Introduction
No Pens Day Wednesday lesson plans and activity templates have been created by specialist teachers and speech and language therapists and
quality assured by practising mainstream teachers.
Lesson plans
These were developed by taking example plans for September from one school’s planning as a starting point. As all schools will be covering
different topics and have different ways of planning, the lesson plans provide an example for schools to adapt, though they can be used as they
are if this fits in with your planning.
Lesson plans aim to follow good practice principles; e.g.
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

They identify explicit learning objectives
Support use of questioning, using Blooms taxonomy, to support learning
Include plenary sessions that encourage pupils to reflect on their learning through assessment for learning strategies
Some lessons include reflection on how the “no pens” theme of the day has affected learning. This could be a discussion you could have in any
lesson in order to gather pupils’ views on how an emphasis on talk in the classroom has impacted on their learning and enjoyment of lessons.
Each lesson plan also has key vocabulary identified, signposting to the vocabulary section of the activity templates. Vocabulary is key to all pupils,
particularly those whose language is not at an age appropriate level or pupils learning English as an additional language. Teaching vocabulary
explicitly as part of the lesson, using tried and tested strategies can make a significant difference to these pupils in particular.
A speaking and listening objective has also been identified for each lesson. Some have been taken from QCA guidelines, whilst others have been
taken from our Universally Speaking guides (available to download and order for free from www.hello.org.uk/resources), which track language
development throughout the primary years.
Plans are available for every lesson in primary school across the year groups.
Activity templates
In addition to lesson plans, we’ve provided activity templates (separate download on www.hello.org.uk/no-pens-day-wednesday), which are more
generic and can be adapted to any lesson. These give some information about the activity and how it can be implemented, highlighting any
resources / links that might be useful to support that activity. These activities can be used within any element of a lesson - as a starter activity,
main activity, plenary or as methods of recording learning. See also separate guidance on ways of recording without using pens (available on
www.hello.org.uk/no-pens-day-wednesday).
Year 4 Lesson Plan
Class:
Teacher:
Date:
Lesson: Literacy: Narrative Unit 4 – Stories that raise
issues/dilemmas, Phase 2
Learning objective:
To use a range of dramatic devices to explore
an issue within a text, predicting the outcome
of the dilemma.
Previous learning:
 Pupils outlined issues and dilemmas
running throughout short story.
 Pupils read Danny Champion of the World
up to chapter 7, used a journal to record the
issues/dilemmas faced by the main character(s)
and predicted what they will do.
Speaking and listening objectives:
3f: Use different ways to help the group move forward including
summarising the main points, reviewing what has been said, clarifying,
drawing others in, reaching agreement, considering alternatives and
anticipating consequences.
4c: Use dramatic techniques to explore characters and issues.
Starter: Conscience Alley
 Recap previous learning on Danny Champion of the World. Talking Partners: What issues and dilemmas has the book
explored so far?
 Read start of chapter 7. Talking partners: Discuss how Danny felt before he went to sleep stating reasons - share ideas.
 Read to end of page 53 and discuss Danny’s fears. Talking Partners: What dilemma is Danny facing? What should he do?
 Create a conscience alley, pupils on either side are to persuade ‘Danny’ whether or not he should stay at home or go out
and search for his father.
 Chose pupil for role of Danny, ask Danny to share ideas on what he decided to do after walking down the alley. Talking
partners: What would you do in this situation and why?
Vocabulary: Issues, dilemmas, improvisation, characters, script, dramatic
Teach vocabulary using strategies and materials suggested in the activity template pack
Main activity:
 Continue reading page 54, what predicament does Danny have? What are his options? Discuss.
 Read down to page 55 - ‘the motor coughed once then started’
 Create a Round Robin: Allow pupils 30 seconds independent thinking time. What thoughts would be going through Danny’s
head right now? Share ideas.
 Instruct children that we are going to create an improvisation of the next part of the story. Discuss what is meant by
improvisation. Does it matter that we don’t have a script? Does it matter if we don’t have the same ideas as the author?
