Holes Lesson 4: Building Tension - Lesson Plan

In the fourth lesson of a novel study on "Holes," Year 6 students are set to delve into the art of building tension in literature. The learning objective is to develop an understanding of the techniques authors use to create suspense and engage readers. This is achieved through an interactive exploration of a particularly tense scene in the novel, complemented by watching and analysing a video clip of a rollercoaster ride, which serves as a metaphor for building narrative tension. Students are then tasked with writing a paragraph that explains how tension is crafted in the text, which will be assessed through a 'Creating Tension' written outcome.

The lesson is structured to cater to different levels of understanding, with the expected outcomes ranging from gaining a basic to a detailed comprehension of how tension is constructed by the writer. Differentiation opportunities are embedded throughout the lesson, allowing for edits to the PowerPoint presentation, the use of scaffolding for the main writing task, and a balance between teacher guidance and independent learning tailored to the students' abilities. The starter activity involves reading and group discussion to set the context, while the main teaching activity combines visual and written analysis to deepen the learning experience. An extension question prompts students to consider the author's intent behind the scene's placement in the story. The lesson concludes with a plenary session for feedback, where peer and self-assessment are encouraged to reflect on the findings.