Lesson Commentary

Teacher explains that the children will explore The Bewitched Forest using the resource’s interactive scene

The teacher uses the IWB to explain the focus: to use our knowledge of expanded noun phrases to describe the forest. The children read the focus on the IWB. The teacher explains that the children will use their Chromebook to explore the interactive scene. She imposes a rule - “you must stick to this scene. You may not go anywhere else”. The teacher explains what an ‘icon’ is and that selecting the sound icon allows children to hear the sounds of the forest. The instructions are on the IWB, including a note not to write anything yet.

Children explore the interactive scene

The children are very excited to explore the scene. The scenes play sounds and children share what they are doing with each other. They listen and watch in pairs, chattering excitedly. They truly interact with it – saying hello to the characters who appear – and at the same time, they interact with each other. The classroom is noisy – but the children are intensely engaged with the resource.

Teacher sets a task – mindmapping the forest using nouns

The teacher asks children to close their Chromebooks while she talks to them. She stands at the IWB to regain attention. She explains that when we describe, we do not only think about what we can see – but all the senses. The children listen attentively. Children are asked to write down nouns from their scene, e.g. ‘tree, grass, unicorn’. The teacher uses the flipchart to model how to create a noun mindmap for the forest.

Children work in pairs to record nouns and adjectives to describe the forest using a mindmap 

Children work in pairs to create a mindmap. Children are focused on the task and work co-operatively. While they have a Chromebook each, and are exploring the interactive scene, they work on one mindmap in between the Chromebooks and share the experience. This is an extended activity. The soundtrack is playing, the children talk together and switch focus back and forth from their Chromebooks to the shared paper. Sometimes they look at one Chromebook together. The children’s mindmaps include a mixture of nouns and adjectives, around the prompt ‘The Bewitched Forest’. The teacher interrupts to remind children to read character popouts for information and adjectives that they can add to their mindmaps. Children add adjectives to the nouns on their mindmaps to create a detailed record.

Teacher asks children to enter into role and tell a partner how they feel as they enter the forest as the person looking for Jakob and Maria (partner talk)

The teacher invites children to imagine themselves to be their imaginary character who will enter the forest to find Jakob and Maria. The IWB has a set of questions to guide the children: What can you see? What can you hear? What are you thinking? How are you feeling?  The teacher insists that Chromebook lids are closed. Children are actively engaged. She builds on their ideas, using a dramatic voice.

The teacher introduces the independent writing task

The teacher returns to the lesson’s focus: to use our knowledge of expanded noun phrases to describe the forest. She uses the IWB to refocus the children, following being in role, to writing in role. She talks through a checklist of features for their writing: first person; past tense; a range of nouns, effective adjectives, conjunctions to use clauses, prepositional phrases (insert image). Children are focused on the IWB. Some are distracted

Teacher shares a diary entry she has written on the IWB with noun phrases and adverbs colour coded.

The teacher reads an unfinished model text aloud (including sentence starters with ellipsis). She draws attention to the use of extended noun phrases with colour coding of these elements on the IWB. She asks children to suggest ideas for the gaps in her text. There is very clear scaffolding of the use of specific grammatical features. The teacher models oral composition, reading aloud from the IWB.

Children write independent diary entries on paper.

This is a focused and quiet writing period. It lasts for about ten minutes. Children chatter occasionally to each other. The teacher plays the soundtrack from the interactive scene. The children write on paper. The Chromebooks remain closed and children refer to their shared mindmaps. Children are invited to watch the scene on their own Chromebook. They remain focused on the writing task.

Observations about enjoyment and engagement

The children are intensively engaged in the interactive scene. They show their engagement with their whole bodies. The children engage, readily. They are enthusiastic about the follow-up writing task and switch into it fluidly. The use of digital resources seems to promote engagement, but the task of writing in role appears equally engaging. The teacher does not have to monitor or encourage the children’s diary entry writing, which is written on paper.