 Differentiated groups of three pupils are to plan and role play the next part of the story from the moment Danny starts the
car using three characters.
 In the planning they should discuss ideas of what might happen to him, possible characters that might be involved and any
problems he might face along the way.
 Discuss acting techniques needed - body language, speech etc.
 Plan and rehearse improvisations.
Plenary:
 View improvisations and assess using two stars and a wish.
 Read rest of chapter 7 and compare and contrast outcomes. Talking Partners: Whose outcome was the most exciting?
Whose was the most dramatic?
Assessment for learning: How well do you think you can predict Danny’s decisions? What are Danny’s motives when he
makes a decision? What activities today have helped you think about Danny’s dilemmas?
Differentiation
Mixed ability groups
of three, picture
prompts for lower
achieving pupils,
TA/Class Teacher
support.
Resource
Book: Danny
Champion of the
World
Homework: Ask a parent/guardian about a
time they had a dilemma.
Year 4 Lesson Plan
Class:
Teacher:
Date:
Lesson: Maths – Problem solving
Lesson objectives:
Using thinking skills to problem solve, working co-operatively and communicating
Previous learning:
Understanding of coin values; calculations; calculating change
Activity
Starter:
20 questions - I’m thinking of a number
Children try to guess the mystery number by posing questions, trying to get to the
answer before 20 questions
Vocabulary: Coins, more, less, total
Teach vocabulary using strategies and materials suggested in the activity template
pack
Main:
Problem solving – activity set up
 Today we are learning to solve problems and work in groups together Show the
3 problems
 1st challenge we have to tackle – how can we work them out with ‘no pens’?
Show children the selection of resources that are available in class – e.g. bags of
coins, Sumthing beads, Unifix , picture cards (to match ‘jobs’ task), Plasticine
and straws, paper and scissors, Numicon
Differentiation
Individual 100 squares to
cover up number
eliminated
Resource
100 squares
Lower achieving:
using picture cards,
children to solve the
problem by counting the
legs. Focus on securing
2/3 times table facts.
Bags of coins, coin cards
Sumthing beads
Unifix
Picture cards to match ‘jobs’ task
Plasticine and straws
Paper and scissors
Numicon
Snowball activity
 In pairs – suggest ways of working out or making a picture of the problem without
writing
 Pairs join in 4s – share ideas
 4s join in 8s and share ideas
 Report back – share ideas
Camera to record group working
Divide into groups of 6
 Each group has a problem; more than one group can choose a given problem.
 The group must choose the resources they want to use to try to work out the
problem. They must talk and work together to solve the problem.
Plenary:
 Make a podcast to tell what resources you used, and how you solved the
problem. Describe to the person next to you what you did to solve the problem.
Feedback, self assess against lesson objectives using thumbs.
 How did not being able to record in our books make this difficult- what could we
use to help us set out information?
Homework: Take one of the other problems home to try out with your family
Easyspeak recorders
Resource: Problem solving
Pocket Money
Mum and dad have decided that they will give you extra pocket money for helping out at home! But the most that they will pay you is £5 per week.
Washing, drying and putting away the dishes £1.00
Vacuuming the lounge £0.75
Tidying and polishing the lounge £0.75
Tidying, cleaning and vacuuming your bedroom £2.00
Weeding the garden £1.50
Cleaning the car £2.50
Taking out the rubbish/bin £0.50
What is the least amount of jobs you will have to do to earn £5?
What is the most amount of jobs you will have to do to earn £5?
From - www.tes.co.uk/ResourceDetail.aspx?storyCode=3007423
Spaceship
Some Tripods and Bipods flew from planet Zeno.
There were at least two of each of them.
Tripods have 3 legs. Bipods have 2 legs.
There were 23 legs altogether
How many Bipods were there?
How many Tripods were there?
From - www.edu.dudley.gov.uk
At the toy shop
The toy shop stocks tricycles and go-carts. The tricycles have 3 wheels. The go-carts have 5 wheels. Suna counted the wheels. He counted 37 altogether.
