ug: boy genius of the stone age by raymond briggs (red fox)
TRANSCRIPT
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ug Boy Genius of the Stone Age by Raymond Briggs (Red Fox) In this multi-layered graphic text the concept of a lsquostone agersquo is taken to extremes with everything including trousers made of stone The story follows the quest of a Stone Age boy Ug in his search for softer trousers With ideas beyond his time his questioning and inventive mind proves exasperating at times for his parents This book provides many opportunities for discussion and lots of humour at different levels from the illustrations to the footnotes Overall aims of this teaching sequence
To engage children with a story told through a mixture of speech and visual imagery
To explore themes and issues and develop and sustain ideas through discussion
To develop creative responses to the text through drama storytelling and artwork
To compose writing for a wide variety of purposes
To write in role in order to explore and develop empathy for characters
This teaching sequence is designed for a Year 3 or Year 4 class
Overview of this teaching sequence
This teaching sequence is approximately 4 weeks long if spread out over 20 sessions If each writing opportunity is fully developed from inception to publication sessions will need to be extended over more hours or more days to allow for this thereby extending the number of weeks required to complete The teaching sequence provides opportunity to explore the interrelationship between words and illustrations in a comic book and how the design and layout of panels on each page support narrative progression It immerses the children in a fictionalized version of a Stone Age community in which the author plays with our expectations of the era to create humour in both the text and the images There is much valuable opportunity to extend the sessions through cross curricular learning A wider study of the history of the Stone Age and the history of inventions and inventors will provide children with a rich bank of knowledge and understanding to draw from in understanding the text
National Curriculum objectives covered by this sequence
Reading (Word reading Comprehension)
Maintain positive attitudes to reading and
understanding of what they read by
continuing to read and discuss an
increasingly wide range of fiction
identifying and discussing themes and
conventions in and across a wide range of
writing
making comparisons within and across
books
Writing (Transcription Composition)
Children should plan their writing by
identifying the audience for and purpose of
the writing selecting the appropriate form
and using other similar writing as models for
their own
noting and developing initial ideas drawing
on reading and research where necessary
in writing narratives considering how
authors have developed characters and
settings in what pupils have read listened to
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Understand what they read by
checking that the book makes sense to
them discussing their understanding and
exploring the meaning of words in context
asking questions to improve their
understanding
drawing inferences such as inferring
charactersrsquo feelings thoughts and motives
from their actions and justifying inferences
with evidence
predicting what might happen from details
stated and implied
identifying how language structure and
presentation contribute to meaning
discussing and evaluating how authors use
language including figurative language
considering the impact on the reader
participating in discussions about books that
are read to them and those they can read
for themselves building on their own and
othersrsquo ideas and challenging views
courteously
providing reasoned justifications for their
views
or seen performed
Draft and write by
selecting appropriate grammar and
vocabulary understanding how such choices
can change and enhance meaning in
narratives describing settings characters
and atmosphere and integrating dialogue to
convey character and advance the action
using a wide range of devices to build
cohesion within and across paragraphs
using further organisational and
presentational devices to structure text and
to guide the reader
Evaluate and edit by
assessing the effectiveness of their own and
othersrsquo writing
proposing changes to vocabulary grammar
and punctuation to enhance effects and
clarify meaning
ensuring the consistent and correct use of
tense throughout a piece of writing
ensuring correct subject and verb
agreement when using singular and plural
distinguishing between the language of
speech and writing and choosing the
appropriate register
proofreading for spelling and punctuation
errors
Speaking and Listening
Listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
Participate actively in collaborative conversations
Use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas
Select and use appropriate registers for effective communication
Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
Use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
Articulate and justify answers arguments and opinions
Give well-structured descriptions explanations and narratives for different purposes including for
expressing feelings
Maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations staying on topic and
initiating and responding to comments
Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating hypothesising imagining and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
exploring ideas
Participate in discussions performances role play improvisations and debates
Consider and evaluate different viewpoints attending to and building on the contributions of
others
Cross Curricular Links
Computing
Children can be encouraged to use ICT to enhance learning recording storytelling filming role-
play using digital photographs to make books or present ideas internet research combining
images narration and music to create a book trailer
Personal Social and Emotional
Children can explore themes such as determination and perseverance Through their study of Ug
children might explore issues around how the community judges him and his ground-breaking
ideas
Geography
Children might develop their knowledge and understanding of physical geography by considering
what features a Stone Age community might look for in choosing a place to settle Can we locate
known places where Stone Age artefacts have been recovered using atlases or online maps Can
we identify features of those locations Children could then use this knowledge to work in role as
a village leader persuading their community to settle in a chosen place perhaps within the locality
of the school
History
This book lends itself ideally to a closely linked study of the Stone Age as well as an understanding
of the chronology of human history and invention References are made to this throughout the
sequence however any additional study experiences or school visits would support childrenrsquos
developing understanding of the text of how Raymond Briggs plays with historical fact and
anachronism as well as their growing knowledge and appreciation of world history
Some useful online resources include a series of animated videos produced by BBC for their lsquoStory
of Britainrsquo (httpswwwbbccoukprogrammesp01z2nn3clips) and classroom and gallery
resources produced by the Museum of London
o httpswwwmuseumoflondonorgukschoolslearning-
resourcess=trueampfoundationAndPrimary=1ampsecondary=ampspecialSchoolAndSEN=ampint
ernationalAndESOL=ampsupplementary=ampages=amphistoricPeriod=|Stone_Age_to_Iron_A
geamptopic=amptype=amptextSearch
Art and Design
Inspired by their cross curricular work in History children might experiment with creating their
own cave paintings perhaps to represent more modern concerns
As part of their exploration of stones and rocks in Science children could look at the growing
sculptural fascination with the natural world such as the work of Michael Grab and Manu Topic
who are expert stone stackers There is even a European Stone Stacking Championship Example
video links to support childrenrsquos own stone stacking attempts include
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
o httpwwwbbccouknewsuk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39711866
o Manu Topic httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=v3zcL3bOiuM
o Michael Grab httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=caiAzVzX7N4
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=TFZdZ5igtwI
Design and Technology
Ugrsquos fascination with inventing could spur many opportunities for the class to design and construct
their own inventions Children will be encouraged to consider the given properties of various
materials starting of course with the varied but limited options of using only stone as a material
You will find many resources to support STEM learning including the history of invention and
challenges for children to undertake at httpswwwstemorguk
Children might be inspired to design an appropriate pair of trousers for Ug that meet his
requirements and even consider the limited materials that were available to him Having worked
up a design children could develop sewing skills by mocking up a pair of trousers for Ug As well
as the materials they use children can consider the different kinds of stitches their relative
strengths and ease of application
Science
Childrenrsquos exploration of both the text and the Stone Age more generally lends itself ideally to the
elements of the Year 3 programme of study relating to rocks (as does the Power of Reading
sequence for the information book Pebble in my Pocket by Meredith Hooper illustrated by Chris
Coady Frances Lincoln Childrenrsquos Books)
Children should also consider the properties of different materials in relation to those they might
find within Ugrsquos environment and also those that are most suitable for different inventing
purposes
Ugrsquos attempted inventions include a stone wheel and a stone boat which will support discussions
around childrenrsquos understanding of forces and resistance
Music
As well as using music to support their other areas of learning children might be excited to learn
the Stone Age song written for the Horrible Histories television show - The Ages of Stone ndash which
summarises some of the key features of the period and contextualises some of the subject specific
vocabulary - httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=D5kpmnbS_4M
Teaching Approaches
Responding to Illustration
Reading Aloud
Role on the Wall
Collaborative Writing
Book Making
Double Bubble
Developing Enquiry
Role Play
Writing in Role
Conscience Alley
Writing Outcomes
Procedural Script
Instructions
Postcard
Information Writing
Recount
Comic Strip
Persuasive Speech
Advertisement
Note
Poetry
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Book Talk Persuasive Presentation
Non-Chronological Report
Links to other texts and resources
Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura (Walker)
Littlenose Collection The Explorer by John Grant illustrated by Ross Collins (Simon and Schuster)
Stone Age Tales The Great Cave by Terry Deary (Bloomsbury)
Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson and Emily Gravett (Macmillan)
Daversquos Cave by Frann Preston-Gannon (Nosy Crow)
Glog by Pippa Goodhart illustrated by Nick Maland (Walker)
Audrey the Amazing Inventor by Rachel Valentine amp Katie Weymouth (Words amp Pictures)
Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (Abrams)
What do you do with an idea by Kobi Yamada illustrated by Mae Besom (Compendium Inc)
Other books by Raymond Briggs
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Jim and the Beanstalk by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
The Bear by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts The Stone Age
The First Drawing by Mordecai Gerstein (Little Brown)
Savage Stone Age (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary illustrated by Martin Brown (Scholastic)
Stone Age Bone Age by Mick Manning and Brita Granstroumlm (Franklin Watts)
The Stone Age Hunters Gathers and Woolly Mammoths by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri (Franklin Watts)
A Cartoon History of the Earth Volume 4 The Stick and Stone Age by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew
Lilly (AampC Black)
The History Detective Investigates Stone Age to Iron Age by Clare Hibbert (Wayland)
Britain in the Past The Stone Age by Moira Butterfield (Franklin Watts)
Stone Age History in Infographics by Jon Richards and Jonathon Vipond (Wayland)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts Inventors
Inventions by Adam Hart-Davis illustrated by Nishant Choksi (Walker)
Three Cheers for Inventors by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Brilliant Women Pioneers of Science and Technology by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw illustrated by
Rita Petruccioli (Wayland)
Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska
(Gecko Press)
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing)
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky (Wren amp Rook)
Related films The Croods Early Man The Flintstones
Links to other resources on the Power of Reading Website
lsquoTell Mersquo grid and questions httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachestell-
me-booktalk
Book making guidance httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-
approachesbookmaking-journals
Weblinks
Two websites offering support and strategies for creating your own comics or organising a lsquocomic
jamrsquo (both written by Sarah McIntyre)
o httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam
o httpjabberworkslivejournalcom742643html
A guide listing episodes of the Horrible Histories TV shows which feature the Stone Age
httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomsavage-stone-age
A useful website to support education in science technology engineering and mathematics
httpswwwstemorguk
BBC Bitesize resources to support learning about Prehistoric Britain
httpswwwbbccomeducationtopicsz82hsbk
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Teaching Sessions
Before Reading
Before starting work on the book create a space in the classroom for a working wall to enable you to
pin examples of responses reflections notes and language generated from each session If you do not
have the space for a working wall you could create a class lsquoreading journalrsquo using large pieces of sugar
paper and use the pages of the journal to capture responses It would also be helpful to create space
for a class timeline that could be developed and added to throughout the sequence
It would be highly beneficial to create a display as part of your class reading environment of related
texts ndash fiction and non-fiction ndash that would allow children to read and research more widely about
Stone Age settlements (see related texts) These texts might also form part of your read aloud
programme thereby supporting the class in making connections with a wide range of material
Session 1 Response to Illustration
Print a copy of the inside cover illustration which depicts the key characters Ug Dugs Dug and Ag
Arrange the children in small groups and give each group a copy of this illustration perhaps pasted
into the middle of a larger sheet of paper in order for them to be able to scribe their ideas around
the edge of it
What is the first thing you notice about the illustration What can you tell about these characters
What assumptions might we make about them based on their appearance their dress their facial
expressions etc
What clues are there that might allow us to starting predicting what this story might be about
Who is the main character Where might it be set What could happen What position might the
character be in at the start of the story and how might this have changed by the end Allow each
group to make predictions as to what they are expecting from this story annotating these on their
handouts
Allow each group to share their thoughts with the class collecting these early views in your class
journal or on the working wall
Once children have offered their initial suggestions about the book share the front cover with
them perhaps as another handout or displayed on the IWB What do they notice What more
can we tell from the cover of the book Does it confirm our original thoughts about the story or
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
provide new possibilities What questions or puzzles do we have about the story What do we
want to find out Do our early impressions of this story remind us of anything else that wersquove
readseenexperienced
The subtitle displayed on the cover might confirm some early predictions that the story is set in
the Stone Age What do we already know about the Stone Age Allow children to talk in groups
for a little and then share this grid to allow children to capture their shared knowledge as well as
any questions they might have If children have tentative thoughts about the era but are unsure
whether or not they are true support them in recasting these as questions
What we know about the
Stone Age
What we would like to
know
What we have found out
Children might complete their grids independently in pairs or small groups or as a whole class
you might consider displaying an enlarged grid somewhere in the classroom that children can
easily access and encourage them to add further questions or facts that they have discovered
throughout their independent study both at home and at school
Support the children in understanding how long ago the Stone Age took place For example you
might take the children to an outdoor space where there is plenty of space (the playground an
athletics field football pitch etc) If we visualise time as a 2D line where each year is 1cm apart
then you can demonstrate that from a given spot in the playground the time in which the children
were born was 7-9cm away from todayrsquos date You might measure and draw this in chalk as you
continue to explore different dates and distances starting with eras and events that children are
confident in talking about possibly based on prior historical studies or their own interests You
might measure and mark down the dates of your own birthday your grandparentsrsquo birthdays
World War 2 the reign of Queen Victoria the Tudor period the English Civil War the Medieval
era the Roman invasion of Britain By now your timeline might be as much as 20+ metres long
Discuss how at this scale it will be difficult (depending on the size of space available to you) to add
events such as the Iron Age the Bronze Age or the Stone Age because they happened so long ago
Back in the classroom you could demonstrate this using an online resource such as Google Maps
If you right click on the map perhaps in the locality of your school you have the option to
lsquomeasure distancersquo Demonstrate scale by zooming in and showing 28 metres (the distance in
time to the start of the Iron Age 800BC) 45 metres (the start of the Bronze Age 2500BC) 320
metres (the time at which Neanderthals are thought to have died out 30000 BC) 1220 metres
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Understand what they read by
checking that the book makes sense to
them discussing their understanding and
exploring the meaning of words in context
asking questions to improve their
understanding
drawing inferences such as inferring
charactersrsquo feelings thoughts and motives
