Year 6 English Unit Plan The Silver Sword

This resource provides a complete Year 6 English MTP (Medium Term Plan) based on the children’s novel, The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. The story is set in wartime Poland after the invasion by the German army. This 4-week plan is designed to help students write a narrative based on escaping a concentration camp and an explanation about WWII.

What’s Included?
The plan includes a variety of suggested activities for both reading and writing, with a strong focus on inference and vocabulary. Students will have the opportunity to:

Inference Activities: Students will be encouraged to link what they read to what they know and make inferences and deductions. They will draw inferences about characters’ feelings, thoughts, and motives from their actions and justify them with evidence.

Vocabulary Activities: The resource includes activities to help students identify key words related to the genre and history of the war. They will also discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, to impact the reader.

Writing Activities: The plan focuses on developing writing skills, such as selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, and using organizational devices to structure text. Students will work towards independent outcomes, including writing a narrative based on a Polish citizen escaping a concentration camp and writing an explanation of WWII.

The resource is an excellent tool for teachers who want to use a classic children’s novel to teach a historical fiction unit while developing advanced reading comprehension and writing skills. An associated reading list with other historical fiction titles is also included.