How many tricycles are there?
How many go-carts are there?
From - www.edu.dudley.gov.uk
Year 4 Lesson Plan
Class:
Teacher:
Learning objective:
To work collaboratively to find key information
about the wives of Henry VIII, presenting our
findings clearly to the rest of the class.
Date:
Previous learning:
 Locate Tudor period on a timeline
 Investigation of Henry VIII
Lesson: History: Tudors: Henry VIII and his 6 Wives
Speaking and listening objectives:
3a: Make contributions relevant to the topic and take turns in
discussion
3f: Use different ways to help the group move forward, including
summarising the main points, reviewing what has been said,
clarifying, drawing others in, reaching agreement, considering
alternatives and anticipating consequences.
Activity
Differentiation
Resource
Starter: Hot seat
Mixed ability groupings
(buddy lower achieving
 Talking partners: If you could ask Henry the 8th any question what would it be? Each group to suggest a
pupils)
question.
th
th
 Introduce hot seating with teacher in role of Henry the 8 . Each pair asks Henry the 8 the question they
differentiated research
thought of.
resources, e.g. fewer
Vocabulary: Background, key events, collaborate, Tudor, housing, lifestyle, entertainment, king, queen.
resources to support
Teach vocabulary using strategies and materials suggested in the activity template pack
organisation
Main activity: Jigsaw
 Split children into 6 differentiated groups, (Minimum 4 pupils per group).
talking tins and prompt grid
 Instruct children that today they are to research an aspect of Henry VIII’s wives. What do we know already?
for lower achieving
How many wives? What are their names? What do we want to find out? Collect ideas on the board.
 Establish we need to research:
Visual support, picture of
 Key info: born, died, place of birth etc.
wives
 Family life: background, religion, parents.
 Marriage to King: key events.
Sentence starters to support
 Instruct pupils that they are to research this information from a range of sources, and that they will need to
questions to ask
establish who is to find what information before presenting it back. Teacher to model collaborative talk.
 Children are given time to research before rejoining in groups to share information, making sure each person
within the group knows the key information about the wife they have researched.
 Each group is to nominate a member to be hot seated by the rest of the class during plenary: pupils to
discuss how they might act out these roles.
Plenary:
 Allow pupils time to prepare questions for each of the wives. Hot seat each wife with a question from each
group (5 questions total).
 Collect information about each wife in a table on the board. Did we find all the information we needed? What
was easy / difficult? What is missing?
Homework: Create a top trump card for one of the
Assessment for learning: Pupils to discuss how well they met the learning outcomes and to use the checklist to
self assess group working http://www.teachfind.com/national-strategies/seal-working-together-self-review-checklist wives of Henry VIII.
Year 4 Lesson Plan
Class:
Teacher:
Learning objective:
To create a podcast encouraging
people to reuse and recycle in
school and the local community.
Date:
Previous learning:
 Use of podium (or alternate) podcasting
software
 Investigation of a school environment issue e.g. litter
Geography: Improving the environment
Speaking and listening objectives:
1b: Gain and maintain the interest and response of different audiences [for
example, by exaggeration, humour, varying pace and using persuasive
language to achieve particular effects]
3b: Vary contributions to suit the activity and purpose, including exploratory
and tentative comments where ideas are being collected together, and
reasoned, evaluative comments as discussion moves to conclusions or actions
Differentiation
Resource
Starter:
 Talking partners: List all the things you have thrown away today - create mind-map.
 Ask pupils what happens once we throw something in the bin - where does it go?
 Establish that some things can be recycled whilst others can’t - why is this?
 In pairs, pupils to find 5 things that can and can’t be recycled. Share answers and list on board circle in different colours on mind map.
 Look at a recycling bag from your local council to confirm what can be recycled.
Vocabulary: Recycle, refuse, landfill, textile, metal, persuasive, environment
Teach vocabulary using strategies and materials suggested in the activity template pack
Main activity: Podcast
 Show children pictures of landfill sites. Question: Where is our closest landfill site? Would you like
to live nearby?