from their actions and justifying inferences
with evidence
predicting what might happen from details
stated and implied
identifying how language structure and
presentation contribute to meaning
discussing and evaluating how authors use
language including figurative language
considering the impact on the reader
participating in discussions about books that
are read to them and those they can read
for themselves building on their own and
othersrsquo ideas and challenging views
courteously
providing reasoned justifications for their
views
or seen performed
Draft and write by
selecting appropriate grammar and
vocabulary understanding how such choices
can change and enhance meaning in
narratives describing settings characters
and atmosphere and integrating dialogue to
convey character and advance the action
using a wide range of devices to build
cohesion within and across paragraphs
using further organisational and
presentational devices to structure text and
to guide the reader
Evaluate and edit by
assessing the effectiveness of their own and
othersrsquo writing
proposing changes to vocabulary grammar
and punctuation to enhance effects and
clarify meaning
ensuring the consistent and correct use of
tense throughout a piece of writing
ensuring correct subject and verb
agreement when using singular and plural
distinguishing between the language of
speech and writing and choosing the
appropriate register
proofreading for spelling and punctuation
errors
Speaking and Listening
Listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
Participate actively in collaborative conversations
Use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring ideas
Select and use appropriate registers for effective communication
Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
Use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
Articulate and justify answers arguments and opinions
Give well-structured descriptions explanations and narratives for different purposes including for
expressing feelings
Maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations staying on topic and
initiating and responding to comments
Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating hypothesising imagining and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
exploring ideas
Participate in discussions performances role play improvisations and debates
Consider and evaluate different viewpoints attending to and building on the contributions of
others
Cross Curricular Links
Computing
Children can be encouraged to use ICT to enhance learning recording storytelling filming role-
play using digital photographs to make books or present ideas internet research combining
images narration and music to create a book trailer
Personal Social and Emotional
Children can explore themes such as determination and perseverance Through their study of Ug
children might explore issues around how the community judges him and his ground-breaking
ideas
Geography
Children might develop their knowledge and understanding of physical geography by considering
what features a Stone Age community might look for in choosing a place to settle Can we locate
known places where Stone Age artefacts have been recovered using atlases or online maps Can
we identify features of those locations Children could then use this knowledge to work in role as
a village leader persuading their community to settle in a chosen place perhaps within the locality
of the school
History
This book lends itself ideally to a closely linked study of the Stone Age as well as an understanding
of the chronology of human history and invention References are made to this throughout the
sequence however any additional study experiences or school visits would support childrenrsquos
developing understanding of the text of how Raymond Briggs plays with historical fact and
anachronism as well as their growing knowledge and appreciation of world history
Some useful online resources include a series of animated videos produced by BBC for their lsquoStory
of Britainrsquo (httpswwwbbccoukprogrammesp01z2nn3clips) and classroom and gallery
resources produced by the Museum of London
o httpswwwmuseumoflondonorgukschoolslearning-
resourcess=trueampfoundationAndPrimary=1ampsecondary=ampspecialSchoolAndSEN=ampint
ernationalAndESOL=ampsupplementary=ampages=amphistoricPeriod=|Stone_Age_to_Iron_A
geamptopic=amptype=amptextSearch
Art and Design
Inspired by their cross curricular work in History children might experiment with creating their
own cave paintings perhaps to represent more modern concerns
As part of their exploration of stones and rocks in Science children could look at the growing
sculptural fascination with the natural world such as the work of Michael Grab and Manu Topic
who are expert stone stackers There is even a European Stone Stacking Championship Example
video links to support childrenrsquos own stone stacking attempts include
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
o httpwwwbbccouknewsuk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39711866
o Manu Topic httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=v3zcL3bOiuM
o Michael Grab httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=caiAzVzX7N4
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=TFZdZ5igtwI
Design and Technology
Ugrsquos fascination with inventing could spur many opportunities for the class to design and construct
their own inventions Children will be encouraged to consider the given properties of various
materials starting of course with the varied but limited options of using only stone as a material
You will find many resources to support STEM learning including the history of invention and
challenges for children to undertake at httpswwwstemorguk
Children might be inspired to design an appropriate pair of trousers for Ug that meet his
requirements and even consider the limited materials that were available to him Having worked
up a design children could develop sewing skills by mocking up a pair of trousers for Ug As well
as the materials they use children can consider the different kinds of stitches their relative
strengths and ease of application
Science
Childrenrsquos exploration of both the text and the Stone Age more generally lends itself ideally to the
elements of the Year 3 programme of study relating to rocks (as does the Power of Reading
sequence for the information book Pebble in my Pocket by Meredith Hooper illustrated by Chris
Coady Frances Lincoln Childrenrsquos Books)
Children should also consider the properties of different materials in relation to those they might
find within Ugrsquos environment and also those that are most suitable for different inventing
purposes
Ugrsquos attempted inventions include a stone wheel and a stone boat which will support discussions
around childrenrsquos understanding of forces and resistance
Music
As well as using music to support their other areas of learning children might be excited to learn
the Stone Age song written for the Horrible Histories television show - The Ages of Stone ndash which
summarises some of the key features of the period and contextualises some of the subject specific
vocabulary - httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=D5kpmnbS_4M
Teaching Approaches
Responding to Illustration
Reading Aloud
Role on the Wall
Collaborative Writing
Book Making
Double Bubble
Developing Enquiry
Role Play
Writing in Role
Conscience Alley
Writing Outcomes
Procedural Script
Instructions
Postcard
Information Writing
Recount
Comic Strip
Persuasive Speech
Advertisement
Note
Poetry
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Book Talk Persuasive Presentation
Non-Chronological Report
Links to other texts and resources
Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura (Walker)
Littlenose Collection The Explorer by John Grant illustrated by Ross Collins (Simon and Schuster)
Stone Age Tales The Great Cave by Terry Deary (Bloomsbury)
Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson and Emily Gravett (Macmillan)
Daversquos Cave by Frann Preston-Gannon (Nosy Crow)
Glog by Pippa Goodhart illustrated by Nick Maland (Walker)
Audrey the Amazing Inventor by Rachel Valentine amp Katie Weymouth (Words amp Pictures)
Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (Abrams)
What do you do with an idea by Kobi Yamada illustrated by Mae Besom (Compendium Inc)
Other books by Raymond Briggs
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Jim and the Beanstalk by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
The Bear by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts The Stone Age
The First Drawing by Mordecai Gerstein (Little Brown)
Savage Stone Age (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary illustrated by Martin Brown (Scholastic)
Stone Age Bone Age by Mick Manning and Brita Granstroumlm (Franklin Watts)
The Stone Age Hunters Gathers and Woolly Mammoths by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri (Franklin Watts)
A Cartoon History of the Earth Volume 4 The Stick and Stone Age by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew
Lilly (AampC Black)
The History Detective Investigates Stone Age to Iron Age by Clare Hibbert (Wayland)
Britain in the Past The Stone Age by Moira Butterfield (Franklin Watts)
Stone Age History in Infographics by Jon Richards and Jonathon Vipond (Wayland)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts Inventors
Inventions by Adam Hart-Davis illustrated by Nishant Choksi (Walker)
Three Cheers for Inventors by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Brilliant Women Pioneers of Science and Technology by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw illustrated by
Rita Petruccioli (Wayland)
Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska
(Gecko Press)
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing)
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky (Wren amp Rook)
Related films The Croods Early Man The Flintstones
Links to other resources on the Power of Reading Website
lsquoTell Mersquo grid and questions httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachestell-
me-booktalk
Book making guidance httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-
approachesbookmaking-journals
Weblinks
Two websites offering support and strategies for creating your own comics or organising a lsquocomic
jamrsquo (both written by Sarah McIntyre)
o httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam
o httpjabberworkslivejournalcom742643html
A guide listing episodes of the Horrible Histories TV shows which feature the Stone Age
httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomsavage-stone-age
A useful website to support education in science technology engineering and mathematics
httpswwwstemorguk
BBC Bitesize resources to support learning about Prehistoric Britain
httpswwwbbccomeducationtopicsz82hsbk
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Teaching Sessions
Before Reading
Before starting work on the book create a space in the classroom for a working wall to enable you to
pin examples of responses reflections notes and language generated from each session If you do not
have the space for a working wall you could create a class lsquoreading journalrsquo using large pieces of sugar
paper and use the pages of the journal to capture responses It would also be helpful to create space
for a class timeline that could be developed and added to throughout the sequence
It would be highly beneficial to create a display as part of your class reading environment of related
texts ndash fiction and non-fiction ndash that would allow children to read and research more widely about
Stone Age settlements (see related texts) These texts might also form part of your read aloud
programme thereby supporting the class in making connections with a wide range of material
Session 1 Response to Illustration
Print a copy of the inside cover illustration which depicts the key characters Ug Dugs Dug and Ag
Arrange the children in small groups and give each group a copy of this illustration perhaps pasted
into the middle of a larger sheet of paper in order for them to be able to scribe their ideas around
the edge of it
What is the first thing you notice about the illustration What can you tell about these characters
What assumptions might we make about them based on their appearance their dress their facial
expressions etc
What clues are there that might allow us to starting predicting what this story might be about
Who is the main character Where might it be set What could happen What position might the
character be in at the start of the story and how might this have changed by the end Allow each
group to make predictions as to what they are expecting from this story annotating these on their
handouts
Allow each group to share their thoughts with the class collecting these early views in your class
journal or on the working wall
Once children have offered their initial suggestions about the book share the front cover with
them perhaps as another handout or displayed on the IWB What do they notice What more
can we tell from the cover of the book Does it confirm our original thoughts about the story or
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
provide new possibilities What questions or puzzles do we have about the story What do we
want to find out Do our early impressions of this story remind us of anything else that wersquove
readseenexperienced
The subtitle displayed on the cover might confirm some early predictions that the story is set in
the Stone Age What do we already know about the Stone Age Allow children to talk in groups
for a little and then share this grid to allow children to capture their shared knowledge as well as
any questions they might have If children have tentative thoughts about the era but are unsure
whether or not they are true support them in recasting these as questions
What we know about the
Stone Age
What we would like to
know
What we have found out
Children might complete their grids independently in pairs or small groups or as a whole class
you might consider displaying an enlarged grid somewhere in the classroom that children can
easily access and encourage them to add further questions or facts that they have discovered
throughout their independent study both at home and at school
Support the children in understanding how long ago the Stone Age took place For example you
might take the children to an outdoor space where there is plenty of space (the playground an
athletics field football pitch etc) If we visualise time as a 2D line where each year is 1cm apart
then you can demonstrate that from a given spot in the playground the time in which the children
were born was 7-9cm away from todayrsquos date You might measure and draw this in chalk as you
continue to explore different dates and distances starting with eras and events that children are
confident in talking about possibly based on prior historical studies or their own interests You
might measure and mark down the dates of your own birthday your grandparentsrsquo birthdays
World War 2 the reign of Queen Victoria the Tudor period the English Civil War the Medieval
era the Roman invasion of Britain By now your timeline might be as much as 20+ metres long
Discuss how at this scale it will be difficult (depending on the size of space available to you) to add
events such as the Iron Age the Bronze Age or the Stone Age because they happened so long ago
Back in the classroom you could demonstrate this using an online resource such as Google Maps
If you right click on the map perhaps in the locality of your school you have the option to
lsquomeasure distancersquo Demonstrate scale by zooming in and showing 28 metres (the distance in
time to the start of the Iron Age 800BC) 45 metres (the start of the Bronze Age 2500BC) 320
metres (the time at which Neanderthals are thought to have died out 30000 BC) 1220 metres
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
exploring ideas
Participate in discussions performances role play improvisations and debates
Consider and evaluate different viewpoints attending to and building on the contributions of
others
Cross Curricular Links
Computing
Children can be encouraged to use ICT to enhance learning recording storytelling filming role-
play using digital photographs to make books or present ideas internet research combining
images narration and music to create a book trailer
Personal Social and Emotional
Children can explore themes such as determination and perseverance Through their study of Ug
children might explore issues around how the community judges him and his ground-breaking
ideas
Geography
Children might develop their knowledge and understanding of physical geography by considering
what features a Stone Age community might look for in choosing a place to settle Can we locate
known places where Stone Age artefacts have been recovered using atlases or online maps Can
we identify features of those locations Children could then use this knowledge to work in role as
a village leader persuading their community to settle in a chosen place perhaps within the locality
of the school
History
This book lends itself ideally to a closely linked study of the Stone Age as well as an understanding
of the chronology of human history and invention References are made to this throughout the
sequence however any additional study experiences or school visits would support childrenrsquos
developing understanding of the text of how Raymond Briggs plays with historical fact and
anachronism as well as their growing knowledge and appreciation of world history
Some useful online resources include a series of animated videos produced by BBC for their lsquoStory
of Britainrsquo (httpswwwbbccoukprogrammesp01z2nn3clips) and classroom and gallery
resources produced by the Museum of London
o httpswwwmuseumoflondonorgukschoolslearning-
resourcess=trueampfoundationAndPrimary=1ampsecondary=ampspecialSchoolAndSEN=ampint
ernationalAndESOL=ampsupplementary=ampages=amphistoricPeriod=|Stone_Age_to_Iron_A
geamptopic=amptype=amptextSearch
Art and Design
Inspired by their cross curricular work in History children might experiment with creating their
own cave paintings perhaps to represent more modern concerns
As part of their exploration of stones and rocks in Science children could look at the growing
sculptural fascination with the natural world such as the work of Michael Grab and Manu Topic
who are expert stone stackers There is even a European Stone Stacking Championship Example
video links to support childrenrsquos own stone stacking attempts include
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
o httpwwwbbccouknewsuk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39711866
o Manu Topic httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=v3zcL3bOiuM
o Michael Grab httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=caiAzVzX7N4
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=TFZdZ5igtwI
Design and Technology
Ugrsquos fascination with inventing could spur many opportunities for the class to design and construct
their own inventions Children will be encouraged to consider the given properties of various
materials starting of course with the varied but limited options of using only stone as a material
You will find many resources to support STEM learning including the history of invention and
challenges for children to undertake at httpswwwstemorguk
Children might be inspired to design an appropriate pair of trousers for Ug that meet his
requirements and even consider the limited materials that were available to him Having worked
up a design children could develop sewing skills by mocking up a pair of trousers for Ug As well
as the materials they use children can consider the different kinds of stitches their relative
strengths and ease of application
Science
Childrenrsquos exploration of both the text and the Stone Age more generally lends itself ideally to the
elements of the Year 3 programme of study relating to rocks (as does the Power of Reading
sequence for the information book Pebble in my Pocket by Meredith Hooper illustrated by Chris
Coady Frances Lincoln Childrenrsquos Books)
Children should also consider the properties of different materials in relation to those they might
find within Ugrsquos environment and also those that are most suitable for different inventing
purposes
Ugrsquos attempted inventions include a stone wheel and a stone boat which will support discussions
around childrenrsquos understanding of forces and resistance
Music
As well as using music to support their other areas of learning children might be excited to learn
the Stone Age song written for the Horrible Histories television show - The Ages of Stone ndash which
summarises some of the key features of the period and contextualises some of the subject specific
vocabulary - httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=D5kpmnbS_4M
Teaching Approaches
Responding to Illustration
Reading Aloud
Role on the Wall
Collaborative Writing
Book Making
Double Bubble
Developing Enquiry
Role Play
Writing in Role
Conscience Alley
Writing Outcomes
Procedural Script
Instructions
Postcard
Information Writing
Recount
Comic Strip
Persuasive Speech
Advertisement
Note
Poetry
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Book Talk Persuasive Presentation
Non-Chronological Report
Links to other texts and resources
Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura (Walker)
Littlenose Collection The Explorer by John Grant illustrated by Ross Collins (Simon and Schuster)
Stone Age Tales The Great Cave by Terry Deary (Bloomsbury)
Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson and Emily Gravett (Macmillan)
Daversquos Cave by Frann Preston-Gannon (Nosy Crow)
Glog by Pippa Goodhart illustrated by Nick Maland (Walker)
Audrey the Amazing Inventor by Rachel Valentine amp Katie Weymouth (Words amp Pictures)
Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (Abrams)
What do you do with an idea by Kobi Yamada illustrated by Mae Besom (Compendium Inc)
Other books by Raymond Briggs
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Jim and the Beanstalk by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
The Bear by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts The Stone Age
The First Drawing by Mordecai Gerstein (Little Brown)
Savage Stone Age (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary illustrated by Martin Brown (Scholastic)
Stone Age Bone Age by Mick Manning and Brita Granstroumlm (Franklin Watts)
The Stone Age Hunters Gathers and Woolly Mammoths by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri (Franklin Watts)
A Cartoon History of the Earth Volume 4 The Stick and Stone Age by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew
Lilly (AampC Black)
The History Detective Investigates Stone Age to Iron Age by Clare Hibbert (Wayland)
Britain in the Past The Stone Age by Moira Butterfield (Franklin Watts)
Stone Age History in Infographics by Jon Richards and Jonathon Vipond (Wayland)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts Inventors
Inventions by Adam Hart-Davis illustrated by Nishant Choksi (Walker)
Three Cheers for Inventors by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Brilliant Women Pioneers of Science and Technology by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw illustrated by
Rita Petruccioli (Wayland)
Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska
(Gecko Press)
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing)
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky (Wren amp Rook)
Related films The Croods Early Man The Flintstones
Links to other resources on the Power of Reading Website
lsquoTell Mersquo grid and questions httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachestell-
me-booktalk
Book making guidance httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-
approachesbookmaking-journals
Weblinks
Two websites offering support and strategies for creating your own comics or organising a lsquocomic
jamrsquo (both written by Sarah McIntyre)
o httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam
o httpjabberworkslivejournalcom742643html
A guide listing episodes of the Horrible Histories TV shows which feature the Stone Age
httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomsavage-stone-age
A useful website to support education in science technology engineering and mathematics
httpswwwstemorguk
BBC Bitesize resources to support learning about Prehistoric Britain
httpswwwbbccomeducationtopicsz82hsbk
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Teaching Sessions
Before Reading
Before starting work on the book create a space in the classroom for a working wall to enable you to
pin examples of responses reflections notes and language generated from each session If you do not
have the space for a working wall you could create a class lsquoreading journalrsquo using large pieces of sugar
paper and use the pages of the journal to capture responses It would also be helpful to create space
for a class timeline that could be developed and added to throughout the sequence
It would be highly beneficial to create a display as part of your class reading environment of related
texts ndash fiction and non-fiction ndash that would allow children to read and research more widely about
Stone Age settlements (see related texts) These texts might also form part of your read aloud
programme thereby supporting the class in making connections with a wide range of material
Session 1 Response to Illustration
Print a copy of the inside cover illustration which depicts the key characters Ug Dugs Dug and Ag
Arrange the children in small groups and give each group a copy of this illustration perhaps pasted
into the middle of a larger sheet of paper in order for them to be able to scribe their ideas around
the edge of it
What is the first thing you notice about the illustration What can you tell about these characters
What assumptions might we make about them based on their appearance their dress their facial
expressions etc
What clues are there that might allow us to starting predicting what this story might be about
Who is the main character Where might it be set What could happen What position might the
character be in at the start of the story and how might this have changed by the end Allow each
group to make predictions as to what they are expecting from this story annotating these on their
handouts
Allow each group to share their thoughts with the class collecting these early views in your class
journal or on the working wall
Once children have offered their initial suggestions about the book share the front cover with
them perhaps as another handout or displayed on the IWB What do they notice What more
can we tell from the cover of the book Does it confirm our original thoughts about the story or
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
provide new possibilities What questions or puzzles do we have about the story What do we
want to find out Do our early impressions of this story remind us of anything else that wersquove
readseenexperienced
The subtitle displayed on the cover might confirm some early predictions that the story is set in
the Stone Age What do we already know about the Stone Age Allow children to talk in groups
for a little and then share this grid to allow children to capture their shared knowledge as well as
any questions they might have If children have tentative thoughts about the era but are unsure
whether or not they are true support them in recasting these as questions
What we know about the
Stone Age
What we would like to
know
What we have found out
Children might complete their grids independently in pairs or small groups or as a whole class
you might consider displaying an enlarged grid somewhere in the classroom that children can
easily access and encourage them to add further questions or facts that they have discovered
throughout their independent study both at home and at school
Support the children in understanding how long ago the Stone Age took place For example you
might take the children to an outdoor space where there is plenty of space (the playground an
athletics field football pitch etc) If we visualise time as a 2D line where each year is 1cm apart
then you can demonstrate that from a given spot in the playground the time in which the children
were born was 7-9cm away from todayrsquos date You might measure and draw this in chalk as you
continue to explore different dates and distances starting with eras and events that children are
confident in talking about possibly based on prior historical studies or their own interests You
might measure and mark down the dates of your own birthday your grandparentsrsquo birthdays
World War 2 the reign of Queen Victoria the Tudor period the English Civil War the Medieval
era the Roman invasion of Britain By now your timeline might be as much as 20+ metres long
Discuss how at this scale it will be difficult (depending on the size of space available to you) to add
events such as the Iron Age the Bronze Age or the Stone Age because they happened so long ago
Back in the classroom you could demonstrate this using an online resource such as Google Maps
If you right click on the map perhaps in the locality of your school you have the option to
lsquomeasure distancersquo Demonstrate scale by zooming in and showing 28 metres (the distance in
time to the start of the Iron Age 800BC) 45 metres (the start of the Bronze Age 2500BC) 320
metres (the time at which Neanderthals are thought to have died out 30000 BC) 1220 metres
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
o httpwwwbbccouknewsuk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39711866
o Manu Topic httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=v3zcL3bOiuM
o Michael Grab httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=caiAzVzX7N4
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=TFZdZ5igtwI
Design and Technology
Ugrsquos fascination with inventing could spur many opportunities for the class to design and construct
their own inventions Children will be encouraged to consider the given properties of various
materials starting of course with the varied but limited options of using only stone as a material
You will find many resources to support STEM learning including the history of invention and
challenges for children to undertake at httpswwwstemorguk
Children might be inspired to design an appropriate pair of trousers for Ug that meet his
requirements and even consider the limited materials that were available to him Having worked
up a design children could develop sewing skills by mocking up a pair of trousers for Ug As well
as the materials they use children can consider the different kinds of stitches their relative
strengths and ease of application
Science
Childrenrsquos exploration of both the text and the Stone Age more generally lends itself ideally to the
elements of the Year 3 programme of study relating to rocks (as does the Power of Reading
sequence for the information book Pebble in my Pocket by Meredith Hooper illustrated by Chris
Coady Frances Lincoln Childrenrsquos Books)
Children should also consider the properties of different materials in relation to those they might
find within Ugrsquos environment and also those that are most suitable for different inventing
purposes
Ugrsquos attempted inventions include a stone wheel and a stone boat which will support discussions
around childrenrsquos understanding of forces and resistance
Music
As well as using music to support their other areas of learning children might be excited to learn
the Stone Age song written for the Horrible Histories television show - The Ages of Stone ndash which
summarises some of the key features of the period and contextualises some of the subject specific
vocabulary - httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=D5kpmnbS_4M
Teaching Approaches
Responding to Illustration
Reading Aloud
Role on the Wall
Collaborative Writing
Book Making
Double Bubble
Developing Enquiry
Role Play
Writing in Role
Conscience Alley
Writing Outcomes
Procedural Script
Instructions
Postcard
Information Writing
Recount
Comic Strip
Persuasive Speech
Advertisement
Note
Poetry
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Book Talk Persuasive Presentation
Non-Chronological Report
Links to other texts and resources
Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura (Walker)
Littlenose Collection The Explorer by John Grant illustrated by Ross Collins (Simon and Schuster)
Stone Age Tales The Great Cave by Terry Deary (Bloomsbury)
Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson and Emily Gravett (Macmillan)
Daversquos Cave by Frann Preston-Gannon (Nosy Crow)
Glog by Pippa Goodhart illustrated by Nick Maland (Walker)
Audrey the Amazing Inventor by Rachel Valentine amp Katie Weymouth (Words amp Pictures)
Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (Abrams)
What do you do with an idea by Kobi Yamada illustrated by Mae Besom (Compendium Inc)
Other books by Raymond Briggs
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Jim and the Beanstalk by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
The Bear by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts The Stone Age
The First Drawing by Mordecai Gerstein (Little Brown)
Savage Stone Age (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary illustrated by Martin Brown (Scholastic)
Stone Age Bone Age by Mick Manning and Brita Granstroumlm (Franklin Watts)
The Stone Age Hunters Gathers and Woolly Mammoths by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri (Franklin Watts)
A Cartoon History of the Earth Volume 4 The Stick and Stone Age by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew
Lilly (AampC Black)
The History Detective Investigates Stone Age to Iron Age by Clare Hibbert (Wayland)
Britain in the Past The Stone Age by Moira Butterfield (Franklin Watts)
Stone Age History in Infographics by Jon Richards and Jonathon Vipond (Wayland)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts Inventors
Inventions by Adam Hart-Davis illustrated by Nishant Choksi (Walker)
Three Cheers for Inventors by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Brilliant Women Pioneers of Science and Technology by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw illustrated by
Rita Petruccioli (Wayland)
Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska
(Gecko Press)
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing)
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky (Wren amp Rook)
Related films The Croods Early Man The Flintstones
Links to other resources on the Power of Reading Website
lsquoTell Mersquo grid and questions httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachestell-
me-booktalk
Book making guidance httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-
approachesbookmaking-journals
Weblinks
Two websites offering support and strategies for creating your own comics or organising a lsquocomic
jamrsquo (both written by Sarah McIntyre)
o httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam
o httpjabberworkslivejournalcom742643html
A guide listing episodes of the Horrible Histories TV shows which feature the Stone Age
httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomsavage-stone-age
A useful website to support education in science technology engineering and mathematics
httpswwwstemorguk
BBC Bitesize resources to support learning about Prehistoric Britain
httpswwwbbccomeducationtopicsz82hsbk
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Teaching Sessions
Before Reading
Before starting work on the book create a space in the classroom for a working wall to enable you to
pin examples of responses reflections notes and language generated from each session If you do not
have the space for a working wall you could create a class lsquoreading journalrsquo using large pieces of sugar
paper and use the pages of the journal to capture responses It would also be helpful to create space
for a class timeline that could be developed and added to throughout the sequence
It would be highly beneficial to create a display as part of your class reading environment of related
texts ndash fiction and non-fiction ndash that would allow children to read and research more widely about
Stone Age settlements (see related texts) These texts might also form part of your read aloud
programme thereby supporting the class in making connections with a wide range of material
Session 1 Response to Illustration
Print a copy of the inside cover illustration which depicts the key characters Ug Dugs Dug and Ag
Arrange the children in small groups and give each group a copy of this illustration perhaps pasted
into the middle of a larger sheet of paper in order for them to be able to scribe their ideas around
the edge of it
What is the first thing you notice about the illustration What can you tell about these characters
What assumptions might we make about them based on their appearance their dress their facial
expressions etc
What clues are there that might allow us to starting predicting what this story might be about
Who is the main character Where might it be set What could happen What position might the
character be in at the start of the story and how might this have changed by the end Allow each
group to make predictions as to what they are expecting from this story annotating these on their
handouts
Allow each group to share their thoughts with the class collecting these early views in your class
journal or on the working wall
Once children have offered their initial suggestions about the book share the front cover with
them perhaps as another handout or displayed on the IWB What do they notice What more
can we tell from the cover of the book Does it confirm our original thoughts about the story or
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
provide new possibilities What questions or puzzles do we have about the story What do we
want to find out Do our early impressions of this story remind us of anything else that wersquove
readseenexperienced
The subtitle displayed on the cover might confirm some early predictions that the story is set in
the Stone Age What do we already know about the Stone Age Allow children to talk in groups
for a little and then share this grid to allow children to capture their shared knowledge as well as
any questions they might have If children have tentative thoughts about the era but are unsure
whether or not they are true support them in recasting these as questions
What we know about the
Stone Age
What we would like to
know
What we have found out
Children might complete their grids independently in pairs or small groups or as a whole class
you might consider displaying an enlarged grid somewhere in the classroom that children can
easily access and encourage them to add further questions or facts that they have discovered
throughout their independent study both at home and at school
Support the children in understanding how long ago the Stone Age took place For example you
might take the children to an outdoor space where there is plenty of space (the playground an
athletics field football pitch etc) If we visualise time as a 2D line where each year is 1cm apart
then you can demonstrate that from a given spot in the playground the time in which the children
were born was 7-9cm away from todayrsquos date You might measure and draw this in chalk as you
continue to explore different dates and distances starting with eras and events that children are
confident in talking about possibly based on prior historical studies or their own interests You
might measure and mark down the dates of your own birthday your grandparentsrsquo birthdays
World War 2 the reign of Queen Victoria the Tudor period the English Civil War the Medieval
era the Roman invasion of Britain By now your timeline might be as much as 20+ metres long
Discuss how at this scale it will be difficult (depending on the size of space available to you) to add
events such as the Iron Age the Bronze Age or the Stone Age because they happened so long ago
Back in the classroom you could demonstrate this using an online resource such as Google Maps
If you right click on the map perhaps in the locality of your school you have the option to
lsquomeasure distancersquo Demonstrate scale by zooming in and showing 28 metres (the distance in
time to the start of the Iron Age 800BC) 45 metres (the start of the Bronze Age 2500BC) 320
metres (the time at which Neanderthals are thought to have died out 30000 BC) 1220 metres
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Book Talk Persuasive Presentation
Non-Chronological Report
Links to other texts and resources
Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura (Walker)
Littlenose Collection The Explorer by John Grant illustrated by Ross Collins (Simon and Schuster)
Stone Age Tales The Great Cave by Terry Deary (Bloomsbury)
Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson and Emily Gravett (Macmillan)
Daversquos Cave by Frann Preston-Gannon (Nosy Crow)
Glog by Pippa Goodhart illustrated by Nick Maland (Walker)
Audrey the Amazing Inventor by Rachel Valentine amp Katie Weymouth (Words amp Pictures)
Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts (Abrams)
What do you do with an idea by Kobi Yamada illustrated by Mae Besom (Compendium Inc)
Other books by Raymond Briggs
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Jim and the Beanstalk by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
The Bear by Raymond Briggs (Puffin)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts The Stone Age
The First Drawing by Mordecai Gerstein (Little Brown)
Savage Stone Age (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary illustrated by Martin Brown (Scholastic)
Stone Age Bone Age by Mick Manning and Brita Granstroumlm (Franklin Watts)
The Stone Age Hunters Gathers and Woolly Mammoths by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri (Franklin Watts)
A Cartoon History of the Earth Volume 4 The Stick and Stone Age by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew
Lilly (AampC Black)
The History Detective Investigates Stone Age to Iron Age by Clare Hibbert (Wayland)
Britain in the Past The Stone Age by Moira Butterfield (Franklin Watts)
Stone Age History in Infographics by Jon Richards and Jonathon Vipond (Wayland)
Linked Non-Fiction Texts Inventors
Inventions by Adam Hart-Davis illustrated by Nishant Choksi (Walker)
Three Cheers for Inventors by Marcia Williams (Walker)
Brilliant Women Pioneers of Science and Technology by Georgia Amson-Bradshaw illustrated by
Rita Petruccioli (Wayland)
Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska
(Gecko Press)
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing)
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky (Wren amp Rook)
Related films The Croods Early Man The Flintstones
Links to other resources on the Power of Reading Website
lsquoTell Mersquo grid and questions httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachestell-
me-booktalk
Book making guidance httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-
approachesbookmaking-journals
Weblinks
Two websites offering support and strategies for creating your own comics or organising a lsquocomic
jamrsquo (both written by Sarah McIntyre)
o httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam
o httpjabberworkslivejournalcom742643html
A guide listing episodes of the Horrible Histories TV shows which feature the Stone Age
httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomsavage-stone-age
A useful website to support education in science technology engineering and mathematics
httpswwwstemorguk
BBC Bitesize resources to support learning about Prehistoric Britain
httpswwwbbccomeducationtopicsz82hsbk
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Teaching Sessions
Before Reading
Before starting work on the book create a space in the classroom for a working wall to enable you to
pin examples of responses reflections notes and language generated from each session If you do not
have the space for a working wall you could create a class lsquoreading journalrsquo using large pieces of sugar
paper and use the pages of the journal to capture responses It would also be helpful to create space
for a class timeline that could be developed and added to throughout the sequence
It would be highly beneficial to create a display as part of your class reading environment of related
texts ndash fiction and non-fiction ndash that would allow children to read and research more widely about
Stone Age settlements (see related texts) These texts might also form part of your read aloud
programme thereby supporting the class in making connections with a wide range of material
Session 1 Response to Illustration
Print a copy of the inside cover illustration which depicts the key characters Ug Dugs Dug and Ag
Arrange the children in small groups and give each group a copy of this illustration perhaps pasted
into the middle of a larger sheet of paper in order for them to be able to scribe their ideas around
the edge of it
What is the first thing you notice about the illustration What can you tell about these characters
What assumptions might we make about them based on their appearance their dress their facial
expressions etc
What clues are there that might allow us to starting predicting what this story might be about
Who is the main character Where might it be set What could happen What position might the
character be in at the start of the story and how might this have changed by the end Allow each
group to make predictions as to what they are expecting from this story annotating these on their
handouts
Allow each group to share their thoughts with the class collecting these early views in your class
journal or on the working wall
Once children have offered their initial suggestions about the book share the front cover with
them perhaps as another handout or displayed on the IWB What do they notice What more
can we tell from the cover of the book Does it confirm our original thoughts about the story or
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
provide new possibilities What questions or puzzles do we have about the story What do we
want to find out Do our early impressions of this story remind us of anything else that wersquove
readseenexperienced
The subtitle displayed on the cover might confirm some early predictions that the story is set in
the Stone Age What do we already know about the Stone Age Allow children to talk in groups
for a little and then share this grid to allow children to capture their shared knowledge as well as
any questions they might have If children have tentative thoughts about the era but are unsure
whether or not they are true support them in recasting these as questions
What we know about the
Stone Age
What we would like to
know
What we have found out
Children might complete their grids independently in pairs or small groups or as a whole class
you might consider displaying an enlarged grid somewhere in the classroom that children can
easily access and encourage them to add further questions or facts that they have discovered
throughout their independent study both at home and at school
Support the children in understanding how long ago the Stone Age took place For example you
might take the children to an outdoor space where there is plenty of space (the playground an
athletics field football pitch etc) If we visualise time as a 2D line where each year is 1cm apart
then you can demonstrate that from a given spot in the playground the time in which the children
were born was 7-9cm away from todayrsquos date You might measure and draw this in chalk as you
continue to explore different dates and distances starting with eras and events that children are
confident in talking about possibly based on prior historical studies or their own interests You
might measure and mark down the dates of your own birthday your grandparentsrsquo birthdays
World War 2 the reign of Queen Victoria the Tudor period the English Civil War the Medieval
era the Roman invasion of Britain By now your timeline might be as much as 20+ metres long
Discuss how at this scale it will be difficult (depending on the size of space available to you) to add
events such as the Iron Age the Bronze Age or the Stone Age because they happened so long ago
Back in the classroom you could demonstrate this using an online resource such as Google Maps
If you right click on the map perhaps in the locality of your school you have the option to
lsquomeasure distancersquo Demonstrate scale by zooming in and showing 28 metres (the distance in
time to the start of the Iron Age 800BC) 45 metres (the start of the Bronze Age 2500BC) 320
metres (the time at which Neanderthals are thought to have died out 30000 BC) 1220 metres
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing)
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky (Wren amp Rook)
Related films The Croods Early Man The Flintstones
Links to other resources on the Power of Reading Website
lsquoTell Mersquo grid and questions httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachestell-
me-booktalk
Book making guidance httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-
approachesbookmaking-journals
Weblinks
Two websites offering support and strategies for creating your own comics or organising a lsquocomic
jamrsquo (both written by Sarah McIntyre)
o httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam
o httpjabberworkslivejournalcom742643html
A guide listing episodes of the Horrible Histories TV shows which feature the Stone Age
httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomsavage-stone-age
A useful website to support education in science technology engineering and mathematics
httpswwwstemorguk
BBC Bitesize resources to support learning about Prehistoric Britain
httpswwwbbccomeducationtopicsz82hsbk
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Teaching Sessions
Before Reading
Before starting work on the book create a space in the classroom for a working wall to enable you to
pin examples of responses reflections notes and language generated from each session If you do not
have the space for a working wall you could create a class lsquoreading journalrsquo using large pieces of sugar
paper and use the pages of the journal to capture responses It would also be helpful to create space
for a class timeline that could be developed and added to throughout the sequence
It would be highly beneficial to create a display as part of your class reading environment of related
texts ndash fiction and non-fiction ndash that would allow children to read and research more widely about
Stone Age settlements (see related texts) These texts might also form part of your read aloud
programme thereby supporting the class in making connections with a wide range of material
Session 1 Response to Illustration
Print a copy of the inside cover illustration which depicts the key characters Ug Dugs Dug and Ag
Arrange the children in small groups and give each group a copy of this illustration perhaps pasted
into the middle of a larger sheet of paper in order for them to be able to scribe their ideas around
the edge of it
What is the first thing you notice about the illustration What can you tell about these characters
What assumptions might we make about them based on their appearance their dress their facial
expressions etc
What clues are there that might allow us to starting predicting what this story might be about
Who is the main character Where might it be set What could happen What position might the
character be in at the start of the story and how might this have changed by the end Allow each
group to make predictions as to what they are expecting from this story annotating these on their
handouts
Allow each group to share their thoughts with the class collecting these early views in your class
journal or on the working wall
Once children have offered their initial suggestions about the book share the front cover with
them perhaps as another handout or displayed on the IWB What do they notice What more
can we tell from the cover of the book Does it confirm our original thoughts about the story or
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
provide new possibilities What questions or puzzles do we have about the story What do we
want to find out Do our early impressions of this story remind us of anything else that wersquove
readseenexperienced
The subtitle displayed on the cover might confirm some early predictions that the story is set in
the Stone Age What do we already know about the Stone Age Allow children to talk in groups
for a little and then share this grid to allow children to capture their shared knowledge as well as
any questions they might have If children have tentative thoughts about the era but are unsure
whether or not they are true support them in recasting these as questions
What we know about the
Stone Age
What we would like to
know
What we have found out
Children might complete their grids independently in pairs or small groups or as a whole class
you might consider displaying an enlarged grid somewhere in the classroom that children can
easily access and encourage them to add further questions or facts that they have discovered
throughout their independent study both at home and at school
Support the children in understanding how long ago the Stone Age took place For example you
might take the children to an outdoor space where there is plenty of space (the playground an
athletics field football pitch etc) If we visualise time as a 2D line where each year is 1cm apart
then you can demonstrate that from a given spot in the playground the time in which the children
were born was 7-9cm away from todayrsquos date You might measure and draw this in chalk as you
continue to explore different dates and distances starting with eras and events that children are
confident in talking about possibly based on prior historical studies or their own interests You
might measure and mark down the dates of your own birthday your grandparentsrsquo birthdays
World War 2 the reign of Queen Victoria the Tudor period the English Civil War the Medieval
era the Roman invasion of Britain By now your timeline might be as much as 20+ metres long
Discuss how at this scale it will be difficult (depending on the size of space available to you) to add
events such as the Iron Age the Bronze Age or the Stone Age because they happened so long ago
Back in the classroom you could demonstrate this using an online resource such as Google Maps
If you right click on the map perhaps in the locality of your school you have the option to
lsquomeasure distancersquo Demonstrate scale by zooming in and showing 28 metres (the distance in
time to the start of the Iron Age 800BC) 45 metres (the start of the Bronze Age 2500BC) 320
metres (the time at which Neanderthals are thought to have died out 30000 BC) 1220 metres
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Teaching Sessions
Before Reading
Before starting work on the book create a space in the classroom for a working wall to enable you to
pin examples of responses reflections notes and language generated from each session If you do not
have the space for a working wall you could create a class lsquoreading journalrsquo using large pieces of sugar
paper and use the pages of the journal to capture responses It would also be helpful to create space
for a class timeline that could be developed and added to throughout the sequence
It would be highly beneficial to create a display as part of your class reading environment of related
texts ndash fiction and non-fiction ndash that would allow children to read and research more widely about
Stone Age settlements (see related texts) These texts might also form part of your read aloud
programme thereby supporting the class in making connections with a wide range of material
Session 1 Response to Illustration
Print a copy of the inside cover illustration which depicts the key characters Ug Dugs Dug and Ag
Arrange the children in small groups and give each group a copy of this illustration perhaps pasted
into the middle of a larger sheet of paper in order for them to be able to scribe their ideas around
the edge of it
What is the first thing you notice about the illustration What can you tell about these characters
What assumptions might we make about them based on their appearance their dress their facial
expressions etc
What clues are there that might allow us to starting predicting what this story might be about
Who is the main character Where might it be set What could happen What position might the
character be in at the start of the story and how might this have changed by the end Allow each
group to make predictions as to what they are expecting from this story annotating these on their
handouts
Allow each group to share their thoughts with the class collecting these early views in your class
journal or on the working wall
Once children have offered their initial suggestions about the book share the front cover with
them perhaps as another handout or displayed on the IWB What do they notice What more
can we tell from the cover of the book Does it confirm our original thoughts about the story or
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
provide new possibilities What questions or puzzles do we have about the story What do we
want to find out Do our early impressions of this story remind us of anything else that wersquove
readseenexperienced
The subtitle displayed on the cover might confirm some early predictions that the story is set in
the Stone Age What do we already know about the Stone Age Allow children to talk in groups
for a little and then share this grid to allow children to capture their shared knowledge as well as
any questions they might have If children have tentative thoughts about the era but are unsure
whether or not they are true support them in recasting these as questions
What we know about the
Stone Age
What we would like to
know
What we have found out
Children might complete their grids independently in pairs or small groups or as a whole class
you might consider displaying an enlarged grid somewhere in the classroom that children can
easily access and encourage them to add further questions or facts that they have discovered
throughout their independent study both at home and at school
Support the children in understanding how long ago the Stone Age took place For example you
might take the children to an outdoor space where there is plenty of space (the playground an
athletics field football pitch etc) If we visualise time as a 2D line where each year is 1cm apart
then you can demonstrate that from a given spot in the playground the time in which the children
were born was 7-9cm away from todayrsquos date You might measure and draw this in chalk as you
continue to explore different dates and distances starting with eras and events that children are
confident in talking about possibly based on prior historical studies or their own interests You
might measure and mark down the dates of your own birthday your grandparentsrsquo birthdays
World War 2 the reign of Queen Victoria the Tudor period the English Civil War the Medieval
era the Roman invasion of Britain By now your timeline might be as much as 20+ metres long
Discuss how at this scale it will be difficult (depending on the size of space available to you) to add
events such as the Iron Age the Bronze Age or the Stone Age because they happened so long ago
Back in the classroom you could demonstrate this using an online resource such as Google Maps
If you right click on the map perhaps in the locality of your school you have the option to
lsquomeasure distancersquo Demonstrate scale by zooming in and showing 28 metres (the distance in
time to the start of the Iron Age 800BC) 45 metres (the start of the Bronze Age 2500BC) 320
metres (the time at which Neanderthals are thought to have died out 30000 BC) 1220 metres
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
provide new possibilities What questions or puzzles do we have about the story What do we
want to find out Do our early impressions of this story remind us of anything else that wersquove
readseenexperienced
The subtitle displayed on the cover might confirm some early predictions that the story is set in
the Stone Age What do we already know about the Stone Age Allow children to talk in groups
for a little and then share this grid to allow children to capture their shared knowledge as well as
any questions they might have If children have tentative thoughts about the era but are unsure
whether or not they are true support them in recasting these as questions
What we know about the
Stone Age
What we would like to
know
What we have found out
Children might complete their grids independently in pairs or small groups or as a whole class
you might consider displaying an enlarged grid somewhere in the classroom that children can
easily access and encourage them to add further questions or facts that they have discovered
throughout their independent study both at home and at school
Support the children in understanding how long ago the Stone Age took place For example you
might take the children to an outdoor space where there is plenty of space (the playground an
athletics field football pitch etc) If we visualise time as a 2D line where each year is 1cm apart
then you can demonstrate that from a given spot in the playground the time in which the children
were born was 7-9cm away from todayrsquos date You might measure and draw this in chalk as you
continue to explore different dates and distances starting with eras and events that children are
confident in talking about possibly based on prior historical studies or their own interests You
might measure and mark down the dates of your own birthday your grandparentsrsquo birthdays
World War 2 the reign of Queen Victoria the Tudor period the English Civil War the Medieval
era the Roman invasion of Britain By now your timeline might be as much as 20+ metres long
Discuss how at this scale it will be difficult (depending on the size of space available to you) to add
events such as the Iron Age the Bronze Age or the Stone Age because they happened so long ago
Back in the classroom you could demonstrate this using an online resource such as Google Maps
If you right click on the map perhaps in the locality of your school you have the option to
lsquomeasure distancersquo Demonstrate scale by zooming in and showing 28 metres (the distance in
time to the start of the Iron Age 800BC) 45 metres (the start of the Bronze Age 2500BC) 320
metres (the time at which Neanderthals are thought to have died out 30000 BC) 1220 metres
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
(the appearance of Homo Sapiens modern humans 120000 BC) 2520 metres (the first evidence
of Neanderthals 250000 BC) and 5 kilometres (the Stone Age begins 500000 BC) [All distances
and dates approximate you might want to use dates given in classroom books and resources]
How might life have been different for those early humans Allow groups to refer back to their
grids and continue to add ideas and questions
It would be useful to create a class timeline depicting major events that can be referred to and
added to throughout the reading of the book and any cross curricular study opportunities
Providing time and resources for ongoing independent study as well as guidedshared research
opportunities outside of the English lesson linked with History sessions will benefit childrenrsquos
understanding of the period and support their appreciation of the text
Session 2 Response to Illustration Reading Aloud
Display the final panel of page 1 without the speech bubble depicting Ug and his father What are
our initial impressions of these characters and their relationship What do we know about them
What would we like to know
Read aloud the first page of the story and then refer back to those questions and our initial
responses As the story is told in comic strip format it would support childrenrsquos understanding if
they are able to follow the panels as you read you might want to use a visualiser or similar
technology to allow you to share and discuss the illustrations with the class In discussing their
understanding of the story and the characters it will be as important to draw on the layout and
illustration as the text Look at how the text is depicted ndash the size and style of the writing the
choice of speech or thought bubble and how it is outlined for example what assumptions can we
make about the mumrsquos tone of voice from the jagged edges of her speech bubbles The use of
punctuation is important in establishing tone of voice hesitancy etc How much does each panel
show us of the characters the location the space (or lack of space) given between or around the
depicted characters How do facial expressions or body language inform us of the charactersrsquo
thoughts motivations responses emotions etc
Refer back to the grid started in the previous session and any early knowledge the class has
acquired through cross curricular work What does Stone Age really mean What were the key
features of the Stone Age
Ugrsquos dad says ldquoNowadays everything is made of stone This is why nowadays is called the Stone
Agerdquo Is this true Was everything made of stone in the Stone Age
Explore how Raymond Briggs uses exaggeration or taking a supposition about an era to its logical
(and illogical at times) limit in order to create humour for the book Would Stone Age humans
have worn stone trousers lain on stone beds under stone blankets and with stone pillows Do you
think the book will be a factually accurate representation of the era Whywhy not Consider
some of the differences between a book like this and a non-fiction text ndash perhaps something like
Marcia Williamsrsquo book The Stone Age which still uses comic book formats and invented characters
but for the purposes of communicating information
Allow time for children to share any other responses to the first page perhaps any further
questions that have been set up or how what theyrsquove found out reinforces their early predictions
about character or plot They might pick out other uses of language and illustration that provide
humour such as the modern concept of lsquoairing the bedsrsquo within this Stone Age world Then go on
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to read aloud page 2 in which Dug demonstrates writing Support the children in reading the
footnotes and discuss how they add to the story ndash on the surface they appear to be providing us
with facts to support our understanding Is that their purpose or are they there to underscore the
humour of the situation Itrsquos a rarely used feature in fiction texts in which the author gets to
speak directly to the reader How do the class feel about that Do they like or dislike the use of
footnotes Is the information given in the footnotes true How might we find out
What is writing Who were the first people to use writing to communicate Children might
research and explore this outside of the English lesson and add their findings to the timeline and
to their enquiry grids
This quote might be helpful and is from page 18 of Writing History Stone Age by Anita Ganeri
(Franklin Watts)
ldquoThe walls of the Pech Merle Cave in France are decorated with bison mammoths
horses and handprints as well as symbols such as triangles circles crosses and
branch-like shapes They date from around 30000 years ago Archaeologists
think that the symbols are arranged in patterns like a code and that they may
have been a very early form of writingrdquo
Allow the children opportunity to note and discuss any words or phrases that they donrsquot
understand For example does everybody know what is meant by the term lsquoanachronismrsquo Can
they deduce any possibilities using the context The idea of anachronism is very important to the
humour of the book ndash children might give some examples from popular culture such as the
Horrible Histories TV series or films like Early Man which use anachronism as a device for humour
If possible you might want to share the Stone Age page from Spot the Mistake Lands of Long Ago
(by AJ Wood Mike Jolley and Frances Castle Wide Eyed Editions) which asks children to spot the
anachronisms hidden within each illustration of a given era
Two suggested web links to articles about Stone Age writing for the class teacher
httpswwwtheguardiancomscience2012mar11cave-painting-symbols-language-
evolution
httpswwwnewscientistcomarticlemg23230990-700-in-search-of-the-very-first-coded-
symbols
Session 3 Role on the Wall Read aloud share and discuss the next page of the story What have they noticed What more
have we learnt about Ug his family and his community through the text and illustrations Where
is the humour in this page How is it created
Children might consider Ugrsquos body language for example the difference between panel 2 as he
looks down at his meal and panel 4 as he recounts Ogrsquos lsquohotrsquo food experience What impact does
it have that mumrsquos speech bubbles in panel 3 and 8 are so much larger than Ugrsquos Why might
Raymond Briggs have used Dugsrsquo body to block Ug in the final panel What is the impact of
combining the image of mum chewing the blood-covered bone with her speech bubble
ldquoDisgustinrsquordquo
Why does Ug says lsquowhen the trees went hotrsquo What might have happened Do Ug and his family
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
know what fire is What does this tell us about their community Is this historically accurate or is
it another of Briggsrsquo exaggerations - when did humans invent fire
Continue to draw on childrenrsquos growing knowledge of the era what would Stone Age people have
eaten
Allow children to continue to add to their grids and add our class knowledge about when and how
fire was used and what food would have been eaten to the class timeline
Reflect on what we know so far about the family What words would they use to describe each
family member and what behaviour action or speech have they seen in the story that has led
them to that perception
Complete Role on the Wall posters for the whole family On 3 large sheets of paper draw a simple
outline to represent Ug Dug and Dugs You could give 3 sheets to each group for them to
complete or you might divide the class into 3 groups and give them one character each for which
to complete their Role on the Wall
If the class have not completed a Role on the Wall activity previously you might need to model
the process for them before they begin Explain that around the outside of the outline they
should write words which describe the characterrsquos external characteristics eg words that might
be used to describe their appearance phrases to describe interests or talents things that they do
or the clothing they wear (they could also write down the type of things that they say or how they
say them) On the inside of the outline explain that they will write words to describe internal
characteristics ndash words to describe the personality as well as thoughts and feelings
Ask each group to use a specific colour felt tip pen or pencil to annotate their role on the wall as
these will be revisited later in our study of the book as we learn more about the family Explicitly
make links between external and internal consider what a specific aspect of appearance might tell
us about someonersquos personality or how the personality makes a specific action seem likely (ie for
an action to be lsquoin characterrsquo or characteristic)
Display the role on the wall diagrams on the working wall or around the classroom Encourage
children to respond to them when writing and discussing the family throughout the sequence
Use these Role on the Wall records from todayrsquos session to begin to explore different reactions
towards lsquochangersquo How does Ug feel about the way things are ndash in relation so far to his clothing
and his food How does Dug respond How does Dugs feel about change Start to support the
children in understanding some of the subtle differences in the parentrsquos responses to Ugrsquos ideas ndash
his dad seems to be resigned to things the way that they are whereas mum seems more anxious
about his lsquoradicalrsquo ideas and language
Session 4 Procedural Language
Revisit page 3 What could Ug do to convince his community to try cooked food What resources
would they need How could he persuade them
Ask children to work together in small groups and to imagine that they are Ug and his friends In
order to demonstrate the benefits of a wider variety of menu options for their meals they are
going to produce their own cookery demonstration for the tribe demonstrating the very best in
Stone Age dining
Ask the class if they have seen any cooking shows or they are aware of any chefs You might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
watch some famous chefs who have particularly distinctive delivery styles eg Ainsley Harriott
Lorraine Pascale Jamie Oliver etc You might share shows that are aimed specifically at a primary
age group eg
CITVrsquos lsquoThe Munch Boxrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=w6GuJhD1wFE)
Matilda Ramsay (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f91Mxutc1UM) from CBBCrsquos
lsquoMatilda and the Ramsay Bunchrsquo (full episodes are available from BBC iPlayer)
CBeebiersquos lsquoMy World Kitchenrsquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=YMs0mlno-LI)
presented by Ainsley Harriott (httpswwwbbccoukcbeebiesshowsmy-world-kitchen)
Choose a short video either one of the above or another that is appropriate for the class and
allow children to reflect on what they found effective about the language and style of delivery
What words or phrases helped you to understand what to do And what words or phrases kept
you engaged wanting to watch and potentially try the recipe for yourself It will probably be
necessary for children to watch the video more than once to refine their thoughts about the exact
language and phrasing used Jot down the childrenrsquos ideas for them on the flip chart or working
wall or provide them time in groups to discuss their notes and combine these together to create a
set of advice for creating a clear and engaging cookery demonstration
Now children need some time to consider what their cookery performance might demonstrate
Explain that like Raymond Briggs we can be a little anachronistic in our suggestions we could
take a modern day food item and give it a Stone Age twist ham and pineapple pizza could become
mammoth and apple pizza Draw on childrenrsquos research from previous sessions and cross-
curricular lessons to decide what food might be included as ingredients but children neednrsquot feel
restricted by these lists if they have an alternate idea that they are excited about Similarly
children could decide on invented Stone Age implements to help them prepare the food a sharp
stone instead of a knife a stone chopping board rocks to bash rather than chop the vegetables a
stone pestle and mortar a hot rock rather than a frying pan etc
If children need further inspiration for their anachronistic cookery show they might watch a short
lsquoHistorical Masterchefrsquo sketch from a Horrible Histories episode This link
(httpshorriblehistoriestvwordpresscomhistorical-masterchef) lists all of the episodes which
include a Masterchef sketch The best place to find a full episode to share with the class is BBC
iPlayer or DVDs are available to purchase
Allow each group time to discuss and jot down their ideas for what they are going to cook and
what implements they might need to cook it Share these ideas around the class allowing the
children to support each other in clarifying and developing their initial thoughts and ideas
Once each group has settled on their idea ask them to work together to write the script for their
demonstration deciding on what combination of presenter(s) chefs tasters etc they might use
Remind them of the language features which supported their understanding and engaged their
interest in any of the videos or texts explored earlier in the session and remind them that they are
able to draw on these words phrases or models of language as needed (eg carefully chosen and
precise verbs noun phrases that stimulate the taste buds adverbs that clarify and define the
action required prepositional phrases so that the listenerviewer knows exactly how when or
where something should be done figurative language (alliteration similes personification) to
engage the audience and tempt them to take part)
As children write as well as after they have finished their first draft encourage them to read aloud
and perform their text refining it to ensure that it meets the requirements of purpose and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
audience ndash will it support Ugrsquos Stone Age tribe to move beyond raw dead animal bits and instead
try a richer variety of cooked foods
Before sharing with a wider audience each group could partner with another to try out their
presentation and get some feedback on how well it meets its aims The completed presentations
could be shared in assemblies or videoed to share digitally with a wider audience Filmed
presentations could even have music text or voiceover added to more closely resemble a
professional cookery show or a food vlog
Session 5 and 6 Procedural Texts Book Making Reread the book from the beginning and read on to the end of page 5 (ldquoYoursquore a Neanderthal
Ugrdquo)
As previously spend some time discussing what we have found out and what we have noticed in
the text and illustrations How does Raymond Briggs play with anachronisms again Would they
have played football tennis or cricket in the Stone Age How does it help us to better understand
Ugrsquos frustrations
Allow the children to develop their own anachronistic ideas around Ugrsquos recreational activities
What other popular modern games might he and the other children try and play How might only
using stone spoil them
Based on what we know so far about actual Stone Age communities what other materials might
be available to them and could be more appropriate in making balls nets racquets bats etc
Children would benefit from extending their thinking around this subject within other curricular
areas such as Science or Design and Technology What are the different properties of the
available materials and why might that make them more suitable What are the properties of
stone What does that make it most and least useful for
Challenge the children to invent some games that could be played within Ugrsquos community Ask
them to work in small groups to devise appropriate games using only the resources that might be
available They could decide whether they are going to limit themselves to only using stones or
whether they will include other items that might be available in the Stone Age (plants wood
bones animal skin fur water) You might choose to take the children outside to develop their
games providing them with a small number of stones to play with although clear guidelines and
discussions about using these within safe parameters would be needed first
Once each group has had the chance to devise and ideally try out their game ask them how they
could go about sharing that game with another group
Work with the class to clarify the audience and purpose for their task Who are they trying to
communicate the rules of the game to How will that affect the language and layout used
Would photographs video or audio recordings support somebody in understanding how their
game works If so how might these be incorporated
Before children start collaborating on any written instructions or taking photographs to guide and
support their communication each group would benefit from orally explaining their game
Provide sufficient time for groups to teach each other their game and then reflect on which
aspects of the game were easily understood any language (words phrases or sentences) that was
used which was particularly effective in explaining rules strategies or sequences of activity any
aspects of the game that needed to be physically demonstrated and how that physical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
demonstration might be recreated in their finished text ndash would diagrams or photographs support
their explanation
After each group has completed a first draft of the guide to their game ask them to partner with a
response group to see if there are any aspects of their instructions that do not meet the aims and
purpose of their task Does the response group understand how to play the game and as a
secondary consideration want to play the game
The group can then use the response from their peers to refine the content and layout of their
instructions before producing a final draft
These instructions can then be collected together into a class compendium of Stone Age games
which could be shared with other classes throughout the school or sent home to be tried out by
the childrenrsquos families and friends
Session 7 Double Bubble
To support the children in developing an understanding of how the book is structured (for
example how the page turns work and how body language and panel layouts are echoed
throughout the text) reread the book from the start this time up to the end of the sixth page
(which ends with the lsquoStone Agersquo footnote)
As before allow children to discuss anything new that they have noticed or discovered about Ug
his family and his community as well as share any questions they might have Children might
observe for example that all of Ugrsquos speech bubbles on this page are questions How often does
he ask questions Why do you think that might be What does it tell us about his character
What assumptions might we make about people who ask a lot of questions How does dad
respond to him when he asks questions What about the other characters
What do they think of dadrsquos view about Neanderthals
Spend some time unpicking the footnote which says that people living in the Stone Age would
have considered it a modern age just as we believe we are living in a modern age too ndash adding a
hesitant lsquoTime will tellrsquo at the end
In comparing this Stone Age community with our own lsquomodern agersquo how might we see ourselves
reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of this Stone Age tribe What might future societies call
the age that we are living in How might the world change What features of our daily lives
might a time traveller from the future find surprising or strange Will they still eat food the way
we do Will they acquire information the way we do ndash internet book TV Will schools be the
same How might travel change
Use a Double Bubble handout (see resources) to support children in exploring some of the
differences and similarities between the depiction of Ugrsquos world compared with our own based
on what we know so far
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to feedback to the class using the notes on their handout as a prompt What sort of
things have changed Start discussing the impact that inventors (known and unknown) have had
on the progress of human civilisation since it began back in the Stone Age Is there a particular
development that they think is more important than the others Key breakthroughs under
consideration might include the use of fire (for warmth cooking and as a tool for constructing
other items) the development of writing domestication of animals the use of medicine (from
early herbal remedies to the development of antibiotics) the printing press electricity the
telephone steel the internal combustion engine etc To stimulate the initial conversation you
could watch an extract from the London 2012 Opening Ceremony which took the viewer through
some major developments in British history including the Industrial Revolution
(httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=4As0e4de-rI ndash the section depicting the Industrial
Revolution starts at about 1700 and lasts until about 3330)
On the flipchart whiteboard or working wall keep a note of the developments and inventions
that children mention for use in future sessions Invite children to undertake their own
independent research into important inventions and innovations in human history to use in future
sessions
Support the children in preparing to write a short paragraph reflecting how the world has changed
and how it might change in the future Explain that we are going to engage in some time travel
activities ndash this could be undertaken in the classroom or you might decide to take the children into
a different space ndash the hall or the playground Ask them to stand in a space on their own and
explain how this time travel will work Unfortunately it doesnrsquot allow us to interact with the past
only to view it (you might give them a device to look through to see the past ndash special glasses or
plastic binoculars) On a given signal they will have access to the past and will be able to look
around and see a Stone Age settlement (you can base this on the Stone Age generally if children
have had sufficient opportunity to explore this in their wider curricular studies or you could base
it solely on childrenrsquos knowledge of Ugrsquos world) Narrate some of the things that they might be
able to see challenge them to spot things in the distance etc Then ask them to talk in small
groups of 3 or 4 What can they see that surprises them What makes it surprising How is it
different from our own lives
For children who struggle to visualise the environment ensure access to illustrations and
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
photographs that they could describe to their partner Alternatively you could share videos for
children to respond to or use VR headsets and online content to bring the Stone Age environment
to life for them New VR content is being produced all the time by companies such as Google
Expedition or Discovery VR The British Museum recently developed some VR resources linked to
artefacts and Class VR have some resources at the following link related to Stone Age
environments httpwwwclassvrcomschool-curriculum-content-subjectshistorical-times-
lessonshistory-virtual-reality-studentscountry=GBampid=1034883194
Once children have returned to the present ask them to write a lsquopostcard from the pastrsquo drawing
what they saw in the past and writing a short paragraph describing what they visualised and
explaining what they thought of it They could also consider how things might continue to alter in
the future as new inventors promote progress and change
Some children might benefit from a simple writing frame such as the sentence starters shown
below while other will prefer to write more freely
In the Stone Age theyhellip Now wehellip
In the future perhaps theyrsquollhellip
Session 8 and 9 Developing Historical Enquiry Writing for Information
Following yesterdayrsquos session and the initial discussion about breakthroughs in technology and
inventions through the ages note these key moments on the class timeline Are there any further
inventions or inventors that children have discovered that they would like to add to the list
In small groups ask children to choose one invention or inventor that they would like to find out
more about (for example Thomas Edison Marie Curie Louis Braille Hertha Ayrton Stephanie
Kwolek who saved many lives by inventing Kevlar Garrett Morgan who amongst other items
invented a reliable gas mask and a traffic light warning system Lewis Latimer who worked closely
with both Edison and Bell and whose own inventions including the carbon filament were
invaluable to the achievements of others Also worth exploring would be recent young inventors
such as Deepika Kurup who won an award for invention a system for cleaning water using solar
energy when she was 14 years old Azza Abdel Hamid Faiad who was 16 when she won an award
for her invention which transformed plastic waste into biofuel)
Children could start by making some notes on a small version of the enquiry grid from the first
session What do they already know about the inventioninventor What would they like to find
out
Creating a list of questions (and then refining these by considering which will provide them with
the richest responses) is a useful way of ensuring that independent research when it happens is
more focused and productive If children are not used to undertaking independent research they
might require aspects of the process to be modelled first such as effective use of a search engine
skim reading for useful information annotation of key quotes and language rather than entire
paragraphs etc As part of their research they might consider why the technology or invention
was created Who were the key people in creating it Does history remember them or is there no
way of finding out who they were What was the impetus behind the invention ndash why was the
inventor driven to pursue their goal What was the impact of the invention What effect did it (or
could it) have on societyprogress
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
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You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Once children have had sufficient time to make notes and discuss their project focus (which may
take more than one day and could be extended as a cross-curricular or homework activity) ask
them to prepare a presentation of their findings You might decide to allow the children an
element of choice in how they do this They could
o create a small book on the subject (for book making techniques see
httpswwwclpeorgukpowerofreadingteaching-approachesbookmaking-journals
or refer to Making Books by Paul Johnson AampC Black Publishers)
o make a poster combining text and illustration
o make a digital text using PowerPoint Publisher Prezi Comic Life etc
o prepare a spoken presentation for the class which might include some illustrated and
written elements
Giving children an element of choice in what and how they write is an effective way of supporting
engagement and inclusion However the range of choice provided may be limited by childrenrsquos
prior experiences
Regardless of the form chosen once children have had the chance to draft review refine and
publish their work find an opportunity for them to share their work more widely Books could be
presented to other classes posters displayed in hallways or shared spaces digital texts could be
placed on the school website or presentations could be filmed or shared in an assembly
Complete these sessions about inventors and inventions by creating a class Role on the Wall
poster for an inventor What characteristics and behaviours would we expect to see in a successful
inventor Compare the conclusions reached by the class with the Role on the Wall created for Ug
Session 10 Role Play
Share the illustration from page 7 with the class either as a handout or on the whiteboard
blanking out the speech bubbles so that children canrsquot see what the two parents are discussing
What can we tell from the characters based on the illustration Judging by their facial expressions
and what we know about the characters so far (refer back to the role on the wall work) what
might they be thinking or feeling If we could eavesdrop in on this moment what might we hear
Discuss and annotate the illustration with some of the things that they might be saying Then
working in pairs ask children to rehearse a possible conversation between Dug and Dugs What
has Ug been doing today and how might they be recalling it How did they feel about it They
might refer to his lack of satisfaction in his trousers or his food about his attempt at playing
games with the other children or his questions about Neanderthals They might invent other
questions or ideas that Ug has raised throughout the day
Once children have had a little time to rehearse their conversation tell them that soon we will be
listening in on some of these conversations We wonrsquot be listening to very much of it and they
will have a choice of whether they continue to make up the conversation from wherever they
have got up to or whether they will repeat something that they have already rehearsed Give
children a little longer to practise in case they choose to share some rehearsed dialogue
After the rehearsalpractise time has elapsed ask children to stay sitting in their pairs and then
when your hand points to them that means that we can now hear their conversation but once
your hand moves on we canrsquot hear anymore Wersquore just going to listen in on a tiny bit of their
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
ongoing conversation about Ug
Listen to a few of the groups There is no need to listen to every group although if lots of groups
would like to share their rehearsed dialogue you could pair them up to perform for each other
You might choose to record their ideas either in digital or written format They could be recorded
on mp3 devices or children might complete their own speech bubbles for the illustration using
their ideas or they could write out the dialogue as a short play script so that it could be performed
by another class
Now read aloud page 7 and allow children to compare the actual text with their predictions What
do you notice about the parentsrsquo responses to Ugrsquos way of speaking Does it reflect your
expectations of that character
Explore some of the phrases with the class Dugs says that Ug ldquolives in another worldrdquo and one of
the children on page 5 said Ug doesnrsquot ldquolive in the real worldrdquo ndash what do they mean what impact
does it have that it come straight after the footnote ldquoToday we believe we are living in the modern
age Time will tellrdquo ndash is Ug not living in his world or his time a positive or negative statement
Discuss the anachronistic use of the phrase ldquoyouth culturerdquo (a term that reached prominent use
during the 20th Century) and how ironically Dug talks about them having their own ldquolingordquo ndash both
terms being ones that appear out of keeping with the Stone Age setting
Based on what we know of the Stone Age why is Dugs prediction of Ugrsquos future a humorous thing
to say
Dug doesnrsquot understand the idea of fruit juice what other concepts might Dug and Dugs find
difficult to understand Create a list using ideas from the class that could span from the basic
(fire potato book) to the high-tech (smartphone tablet satellite) How would you explain it
Ask children to choose one word from the list and create a definition that Dug and Dugs might
begin to understand
Once children have written down their definitions you might play a game where children offer to
read out their definition and the class tries to work out which item from the class list has been
described
Afterwards you might look at some of the definitions in the class dictionary and decide how
helpful they would be to Dug and Dugs in properly understanding the word or phrase How do you
think Dug and Dugs would react to your definition Based on our current understanding of the
character do you think they would react in the same way or would their responses differ What
do we look for in an effective definition or explanation
Vocabulary and Spelling This section of the text provides further opportunities for word investigations and spelling strategies
Discuss how language changes naturally over time and how people might respond to those
changes
Investigate some of the new words added to the dictionary since 2010 Some examples of recent
additions to the Merriam-Webster (US) or Oxford English (UK) Dictionaries include
cryptocurrency chiweenie harissa schnoodle glamping case-sensitive life hack bandwidth
subtweet mansplain hangry binge-watch humblebrag ransomware bestie face-palm
photobomb ping listicle embiggen What words do children use with their peers which they feel could be added in the future or might
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
already have been recently added
As well as the addition of new words to the language you might also choose to investigate the
gradual removal of words ndash something that evolves gradually as words are used less and less and
also at an official level as they are removed from published dictionaries etc In her introduction to
Adder Bluebell Lobster (illustrated by Paul Bommer Otter-Barry Books) poet Chrissie Gittins
explains how she came to write the poems in the collection in an attempt to recapture words
linked with nature that had been removed from published dictionaries ndash ldquothe words that were
taken out of the dictionary have been replaced by technological wordshellip These are all useful words
and I wouldnrsquot want to argue that one set of words is more necessary than another but Irsquom sad
that the words about nature have been elbowed outrdquo More recently Robert Macfarlane and
Jackie Morris have collaborated on The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) which similarly celebrates
words linked to the natural world that are in danger of disappearing through Robertrsquos acrostic
poems and Jackiersquos paintings See Jackie Morrisrsquo blog for more details
httpwwwjackiemorriscoukblogbook-listthe-lost-words-a-spell-of-words-by-robert-
macfarlane Is it right for us to remove or erase words if they are not being used Should we for example
remove the names of animals or plants if they become extinct What might the consequences be
of such an action
Weblinks featuring videos and articles about how language has changed over time which
might be of interest to the class teacher
o httpswwwtedcomplaylists228how_language_changes_over_time
o httpsedtedcomlessonshow-languages-evolve-alex-gendler
o httpwwwbluklearninglanglitsoundschanging-voices
o httpwwwbbccouknewsnewsbeat-43298229 (news article about a term
invented for a Simpsons episode in 1996 which was eventually added to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018)
On this page Dugs tries to familiarise herself with a new word by breaking it down into its
syllables ldquoterr-if-icrdquo Recognising syllables in words is an important element of early phonological
awareness ndash hearing the lsquobeatsrsquo or different elements within a word is an important step on the
way to supporting the child in identifying the different sounds and engaging in segmenting for
spelling Later syllabification can be one of many independent strategies that a child (or adult)
might draw on to support themselves in spelling less familiar vocabulary You might provide children with the chance to investigate and explore the syllabification of words
In pairs they could choose a word (from this text or perhaps from a spelling log or vocabulary
book if they keep one) and write it out on to a large card cutting it up to represent its separate
syllables How will they decide where to cut They will need to read the word aloud carefully
trying to hear where one syllable finishes and the next starts to decide where to cut They might
then choose one of those syllables and try and find other words that feature the same syllable
After writing out as many of those words as possible they could investigate a range of spelling
patterns ndash does the syllable always occur in the same place within the word Is it always spelt the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
same way or might a syllable that sounds the same be spelt differently Might the spelling by
more subtly different ndash perhaps a single consonant in one word but a double in another Can they
develop their own hypotheses around a chosen syllable
Sessions 11 Role on the Wall Writing in Role Reread from the beginning and up to page 9 (Ug finds a baby woolly mammoth skin and has some
ideas for how he could use this new resource Dug and Dugs continue to share their responses to
their sonrsquos ideas)
Are his ideas so far-fetched Why do you think they struggle to understand his motivations
Compare Briggsrsquo depictions of Ug and his parents in terms of how they use language and how they
appear in the panels Ugrsquos eagerness and politeness Dugrsquos confusion and lack of understanding
Dugsrsquo anger and repulsion
Revisit the Role on the Wall posters created for each of the family members What more have we
learnt about each of them Use a different colour felt tip pen to add new observations and
discuss any early assumptions to see if these have been reinforced or overturned
Explain that twice now in our reading of the book Raymond Briggs has allowed us to be privy to
the thoughts of Ugrsquos parents by relating their night time conversations What might Ug be
thinking and feeling as he goes to sleep What are his reflections on the dayrsquos events
In small groups ask children to map out the main events of the story so far for Ug (his
conversation with his dad about getting soft trousers then with mum about eating hot food
trying to join his friends for different games helping dad find food while talking about
Neanderthals and living in caves and finding the baby woolly mammoth skin They might also
include his conversation with dad about fruit juice even though we as readers did not get to see
this directly but has it reported to us by dad)
Once each group has made a note of the main events that they wish to explore ask them to try
and imagine each experience from Ugrsquos point of view What was he thinking and feeling initially
as he expressed the idea or potential inventioninnovation and then after his friends and family
responded to his thoughts and ideas
Children could use a graph of emotion to map these events and Ugrsquos emotional response noting
the key events under the horizontal x axis and Ugrsquos range of potential emotions next to the
vertical y axis Children might need to consider that for some events Ug experiences a whole
sequence of emotions ndash first in relation to a struggle or a difficulty then a different emotion as
inspiration strikes and he shares his thoughts then a third after seeing or hearing someonersquos
response to his ideas
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Provide an opportunity for the groups to come back together as a class and share what they know
about Ug so far What more would they like to find out
Use Teacher in Role to allow children to interact with Ug and ask him any questions they might
have about his life and place within the community It is helpful to use lsquoteacher in rolersquo rather
than pupil for this hot seating activity initially so that the Ugrsquos sensitive position within his society
can be explored more deeply However once you have modelled the lsquoin-rolersquo language and point
of view children may be eager to take on the role themselves A simple prop that denotes when
an adult or pupil is being Ug can be a useful signifier for the conversations
Give children a chance to prepare questions in advance allowing them to work together to hone
their questions to create those that are going to provide them with the most relevant information
Afterwards reflect on what children have discovered from the activity They may wish to add
further to the lsquorole on the wallrsquo posters in response to this If you have another adult in the room
they might scribe relevant quotes during the lsquoteacher in rolersquo activity for the children to return to
and utilise in their writing
Now that children have a better understanding of his situation ask them to utilise this by writing a
short first person account as Ug reflecting on the events of the day This could be in the form of
a diary or journal entry
Children may add authenticity to their recount by drawing on their expanding knowledge of the
Stone Age when adding detail to their account
Session 12 Comic Book Writing
Read aloud the next two pages of the book (in which Ug tries to give his mum a bunch of flowers
and then tries to carve a boat out of stone)
As always allow time for children to respond to what they have seen and heard Why might Dugs
be smiling in the final panel of page 10 Does her response in this moment allow us to draw any
further conclusions about why she behaves the way that she does What does she want for Ug
On page 11 you might reflect on how the design of the panels not only depict the action so that
even with no speech bubbles we would know what was happening but also demonstrates the
relationship between Ug and Ag ndash After they push the object into the water (or on the water as
Ug clarifies) in each panel Ag is drawn further and further away from Ug until eventually Ug is left
alone again What might the composition of those panels tell us about the charactersrsquo
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
relationship
This latest attempt at invention and innovation might prompt childrenrsquos own investigations into
what materials sink or float or how the design of those objects supports flotation Is it possible to
design something that floats out of a lsquoheavyrsquo material
In Raymond Briggsrsquo version of the Stone Age everything is made from stone We know from our
cross-curricular study that this isnrsquot historically accurate ndash why might he have made that decision
What challenges and complications does it create for Ug
Give children some time in small groups to consider some activities that Ug might engage in that
could prove challenging within Briggsrsquo Stone Age world They might have fun creating some
anachronistic suggestions For further inspiration they could watch and read Michael Rosenrsquos
poem lsquoI Was Born in the Stone Agersquo (httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=tq3Q85aA_0k) or look
at examples of Stone Age anachronism from popular culture such as The Flintstones cartoon and
films which feature an array of inventions which primarily use only stone and animal power
Inspired by these struggles what other things might Ug try and invent What other items being
made from stone would be unsuccessful due to the nature of stone Will he try and make them
from stone or will he attempt to convince other people to let him use different materials that we
know were available during the Stone Age
Explain that the children should use their favourite idea to create a comic strip spread depicting
the event What might they include so that the reader understands Ugrsquos inspiration as well as the
outcome Will they show the reader Ug facing whatever difficulty or challenge prompts his
attempted invention as Briggs does on the sports page Will they show him attempting to build
something like on the page where he is carving the lsquoboatrsquo How will they show the outcome of his
attempts Will we see another characterrsquos response to his ideas or Ugrsquos response to his own
failure
Allow children to sketch out in rough the number of panels they think they might need to tell their
story Inspired by the variety of panel designs which Raymond Briggs employs the children might
consider how they could use different sizes and shapes of panels and different layout options to
support the reader in understanding their story They will also need to think about where they are
going to leave space in their illustrations for any speech or thought bubbles that are required
Some children might prefer to produce a script before starting their design whilst others will be
happy to rough out their ideas directly into the panels
Further support on making comic books can be found on Sarah McIntyrersquos blog
(httpwwwjampirescomactivitiesset-up-your-own-comics-jam) or in Neill Cameronrsquos How to
Make Awesome Comics (David Fickling Books)
Session 13 Working in Role
Read aloud the next two double spreads which depict Ug engaged in three lengthy conversations
two with his dad about trees and fire and one with his mum about diverting the river
What more do we learn about Ug and his family on these pages Why do we think his parents
might be resistant to his ideas What are some of the benefits and challenges of change Is
change always good ndash do you think his parents are right to be resistant
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Ask children to work with a partner in order to rehearse a performance of one of these
conversations First they should choose which conversation they are most interested in
exploring Then they will need to text mark it to support their performance For this you might
provide them with a transcribed version of the dialogue or a photocopy of the relevant page ndash it
would be helpful if possible for children to be able to refer to the illustrations to support their
reading performance choices
They might annotate their copy of the text with notes about how the character might be feeling at
this moment and how they might best communicate this Will they alter their volume or their tone
of voice Will they use body language or eye contact to demonstrate their feelings and thought
process What other clues are there in the text that can help us to infer feelings and thoughts
We might consider the manner in which they have been illustrated the shape of the speech
bubble the language choices the use of typography and the choice of punctuation How might
we adapt our performance because of ellipsis a dash an exclamation mark a comma
If they have chosen to perform Ugrsquos conversation with his mum they will also need to consider
how best to perform the two thought bubbles
After children have had sufficient opportunity to rehearse allow them to perform their
conversations either to each other or to the whole class
Reflect on what we have learnt from listening to each other and from rehearsing and text marking
our own scenes How do we think his parentsrsquo resistance to his ideas makes Ug feel How does
the lack of suitable languagevocabulary to express new ideas cause difficulties
Session 14 Persuasive Speech
Read the first 5 panels of the next spread (until Dug says ldquoYou canrsquot stop animals from running
away Theyrsquore frightened They donrsquot want to be killed and eatenrdquo)
What could Ug suggest to overcome this problem If Ug could solve this problem for his whole
tribe how might that change his position within the community
Make a list of any initial suggestions children might have for how these Stone Age people could
make capturing and eating the animals easier Some children might even suggest that they could
stop eating animals and move towards a more vegetarian diet instead
Ask children to work in small groups to select one idea that they can develop further
What makes that the most effective solution Is it the ease with which it could be accomplished
Is it the range of resources or the time required to set it up Is it the plan with the most likely
possibility of success etc
Explain that as a group they are going to need to present their idea to the class (who will
represent the wider community to which Ug and his family belong) They will need to try and
persuade the class that their idea is the best (if possible you might provide the class with a more
neutral audience by presenting the ideas to another year group ndash perhaps a KS1 or Upper KS2
class would be willing to judge the presentations)
If children havenrsquot had much experience in writing or speaking persuasively they will benefit from
listening and responding to some different models For example this presentation by young
inventor and scientist Deepika Kurup who children may have discussed in Session 8
httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=b7zLelyelBA
What techniques does she use to persuade her audience that her ideas are worthwhile practical
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
achievable etc Consider how she uses logic and facts how she makes herself a credible expert
how she paints a clear picture of the current situation as well as a potential better future
Support the class in considering other grammatical aspects of persuasive speeches that might
contribute to their effectiveness such as complex sentences and connectives which expand upon
or join ideas together (therefore so) emotive language rhetorical questions facts as well as
opinions and repetition and alliteration to make the speech memorable For performance
purposes they might also consider the impact of tone and delivery eye contact etc
When they have had a chance to write a first draft of their presentation children can partner with
other groups for response purposes and to try out their chosen approaches After receiving some
feedback groups can return to their drafts in order to make refinements to ensure that it clearly
communicates the idea and would be persuasive in convincing a group to try it
Once children have had a chance to refine and rehearse their presentations provide them with an
opportunity to share them with the chosen audience
Complete reading the double page spread What do children think of Ugrsquos potential solution Is
he able to communicate his idea clearly to Dug Whywhy not
Session 15 Persuasive Writing Read aloud the next double page spread in which Ug starts to consider other options beyond living
in caves How is Dugs increasing frustration with Ug depicted What clues are we given in both
the images and the text to show us how Ug might be affected by his mumrsquos response Why do you
think that Dug might have sat down in the circle of stones that Ug had built What might Ug have
been trying to do Do they agree with Dugs that he lsquocould have been eaten aliversquo
Based on our research and study of Stone Age society is it true that Stone Age people only lived in
caves What type of materials did Stone Age people make their homes from
Share some images of Stone Age houses these might include wooden frames covered in earth or
animal skins homes made from stone with turf roofs (like those on Skara Brae) temporary homes
which utilise both wood and animal bone as structural materials as well as some communities
which did indeed reside mainly in caves
Allow children time to respond to each of the images jotting down any words or phrases that they
might use to describe these ndash precise nouns expanded noun phrases carefully chosen verbs
which support descriptions of what the building materials do comparative language including
similes
Explain that many Stone Age families would be nomadic and would change where they lived
depending on the season For this session they are going to imagine that they are a Stone Age
estate agent and they have been given the job of selling a familyrsquos home before they move on
Ask them to choose from the range of images explored earlier the property that they would most
like to sell
Drawing on the persuasive speeches prepared in the previous session what sort of words or
phrases or non-language features do they think they might need to include in an effective advert
Children might also look at some example texts and consider which words phrases or features are
most impactful and persuasive
After they have had the chance to discuss these support children in summarising which aspects of
the texts were most effective emotive language putting a positive spin on each feature of the
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
property consideration of the properties key selling points location condition views price etc
After children have written their first draft provide them with the opportunity to work with a
response partner Give children prompts to support them in talking about the impact of the
writing related to audience and purpose What were the aims of the writing In what ways did it
meet these aims Did it make you intrigued enough to visitconsider the property Were there
any passagessentencesphrases that were unclear or that might put you off Is there any way in
which the text could be made more persuasive
After children have had the chance to respond and make any refinements they might be given the
opportunity to work up their copy for publication Perhaps an estate agentrsquos display board could
be made somewhere in the school or on the school website Which property attracts the most
attention
Session 16 Conscience Alley
Read aloud and share the next double page spread in which Ug invents the stone wheel What do
they notice like or dislike in this spread
The wheel is often listed as one of most important inventions in human history why do they think
Ugrsquos elation doesnrsquot last What do they notice about the structure of the dialogue on this page
compared with the rest of the book How does the final illustration make them feel Why do you
think Raymond Briggs might have chosen to draw Ag and Ug in separate panels at the bottom of
the page rather than one continuous panel
What do we know about the invention of the wheel What were the earliest uses of the wheel
