Inspired by: Circus - Week 5

During a week themed around the circus, Year 6 students focus on enhancing their writing skills by extending their sentences using a variety of conjunctions such as 'when', 'if', 'because', and 'although'. The activity prompts them to consider potential mishaps during circus acts and to describe these scenarios using complex sentences. For instance, they might discuss the skilled Chinese plate spinners, who, although they practice daily, can still occasionally drop plates. They explore cause and effect by considering an acrobat tripping upon entering the arena because his shoelace was untied, and they use conditional statements to hypothesize about the consequences if bareback riders misjudge their horses' speed, potentially leading to a fall.

The following lesson builds on predicting outcomes based on stated and implied details, as well as crafting narratives with settings, characters, and plot. The activity sets a dramatic scene where a clown nearly causes disaster during the intermission of a circus show. Students are invited to imagine what could unfold next after the clown carelessly leaves a lion cage gate unsecured, unnoticed by all as the act is about to commence. With the lions roaring fiercely and the audience gripped by fear, the children use their creativity to predict the ensuing events, weaving tension and excitement into their stories. This exercise not only sharpens their prediction skills but also encourages them to delve into the art of storytelling.