Dear Teacher,

Wouldn’t it be brilliant if a bundle of fantastic creative writing resources landed on your desk that inspired pupils at your school to create original stories and helped you with organising the lesson…? Then you’ll sure to love the 2 enclosed information packs!

Pupils at your school are invited to take part in an exciting creative writing experience; from writing an original short story / mini saga to seeing themselves as published writers.

Superhero Adventures is for 5-7 year-olds and is certain to have imaginations saving the world left, right and centre! Use the super resources to inspire young children to write a short story using the role play activity and mask templates.

Time-Travelling Tales is for 7-11 year-olds and is the perfect way to combine this term’s history topic with writing a mini saga (a story told in just 100 words!). Where will you take your pupils, to the past or to the future?

There are great prizes to be won for both schools and pupils, please see the reverse of each pack for further details, including the latest school winners!

If you have any questions, or require any further entry forms, posters or additional packs for colleagues, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Jenni Bannister Editorial Manager

P.S. If you’d like free writing tips, simply sign up at www.youngwriters.co.uk/writing-tips.php to ensure you get inspirational ideas directly to your inbox each week!

YoungWriters

CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION FOR 7-11 YEAR-OLDS

Est 1991

CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION FOR 7-11 YEAR-OLDS

Let your pupils be inspired with history or intrigued with the future before challenging them to write a

mini saga – a story in just 100 words!

Our handy planning sheet/entry form make planning and writing a mini saga a fun activity for all involved. Also enclosed is an optional lesson plan. Further free resources, including a

Powerpoint presentation and a timeline, are available at: www.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/timetravellingtales

Where will your pupils time travel to?

RULESOnly one entry per pupil

Mini sagas must be no longer than 100 words

Entries can be handwritten or typed

Each pupil’s name and age must be included on their work

The lesson plan is optional!

Entries need to reach us by 24th December 2015

Email us a photo or Tweet us @YoungWritersCW with how you’ve inspired your class with Time-Travelling Tales!

CLOSING DATE: 24TH DECEMBER

HOW TO ENTEROrder additional entry forms from us, or photocopy the ones enclosed

Ask pupils to write their mini saga, ensuring their name, surname and age are included on the entry form

Send your entries, along with your school entry form (found on the reverse of the letter), to:

FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY Young Writers PS Remus House Peterborough PE2 9BF

Alternatively, you can upload work at www.youngwriters.co.uk/multiple-uploads

Mesozoic Era230-65 million

years ago

Ancient Egyptians

3100 BC - 330BC

Roman Era55BC - 410AD

The Viking Age789AD - 1066

Tudor Times1485 - 1603

Victorian Age1837-1901

World War I1914-1918

World War II1939-1945

The Future2015+

London Olympics

2012

THE EDITORIAL TEAM

ManagerJenni Bannister

EditorsSarah Washer

Donna SamworthAllie JonesLisa Adlam

Our Editorial team will select work on the basis of imagination, perception, spirit and use of language. The ages of the young writers are also taken into account, along with any learning difficulties we are made aware of.

PRIZES FOR SCHOOLS1st Prize - £1,000

2nd Prize – £500

3rd Prize – £250

Congratulations to our latest school winner, Tithe Barn

Primary School, Stockport, who won a day’s workshop with

Roger Stevens! You can find out more about Roger at his award-winning website

www.poetryzone.co.uk

PRIZES FOR PUPILS

Bookmark for every entrant!

Certificate for every

published pupil

£10 book token for the best pupil in each book!

This lesson plan is a great way to inspire your pupils aged 7-11 to write a story as well as introducing them to a new format of short story writing – the mini saga.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES• Includesspeaking,listening,readingandwritingrequirements

•Pupilswillneedtouselanguagetoimagineandrecreaterolesandexperiences,bothrealandimaginary

•Pupilswilllearnthestructureofaminisaga• Pupilswillusetheirknowledgetoplan,draftandcomposetheirownminisagaforourTime-TravellingTalescompetition

PREPARATION•Eachpupilneedsanentryform–youcanrequestfurtherentryformsfromusordownloadthematwww.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/timetravellingtales

•DownloadourIdeaGeneratoratwww.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/timetravellingtalesandmakeupasmanyasyourequire(notrequiredifyouareprovidingyourpupilswitha“time”)

•Downloadourfreepresentationthatcomplementsthislessonplanatwww.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/timetravellingtales

INTRODUCTION•Explaintopupilsthattodaytheywillbewritingaminisaga.Explainthataminisagaisastorytoldinonly100words!(Slide3)

MAIN TEACHING ACTIVITY

Activity Slides Activity Details

What Is a Story?

(10 minutes)4-6

Giveyourpupilsacoupleofminutestotellyoutheirfavouritestories.Chooseoneandaskpupils,asaclass,totellyouinasfewwordsaspossiblewhathappensinthestory.Explainthatthisistheplot.Nowexplainwhatsetting,characterandeventsare.Nowaskpupilstosummarisewhathappensatthebeginning,middleandendofthestory.