When did the wheel start to be used for transportation What materials were they commonly
made from Add information to the class timeline of invention
Ug has been repeatedly frustrated in his attempts at inventing throughout the book either being
unable to access materials or breakthrough his communityrsquos traditions to try out ideas or
inventing things that donrsquot work the way he envisaged (like his stone boat) or creating something
that works like his wheel but that he has no practical application for How could he build on what
hersquos found out How could it be helpful Do you think he should give up on his invention or keep
working on it
Look at the lsquoGraph of Emotionrsquo and the lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters that you started for Ug Based
on our understanding of his character and the emotional impact of his efforts do you think that he
should continue inventing or revert to his communityrsquos traditional approach
Display a decision line across the classroom (or in a larger space such as the hall or a playground)
Tell children to position themselves on the line depending on how much they agree or disagree
that Ug should continue following his passion for inventing If they definitely think he should
continue (regardless of any negative emotional impact and the response of his community) then
they would stand at one extreme of the line or if they believe the opposite (that he should
definitely stop pursuing invention and change and instead accept things the way that they are)
they would stand at the opposite end of the line with all scales of emotionalintellectual response
in between
Talk to children about their reasoning Why have they chosen to stand there After listening to a
few of their peersrsquo reasons do any of the children want to change their positions Why What
have they heard to change their mind
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Use lsquoconscience alleyrsquo to help the class reach a consensus on what Ug should do Ask the class to
form two lines facing each other with a gap between the two lines Ask one child to take on the
role of Ug and slowly walk between the lines listening carefully as each member of the group
speaks their advice ndash one line encouraging him to continue with inventing the other encouraging
him to accept the status quo When the child in role has heard all of the suggested reasons they
can make their decision explaining what they heard that persuaded them
Having had the opportunity to reflect on Ugrsquos options and a variety of reasons for and against him
continuing as an inventor ask children to decide for themselves what they think he should do
Then ask children to write a short note giving him advice What do they think he should do and
why Discuss how they might sensitively address any worries he might have Could they give him
some different options that will support him in making his own mind up
After the children have written their notes you might display them for others to read or you
could ask children to fold them in half and pass them around the classroom Children could then
read the note in role as Ug How do they think Ug would respond to the advice
Read aloud the next page which demonstrates how Dug and Dugs respond to Ugrsquos efforts with the
lsquoroundrsquo stone Children might need support unpicking the humour in the footnotes is this really
why so little progress was made Drawing on our growing knowledge of the era do we agree
about the lack of progress
If children are curious about the story of Sisyphus (referred to anachronistically by Dugs) you can
find a suitable retelling of the myth in The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses by
Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark (Orchard Books)
Session 17 Reading Aloud
Read aloud the next 3 pages (up to the lsquoBootsrsquo footnote ldquoConsequently no Stone Age boot has
ever been found and of course never a pairrdquo) stopping when necessary to respond to the
illustration or the footnote asides How do you think Ug might feel in the last panel of page 23 as
he says ldquoOh I seehelliprdquo Why do you think he might feel that way Compare his body language and
the way he is illustrated in this panel to that on the preceding spread as he looks at his stone
wheel in the water
You might also want to reflect on the concept of time and how our understanding affects our
impressions of it do you need to know that minutes are there that they exist in order to feel time
passing When does time feel like itrsquos going by quickly and when does it seem to drag
Provide children with the opportunity to update their family lsquoRole on the Wallrsquo posters as they
approach the end of the story Have the characters changed over the course of the book Which
character do they think has changed the most Why
Do they think change is important Do they like change Whywhy not
Revisit the Dugs quote ldquoIf yoursquore a cave dweller in the Stone Age yoursquove got to be hard Hard as
nails There is no room for warm No room for soft And no stoning nicerdquo
To what extent do they agree or disagree with Dugs Does this help us understand why she
responds the way that she does to Ugrsquos questions ideas and innovations
Share the next double page with the children (in which Dug and Ug join forces to try and make
softer trousers)
How do they feel reading this spread Why do they think their design fails What would they like
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
to say to Ug and Dug Refer back to any work that has been undertaken on properties of
materials and their suitability for different purposes Was the mammoth skin a good choice for
this purpose Why might it be a good choice What more is needed for it to succeed
Add any developments and changes in clothing that have been researched outside of the English
lessons to the class timeline when for example might the needle (originally made from bone) first
have been used
Ask the class how they think the story might end There is only one more page left of the book
what do they think might happen What are they hoping for Is that the same as what they
expect Children might note down their thoughts on post-It notes to add to the working wall and
refer back to in the next session Alternatively children might be provided with a blank page to
sketch out their predicted ending to the story
Session 18 Poetry
Read aloud and share the final page How might you summarise the feelings and thoughts of adult
Ug Compare these with the Role on the Wall poster that has been created for him over the
course of the whole story Has he managed to fulfil his promise of being an inventor Have his
motherrsquos worst fears been realised Why do you think he might have struggled with being a
lsquochange makerrsquo What would happen if we all gave up when challenges are faced Is there
anything that you would say to him if you could
Discuss their reflections on how society has changed since then Do they feel that the modern
world is better What has stayed the same What is different What challenges do we face now
Ug wonders whether things are going to get better how would you explain an element of the
modern world to Ug who has never seen anything that isnrsquot made of stone
Imagine if Ug was able to communicate with his younger self send a message back in time with
advice What do you think he might say What advice would he give
Read aloud the following poem by Karl Nova (from his book Rhythm and Poetry)
Text message from the future
Theyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny
to dream of a better tomorrow
donrsquot believe them
just leave them alone
and continue along the road
You will hear them say
ldquoDonrsquot be naiumlve donrsquot be simple minded
Open your eyes and donrsquot be blindedrdquo
simply because theyrsquore tired with heavy eyelids
weighed down by the cares of this world
I know it sounds farfetched
but a time will come
when dreaming big and believing in possibilities
will appear dumb
not to everyone but to some
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
I mean those who are grumpy
with a mood so glum
Take these words
as a message from the future
a poetic text message
to wake you up and shake you up
Never stop dreaming
never stop believing
that you can do better
as you keep breathing
Another poem by Karl Nova ndash lsquoYounger Mersquo also from his collection Rhythm and Poetry (Caboodle
Books 2017) ndash would provide further inspiration for exploration and insight into these themes The
book won the 2018 CLiPPA award A teaching sequence supporting study of the whole collection
and aimed at Year 4 or Year 5 is available from the CLPE Poetryline website where you will also find
videos of the poet performing selected works from the collection
httpswwwclpeorgukpoetrylineresourcesteaching-sequencesrhythm-and-poetry
Allow children time to talk in groups about their initial impression do they like or dislike the
poem Why What questions do they have Were there any words or phrases that were
particularly impactful or memorable Why Does it remind them of anything
Provide groups with sufficient copies of the poem to allow them to reread it for themselves Do
they have a different response to the poem when they are looking at it on the page Allow
children to discuss the poem in greater depth and give a further response What have they
noticed about the use of language About how the poem is set out on the page Encourage them
to try reading the poem aloud themselves to consider the rhythm and the sound of the individual
words and syllables Tell the children to make a note of any words or phrases that they are unsure
of the meaning of and encourage them to discuss these within their groups or as a whole class so
that they can support each other with clarifications or definitions
If the children havenrsquot already done so support them in connecting the themes of the poem with
Ugrsquos experiences in the book What is there in the poem that they feel might reflect Ugrsquos
experiences within his community Are there any words or phrases that seems especially
pertinent Is there any advice here that they feel Ugrsquos younger self would have benefited from
hearing
Give children time within their groups to text mark and annotate any words phrases lines that
seem to relate to Ugrsquos story eg ldquoTheyrsquore going to tell you itrsquos corny to dream of a better
tomorrowhelliprdquo ndash who was Ug getting that message from Did he believe them
Return to your earlier questions what advice do they think Ug needed to achieve his goals Ask
them to work in small groups to jot down their ideas and advice After sufficient time to develop
some initial ideas get some feedback from each group and create a class list of ideas that
everyone can draw from during the composition process
Model the process of drawing on these ideas to draft a few lines of a poem which advises Ug
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
giving him some insights into the future as Karl Nova does (ldquohellipa time will comerdquo) Use this as an
opportunity to demonstrate explicitly aspects of the writing process trying out ideas by reading
them aloud experimenting with adjusting line breaks being precise and careful with vocabulary
choices reading aloud to hear the rhythm of the words and the lines demonstrating some aspects
of poetic language and structure eg assonance alliteration rhyme
Allow time for children to draft their own poem around the theme then allow them to read aloud
to a response partner to lift the words off the page hearing how they sound when performed
Give time for response partners to ask the writers questions discuss parts they arenrsquot sure are
working or make suggestions to improve the writing Think together about how the poem could be
presented on the page to enhance the meaning and the readerrsquos understanding
Give further time for children to redraft any parts of their poems that they discussed with their
response partner in the previous session or to work on their poems further if they need time to
do this
When you have a poem that you have read aloud to a partner discussed and explored changes
that you are happy to present to a wider audience start to think about how that poem could be
best presented How will it look on the page What form will it take How will you use line breaks
spacing on the page to enhance the meaning or emotions behind your poem Will you hand write
it Will you publish using ICT Will you make any specific decisions about the way certain words
look or are placed on the page Will you illustrate the poem If so how will the words and
illustration sit and work together
Allow plenty of time and space for the children to make a final draft and then publish their work
accordingly
When they are happy with the way their poem looks on the page think about how this could lift
off the page and be performed to an audience Give each child a photocopy of their finished poem
and allow them to mark this up with performance ideas Will you perform on your own Do you
need others to support you How will you use voice body movements and facial expression to
enhance the listenerrsquos engagement and understanding
Ensure time is given to try out ideas and rehearse performances of childrenrsquos own poems
Display the childrenrsquos own poems prominently in the library or a shared area so they can be read
by a wider audience
Further guidance and resources to support the teaching of poetry can be found on the CLPE Poetryline
website including the lsquoWhat We Know Worksrsquo booklet which was updated with new research in
January 2018 httpswwwclpeorguklibrary-and-resourcesresearchpoetry-what-we-know-works
Session 19 Book Talk
Allow children to reflect on the book as a whole by rereading the entire text
In small groups provide the class with an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon their response
to the book using Aidan Chambersrsquo basic questions from his book Tell Me (Children Reading and
Talk) with The Reading Environment (How Adults Help Children Enjoy Books) (Thimble Press) You
might give each group a copy of the grid to note down any of their initial responses to share with
the class later
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
Likes What do you like about the bookillustrations so far
Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it
Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you
Connections Patterns Does it remind you of anything
After they had the chance to talk in their groups ask the children to share some of their
responses valuing any personal connections they might have made with the text and opening up
their discussion to involve the whole class
They might also summarise their responses and thoughts about the text as a whole by completing
the graph of emotion that they started in session 11 and revisiting the role on the wall posters
that they created for each family member Did their initial impressions of the three characters
remain representative for the whole text or did the characters change Which character do they
feel changed the most Why do they think that might be
Do they feel the book has a message or a theme What did they take away from the book Who
do they think should read the book
Session 20 Persuasive Presentation
Challenge children to join Ug and become an inventor too Ug faced many challenges in his Stone
Age community and was always trying to think of ways to improve that existence either to make
it better more comfortable or more efficient Are there any aspects of modern life that can be
difficult or challenging that they would like to find a solution for
In small groups ask children to collaborate to make a list daily dilemmas that they face and some
potential inventions that might solve them (alternatively they might decide to work on a Stone
Age invention which solves one of Ugrsquos dilemmas limiting themselves to Stone Age materials and
technology)
For further inspiration you might choose to share the results of the lsquoInventorsrsquo project which
took place in Sunderland in 201516 httpinventorsprojectcoukinventions
Further sources of support might be the crazy ideas found in Impossible Inventions by Matgorzata
Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizielińska (Gecko Press) or the practical advice in
Invent It by Rob Beattie (QED Publishing) which suggests that young inventors might ldquomake a list
of the things you hate and then think of ways to stop them driving you crazyrdquo
Once children have a small selection of possible projects explain that they will need to choose one
of their inventions and then prepare a presentation that will convince a panel of investors that
their project has potential
Work together to generate some suggestions as to what they might need to consider when
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book
copyThe Centre for Literacy in Primary Education
You may use this teaching sequence freely in your school but it cannot be commercially published or reproduced or used for anything other than
educational purposes without the express permission of CLPE
presenting their ideas in order to be successful What might they produce A clear design a
working model diagrams demonstrating its use cost breakdowns viability profitability as well as
any opening speech that might need to be presented by one or more of the team
Draw on the work undertaken throughout the sequence on being persuasive ndash what was effective
when preparing Stone Age food designing games farming animals or selling houses
You might choose to watch some extracts from lsquoJuniorrsquo editions of Dragonsrsquo Den or CBBCrsquos Pocket
Money Pitch and then discuss what was or wasnrsquot effective in the presentations both in terms of
language and performance
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=H0kbMpQ5Qc4 (Dragonsrsquo Den Children in Need
2007)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=GQC7BfIEi_4 (Dragonsrsquo Den RTE 2013 pitch starts at
330)
o httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=p9Cw2Ben3nM (Pocket Money Pitch Series 1
Episode 3 Inventions)
After children have had sufficient time to allocate roles and responsibilities throughout the group
prepare any materials and draft the speech assign response partner groups to watch and reflect
on the impact of their presentation How does it effectively communicate the benefits and
purpose of the invention What does the presentation include which might persuade somebody to
invest or support the project
Allow further time for groups to refine and rehearse their presentation before allocating a time
and place for the pitch to happen If possible create a panel of experts to hear each group asking
them questions and giving advice on how they might pursue their invention This might include
the Headteacher a school governor a representative from the local community etc
The presentations might be given in the classroom or if children have had sufficient time to
prepare and refine their performances it could have a larger audience in front of parents or their
key stage
After completing the sequence children could work collaboratively to produce a class book about the
Stone Age drawing on all they have learnt alongside the text and across the curriculum Each group
might choose an aspect of the era that interests them before drafting revising refining and publishing
pages that can be compiled together to create the finished book