51ºÚÁÏ

This Year 4 unit focuses on developing pupils’ understanding of the features and structure of a playscript through the engaging historical context of The Plague. Over the course of the unit, pupils explore the conventions of script writing, including stage directions, character dialogue, and scene setting, while deepening their understanding of life during the time of the Great Plague.

The unit begins with an immersive introduction to the historical setting, allowing children to build background knowledge and vocabulary linked to the 1665 outbreak in London. Using The Write Stuff approach, pupils are guided through ‘experience days’ and ‘sentence stacking’ lessons where they construct scenes through focused lenses such as action, dialogue, and emotion.

Grammar and punctuation objectives are carefully woven into the teaching sequences, including the correct use of colons for stage directions, the layout of scripts, and varied sentence structures to show character. Pupils are encouraged to take on the role of playwright, developing empathy and creativity as they bring historical characters to life.

By the end of the unit, pupils plan and write their own playscript scene inspired by The Plague, applying the structural and stylistic techniques they have learned. The final outcome allows for performance opportunities, helping to reinforce the purpose and features of playscripts while developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills.