullying that has been taking place

 An email from Sophie to Anna or Jade to express her

dislike for Dana

Analysis
Show the main source text to the children and discuss its
structure and content. Look at the layout: the introduction to
Phonics and spelling
Ask children to recall and remind each other of the prefixes
they know. Introduce the prefixes anti- (meaning ‘against’)
and auto- (meaning ‘self’ or ‘own’).
Ask pairs to select five of the words listed below and to use
dictionaries to find their meanings before using them in
sentences of their own. Then ask children to present their
findings to a larger group.
anti-/auto- words: antibiotics, autograph, automobile,
antiglare, antithesis, autopilot, autotimer; autobiography,
antibody, antiviral

Review of the Big Picture

Once you have completed this phase, remind the children
(or have them remind each other) of the sequence’s Big
Picture: they are working towards writing their own
playscript versions of a story they know.
Phase 2: Capture and organise
During Phase 2, children start to develop ideas about new content and features for a class playscript adaptation of a known story.
Working collaboratively, they decide on the structure and content of their playscripts.

Programmes of study: Year 4

 Comprehension: Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and
justify inferences with evidence.
 Comprehension: Identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarise these.
 Comprehension: Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.
 Composition: Discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its
structure, vocabulary and grammar.
 Composition: Discuss and record ideas.
 Spelling: Use words with the /k/ sound spelled ch (Greek in origin).

Introduction Drama and storytelling

Remind the children of the Big Picture for the sequence and Use drama and storytelling to encourage children to develop
recap the learning achieved through Phase 1. Read the extra their ideas further. Select the activities that would suit your
source text, ‘In the Rue Bel Tesoro’, and discuss its similarities class or fit in with your lesson timing. Encourage mixed-ability
to and differences from Sophie’s Rules. grouping for the chosen activities.

 Hot-seating the new main characters: This activity can

Discussing ideas
As a class, discuss the following questions as a basis for the
children’s playscripts:
 What story shall we adapt into a playscript? (Choose a
familiar story with distinct events or chapters/sections,
be done in pairs, small groups or as a class. Encourage
the children to think about and, if necessary, write
down their questions before the hot-seat session starts.
Discuss the characters’ responses.
 Freeze-framing key moments: Once children have

four to seven main characters and plenty of dialogue.) sufficient ideas to start adapting the chosen story,
encourage small groups to improvise brief scenes. At
 Who are the main characters?
regular intervals, ask the children to freeze and use

 Who are the other characters? thought-tracking to develop their ideas about their
characters’ feelings, thoughts and actions.
 How do the characters feel about one another? Why?
 Storytelling: Ask pairs or small groups to develop their

 Where is the story set? Will the setting change during ideas through storytelling and then to present them to a
the playscript? larger group. Discuss the differences between the
different groups’ stories and which parts worked better
 What part of the story should we adapt? Is there a
than others.
chapter/section that would make an exciting scene on
its own?

 How will the storyline progress?

 How will the scene end: with a resolution, or ‘to be

continued’?
Incidental writing
Before they do any incidental writing, make sure children are
able to articulate the main ideas for their class playscript
orally. Select activities that you think appropriate for the
abilities and interests of your class.

 A diary entry by the main character, explaining their

perspective on the event used for the scene

 A short narrative retelling of an event in the story

 Character profiles for the main characters, to help

actors who are playing their roles

 A set description for the play

Organising the class playscript into a

structure
Once the children have explored their ideas for their class
playscript thoroughly, bring them together and use their final
suggestions to model how to plot it. You could use diagram
or note form, and the Story planner. Once the ideas have
been recorded, go through the plan and ask the children to
evaluate the scene’s contents and structure.

Phonics and spelling

Remind the children that in some words, the /k/ sound is
spelled ch. For example, the ch in ‘monarch’ sounds like the
k in ‘park’. These words often originally come from Greek.
Ask the children to use as many of the following words as
they can to create a short, silly story related to the theme
of the chosen class story being adapted, using a dictionary for
support. For fun focus, award a point per word used. Then
ask children to present their stories to the class. Ask: ‘Who
has used the most ch words?’
ch words: anchor, chemistry, chaos, choir, mechanic,
technical, orchestra, chorus, character, stomach, echo

Review of the Big Picture

Once you have completed this phase, remind the children (or
have them remind each other) of the sequence’s Big Picture.
Recap the learning achieved during Phase 2.
Phase 3: Collaborate and compose
This phase focuses in detail on supporting children to draft and write individual sections of their own playscript adaptation of a
known story.

Programmes of study: Year 4

 Composition: Compose and rehearse sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich
vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures.
 Composition: Discuss and record ideas.
 Composition: Organise paragraphs around a theme.
 Composition: In narratives, create settings, characters and plot.
 Composition: Assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggest improvements.