Identifying Key Events

(20 minutes)7-9

Askpupilsiftheythinktheycannowsummarisethestoryin100words.Asaclass,discussthekeypointsofastoryandthenmakenotesontheboard.Usingthenotesworktogethertowriteaclassminisagabasedonthekeypointsthepupilshaveidentified–cantheyreducethestory’splottojust100words?Afterwritingtheinitialminisaga,you’llprobablystillhaveover100words,sonowyouneedtoedit.Advisepupilstheycanuseellipses(…)tosuggesttension,suspense,mystery–whathappened/happensnext?Alsoadvisepupilsthatabbreviatingwordshelpstoo,so‘itis’becomes‘it’s’andaskthemtoseeifthereareanyunnecessarywordstheycanremove–youhavetobebrutaltogetdownto100words!Onceyouhavetheclassminisaga,readitout.Canpupilssuggestanywaystoimprovetheminisaga?Maybechangeafewwordsround,orreplacewordsso‘nice’becomes‘amazing’,oraddinsomepunctuation,suchas!or…tomaketheminisagaasexcitingaspossible.

Composing a Mini Saga

(30 minutes)10

Nowpupilshavecompletedtheirclassminisagatheyarereadytogetwritingtheirown.HandouttheIdeaGeneratorsifyouaren’tprovidingyourpupilswitha“time”andgivepupilsacoupleofminutestogetanideafortheirminisaga.Askpupilstodecideiftheywillre-tellafamoushistoricaleventwithanewtwistorcreatetheirownminisagafromscratch.Showthemourexamples,shouldyouwishto(slides11-12).Pupilsshouldwritetheirfirstdraftonapieceofapaper/inaworkbook.Oncetheyhavewrittentheirminisaga,theyneedtowriteituponthepupilentryform,onewordperboxandfillintheirname,surnameandage.

P.T.O

HOW TO WRITE A MINI SAGA LESSON PLAN

FREE PRESENTATION AVAILABLE...

SUGGESTIONS

•Youcanextendtheactivitybyaskingpupilstocopyupandillustratetheirminisagafordisplay

• Youcanextendtheactivitybyaskingpupilstoreadtheirminisagasouttotherestoftheclass

•Challengeablewriterstore-tellafamoushistoriceventfromanotherperson’spointofvieworaskthemtoincludedialogue

• Lessablepupilscanworkinpairsorasmallgroupandhaveanadult’sassistance

•Minisagascanbebasedonanyperiodinhistoryorcanbeinspiredbythefuture!

•Haveaboxofpropstohelpinspirepupilswiththeirwriting

EXAMPLE MINI SAGA

The Discovery

Isawsomethinglargeinthecorner.Cogs,wheels,pipesandwires,plusbuttonsandlevers,allcoveringastrangemachine.Whatwasit?GreatGrandad’satticwasfullofstuff,butnothingelselikethis.Iblewonthecontraption,clearingdecadesofdustandrevealingabrassplate.SpaceTime Navigator. Igasped.Withoutthinking,Ipulledalever.Grinding,whirring,thenbang!Ihittheground,hard.Thefloorwaswetandswayingunderneathme.Thisdefinitelywasn’ttheattic.‘Getupandmanthesail!’yelledaharshvoice.WherewasI?HowwouldIgetback?

NOTESThisactivitytakesaboutanhour.Alternatively,introductoryworkcanbedoneinclass(30minutes)andtheminisagacanbewrittenashomework.

PLENARY

Time Slide Activity Details

(5-10 minutes) 13 Askpupilstoworkinpairsorsmallgroupsandtoreadtheirminisagastooneanother.Peersaretogivefeedbackonsomethingtheylikeandsomethingtheyfeelcouldbeimproved.

All our resources are free and can be downloaded atwww.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/timetravellingtales

or you can give us a call or email to requestfurther resources are posted to you.

TIME-TRAVELLING TALES

THE 3 GOLDEN RULES OF MINI SAGA WRITING

Mini sagas must be no more than 100 words.

Your mini saga must have a beginning, a middle and an end.

Your mini saga must be written in your own words.

Draw where your story is set ...

What will happen in your story? Use the space below to plan your writing.

YoungWriters

Please turn over to create your mini saga from the story plot you have created ...

1. Where is your story set? .......................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................................

2. Who is the main character in your story? .............................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................................

3. What happens to start your story? ........................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................................

4. What problem, crisis or event moves your story along? .......................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................................

5. How will the problem be resolved? ......................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................................

6. What happens at the end of your story? ...............................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................................

Est 1991

Other ideas ...

Name: ..................................................... Surname: ................................................... Age: ............

Class: ..................................................................................................................................................

Home Address: ...................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................... Postcode: ..................................

School Name: .....................................................................................................................................

School Address: ..................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................... Postcode: .................................

TITLE: ...............................................................................................................................................Start here!

You’ve reached 100 words!

(Title isn’t included in 100 word limit!)

PUPIL ENTRY FORM

FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY Bonacia LtdYoung Writers PSRemus House Peterborough PE2 9BF

SCHOOL ENTRY FORMPlease make any changes in the boxes below.

I have enclosed (write number) entries for Superhero Adventures

Complete this form and send it back to us with your entries.We have printed our address above if you wish to re-use our envelope.

CLOSING DATE: 24TH DECEMBER 2015

Usethisspacetogiveusfeedbackonthecompetitionandresources!

Pleasetickifyouusedthelessonplanand/oractivitysheet

I have enclosed (write number) entries for Time-Travelling Tales

Please tick here if you do not wish to receive competition news or writing tips by email