Diary Writing KS2 Treasure Island

This comprehensive 20-lesson writing unit supports pupils in crafting a three-paragraph (pirate-themed) diary narrative based on their immersion in Treasure Island.

Unit Focus;
Across the sequence, pupils learn to:

• Write an engaging diary extract using a clear three-paragraph structure
• Build character, mood, and tension through purposeful language choices
• Master key grammar skills through practical application in writing

Each lesson focuses on enabling children to apply:

✔ Relative clauses (who, which, where, whose) to add detail
✔ Fronted adverbials (when, where, how) for sentence variety
✔ Similes to enhance description
✔ Show, not tell techniques to convey emotion
✔ Expanded noun phrases for vivid character and setting detail
✔ Speech punctuation to integrate dialogue correctly
✔ Apprentice apostrophe use including plural possession (boys’ / men’s)
✔ Regular and irregular verb tense consolidation, ensuring accurate past-tense narration
✔ Rhetorical questions to build suspense and internal reflection

What’s Included in the Unit:

• Full 20-lesson sequence plans
• Model diary texts
• Text maps (visual + printable)
• Grammar retrieval starters
• Box-It-Up planning templates
• Differentiated writing frames
• Editing and publishing lessons
• Support & challenge tasks

I use the font ‘Playwrite GB J’ on Google Slides to make my powerpoints cursive.