Introduction Shared writing

Remind the children of the Big Picture and recap the learning
achieved during Phases 1 and 2. Explain to children that
during Phase 3 they will be learning how to write their own
playscript adaptation of a known story.
Lesson 1
Starter (VGP focus) – Vocabulary: Using Standard and non-
Standard English
Ask children to remind you of the definition of Standard and
non-standard English, as explored in Phase 1.
Explain to the children that knowing about Standard and
non-standard English can be particularly useful for expressing
the way that someone speaks in writing. Show the children
the first line of Sophie’s speech in the script, where she says
‘You new here?’ to Dana. Discuss the fact that the author has
omitted the word ‘are’ (‘Are you new here?’) to make the
script reflect the way Sophie actually speaks more
realistically.
Ask pairs to suggest how the following sentences could be
adapted to make them seem more like real speech, using
mini-whiteboards. Then ask pairs to share their ideas with
the class.
Ask children to remind themselves and each other of their
planning ideas from Phase 2. Prompt them to make
suggestions for the introduction and description of the
setting, referring closely to the chosen class story for
adaptation. Ask the children to imagine that the script will be
given to actors who have no knowledge of the story, so need
explicit explanation of the scene to help them to picture it.
Discuss what details the actors need (such as the place, the
time of day, the weather and/or the atmosphere). Then
model, with the children’s input, the opening lines of the
playscript. Include clear stage directions to show how
characters move throughout the scene: use the third person,
and demarcate the stage directions using brackets and/or
italics. Focus, at this point, on one or two main characters to
allow the audience to become familiar with them. Use
examples of non-Standard English to show the way at least
one of the characters speaks.
Independent writing
Ask children to write their own first sections, applying the
VGP focus by including some non-Standard English to show
how the characters speak. Some may benefit from guided
group writing or peer-paired writing at this stage.

 Have you lived in your new house for very long?

Daily plenary
 What do you think about this place? At appropriate points throughout the lesson, invite children
to share their writing with small groups, partners or the
 How are you feeling?
whole class. Ask questions to help them focus on their
progress and what they have created during the lesson, for
example: ‘How does your introduction help the actors to
understand the scene?’ ‘How have you used non-Standard
English to show speech?’ ‘What impression do you think this
will give the audience about your characters?’
Lesson 2
Starter (VGP focus) – Grammar: Plural or possessive?
Remind the children that to show possession with a plural
noun that does not end in s we use an apostrophe and the
letter s – just like after a singular noun.
Write the following words on the board. Ask the children to
turn each one into a plural and then to show where the
possessive apostrophe would be placed.
 For example: mouse – mice – mice’s
 boy
 penny
 child
 man
 foot
 goose
Shared writing
With the children’s input, model writing the next part of the
playscript. Continue to develop it, still referring closely to the
chosen class story and perhaps adding another character or
starting a new scene by changing the setting. Continue to
highlight how you are composing the stage directions and
discuss the clarity needed for these. Discuss plurals and
possessive apostrophes as they occur.
Independent writing
Ask children to write their own second sections, applying the
VGP focus by using plurals and possessive apostrophes
correctly. Some may benefit from guided group writing or
peer-paired writing at this stage.
Daily plenary
At the end of the lesson, invite children to share their writing
with groups or the whole class. Ask questions to help them
focus on their progress and what they have created during
the lesson, for example: ‘How have your characters
developed?’ ‘How do your stage directions benefit the actors
and the audience?’ ‘Share your work. How accurately has
your partner used plurals and possessive apostrophes?’
Lesson 3
Starter (VGP focus) – Grammar: Using plural possessive
apostrophes
Remind the children that to show possession we use an
apostrophe and the letter s at the end of a singular noun. At
the end of a plural noun that already ends in s, we add only
the apostrophe.
Discuss each of these examples with the children. Ask them
to suggest whether an apostrophe is needed in the
underlined words and, if so, where it should be placed.
 Dana put away her books.
 Sophies books were already back in the cupboard.
 The teacher asked how tidy the childrens desks were.
Shared writing
Read back through the development of the class playscript so
far. With the children’s input, continue to model writing the
playscript, still referring closely to the chosen class story and
detailing the climax of the extract. Ask children whether and
where to add apostrophes as opportunities occur.
Independent writing
Ask children to write their own third sections, applying the
VGP focus by using apostrophes correctly with both singular
and plural words. Some may benefit from guided group
writing or peer-paired writing at this stage.
Daily plenary
At the end of the lesson, invite children to share their writing
with groups or the whole class. Ask questions to help them
focus on their progress and what they have created during
the lesson, for example: ‘Which language choices have
helped you keep to the appropriate style for each character’s
voice?’ ‘How have you shown the story coming to a climax?’
‘Share your work. How accurately has your partner used a
possessive apostrophe?’
Lesson 4
Starter (VGP focus) – Punctuation: Using plural possessive
apostrophes
Ask children to explain to their partner what the term
‘possessive apostrophe’ means, and recap the learning from
previous lessons.
Ask the children to rewrite the following phrases so they use
possessive apostrophes (for example: ‘a pencil belonging to
Anna’ would become ‘Anna’s pencil’). Model the first
example.
 a pencil belonging to Anna
 hairclips belonging to Jade
 a skipping rope belonging to two girls
 lots of shoes belonging to lots of children
Shared writing
With the children’s input, continue modelling how to write
the class playscript. Focus on the resolution and conclusion of
the situation, still referring closely to the chosen class story.
Again, focus closely on the use of stage directions. Discuss
with children how the script should finish: will you leave it ‘to
be continued’, or will it be completely resolved? Include
possessive apostrophes where appropriate.
Independent writing
Ask children to write their own fourth sections, applying the
VGP focus by continuing to use plurals and possessive
apostrophes correctly. Some may benefit from guided group
writing or peer-paired writing at this stage.
Daily plenary
Invite children to share their writing with groups or the whole
class. Ask questions to help them focus on their progress and
what they have created during the phase, for example: ‘How
will the audience feel about the different characters by the
end of the script?’ ‘How has the story developed and been
resolved?’ ‘Read back through your script. How clearly have
you shown how the characters should move throughout it?’
Rehearsing and performing
Once each child has written their playscript, encourage them
to perform it by creating a performance with a group. Discuss
how different from or similar to Sophie’s Rules, ‘In the Rue
Bel Tesoro’ and the original chosen class story the new
playscripts are.