 What can we do to reduce the amount of waste that goes into these sites? What about the things
we can’t recycle? How could we reduce this waste?
 Discuss what is needed for a quality podcast - clear speech, good structure, concise information,
good planning etc.
 Split pupils into differentiated groups of three. Each group is to create a podcast promoting
recycling in either the school or local community.
 Discuss what we will need to do to create podcast - model/recap use of podcasting software.
 Pupils to cut and paste statements for them to edit and include in podcast in MS word. Allow groups
time to plan podcast and edit information found to include 3 persuasive devices.
Plenary:
 Review podcasts
 Zone the classroom – agree, disagree, ‘on the fence’. Read series of statements related to
recycling, e.g. after finding out more about recycling are you more or less likely to recycle now.
 Discuss feelings in paired talk, choose children in each zone to justify or give reasons for why they
have that view.
 Self assess against lesson objectives on thumbs.
Assessment for learning: In pairs, rate the speaking and listening objectives, persuasive devices for
effectiveness (1-5), and feedback to the class the one that worked the best with examples of why.
Mixed ability groupings,
differentiated research
material
research prompts and
chunking of information
for lower achieving
(visual and written), for
example
what can you recycle
what can’t you recycle
podcast prompt sheet,
offering sentence
starters, narrative
questions, who, where,
when etc to support
organisation, talking
tins.



Read fact sheet:
http://www.healthyplanet.org/me
dia/34832/lessonplany4.pdf
Literacy link: Recap persuasive
techniques and collect on board
(teacher to model)
Groups allowed time to visit:
http://www.recyclezone.org.uk/ho
me_iz.aspx.html to research
information for podcast.
Homework: Interview parent/guardian- how could they reduce
the rubbish they produce?
Year 4 Lesson Plan
Class:
Teacher:
Learning objective:
To gain evidence from a range of sources to solve a
science mystery.
Date:
Previous learning:
 Knowledge of how to test fairly
 Make comparisons listing similarities and
differences
Science: CSI Primary
Speaking and listening objectives:
1e: Speak audibly and clearly, using spoken standard English in
formal contexts
3c: Qualify or justify what they think after listening to others'
questions or accounts
Differentiation
Resource
Starter:
Mixed ability groupings, cue
cards for lower achieving pupils
 Introduce concept of theft of dinner money pot from school office - teacher (or other adult) in role
of police officer (use local police officer if available).
 Discuss: How do the police collect evidence?
 Children to devise questions in talk partners to ask the police officer about the crime and any
suspects they have
 Hot seat police officer
 Establish that the suspects are four adult members of the school staff (Headteacher, Midday
Supervisor, TA and Caretaker)
 Talking partners: What might the suspect’s motives be? What evidence could we gather to
narrow down the search?
Vocabulary: Evidence, fibre, sample, motive, source
Teach vocabulary using strategies and materials suggested in the activity template pack
Main activity: CSI science
Activity adapted from
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching Introduce evidence gained at the scene: shoe print, finger print, hair sample and fibre sample.
resource/Teachers-TV-Planning Divide pupils into 6 groups for jigsaw activity. In groups pupils to discuss who their main suspect
is and why.
the-Crime-6048925/
 Each member of the group splits to investigate their piece of evidence:

make prints of suspects shoes,

view fibre and hair samples under microscope,

match finger prints.
 Pupils to discuss 3 similarities and 3 differences between each piece of evidence before making a
match.
 Pupils regroup and share findings - does all the evidence point to a single suspect?
Plenary:
 The trial: groups present their findings stating possible motives and evidence gained using formal
language, teacher in role of judge.
 Talking partners do we have enough evidence to make an arrest? Recap formal language. Allow
pupils time to organise their findings and nominate a speaker.
Assessment for learning: In pairs - What conclusions can you draw about the best ways to gather evidence? How confident are you to do this – what else do you need to
do to improve? Justify your thoughts. Share some examples in the class.