Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content and links may be outdated.

The teacher, Angela, brought from home a large coloured picture: in the middle a photograph of her grandfather in uniform, taken in 1917. The reading of the picture produced a flood of writing from her Year 2 class, ranging from half a page to four pages long.

Key elements of the teaching:

Angela introduced the investigation with a game of

‘I-spy' - this challenge stimulated detailed noting of features and language development.

The children were driven by the desire to be ‘the best detective'. This powerful metaphor involved asking questions, looking for clues, detailed observation.

As language points arose, they were discussed and explained in context...