Review of the Big Picture

Once you have completed this phase, remind the children (or
have them remind each other) of the sequence’s Big Picture.
Recap the learning achieved during Phase 3.
Phase 4: Write independently
This final phase brings together all the children’s learning and writing skills so that they can write their own independent playscript
versions of a familiar story. Through their writing, they will be able to utilise the different VGP focuses that they have been practising
throughout previous phases.

Programmes of study: Year 4

 Composition: Compose and rehearse sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich
vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures.
 Composition: Organise paragraphs around a theme.
 Composition: Assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggest improvements.
 Composition: Propose changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency, including the accurate use of
pronouns in sentences.
 Composition: Proofread for spelling and punctuation errors.
 Composition: Read aloud their own writing, to a group or the whole class, using appropriate intonation and controlling
the tone and volume so that the meaning is clear.

Introduction
Introduce the phase by highlighting the Big Picture again, and
recap the learning and progress achieved during Phases 1–3.
Explain that in Phase 4 the children will be applying their
learning to write their own playscript versions of a familiar
story independently. Discuss and list examples of stories with
which the children are familiar and that could easily be
adapted into a playscript. Try to suggest stories with distinct
events or chapters/sections, four to seven main characters
and plenty of dialogue. Recap the ideas and structure
suggested in the shared writing sessions in Phase 3.
Writing
Give each child a Story planner and My writing checklist, and
ask them to start planning and writing each section of their
own playscript. For reference, display the shared writing
structure and a copy of the source texts, Sophie’s Rules and
‘In the Rue Bel Tesoro’. Encourage every child to try to write
independently to the best of their ability. Ask open questions
to help their planning (such as ‘How will you show how the
actors should move at this point?’) but avoid telling children
what to write. Some may benefit from guided composition.
Focus on perseverance and resilience in their independent
application.
Proofreading and redrafting
Have the children proofread their work periodically as they
write (proofreading and improvement without support may
mean that the writing task extends over a few lessons). Offer
the children the Editor’s checklist for support, or create your
own checklist that includes the VGP and spelling focuses
covered throughout this sequence. Highlight the importance
of redrafting, linking the children’s efforts to the Big Picture.
Self- and peer-assessment
Encourage the children to take time to self-assess their
writing as well as that of others in their group. Offer them a
set of self-assessment questions, such as: ‘Where have you
used stage directions to show how the actors should move?’
‘How have you shown the audience how each character is
feeling?’ ‘How have you described the setting at the
introduction of the scene?’
Rehearsing and performing
Once each child has written their independent playscript,
encourage them to rehearse and perform it with a group.
Discuss how similar to or different from the source texts each
playscript is. Encourage the children to feed back on one
another’s writing and performances.
Final review of the Big Picture
Ask children, individually or with partners, to reflect on what
they have learned during this sequence and what they will
apply in their future writing.