You will learn
- Choose a real experience to write about.
- Tell it in order.
- Write sentences with first, next and last.
- Add how they felt.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Choose something that happened to you.
- Say what happened first, next and last.
- Write sentences in order.
- Say how you felt.
Words to know
something that happened to you
one after the other
have an emotion
about you
1. Discover: My trip to the market
Ama writes: On Saturday I went to the market with my mum. First we bought fish. Next we bought mangoes. Last we ate ice cream. I felt happy.
Think: What did Ama do first, next and last?
2. Understand: Writing about me
Idea 1: Choose
Choose something that happened to you: a trip, a game, a party, a visit.
Idea 2: In order
Write what happened first, next and last. Use words like first, next, then, last.
Idea 3: Feelings
Say how you felt: I felt happy. This makes your writing personal.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Choose
What can you write about?
- Think of a day.
- Pick one thing.
Answer: A trip to the market
Example 2 (We do it together): In order
Put in order: ate ice cream, bought fish, went to market.
- What was first?
- What was last?
Answer: went to market, bought fish, ate ice cream
Example 3 (You try): Feeling
How did Ama feel?
Show the steps and answer
- Look for the feeling word.
- Find it.
Answer: happy
Did you know?
Diaries and journals are personal writing that people keep every day.
Why this matters
Writing about your own life is a good way to start writing, because you know the story.
4. Explore: My story
Write a personal story.
- Choose an experience.
- Say it to a partner.
- Write three sentences in order.
- Add how you felt.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can write about your own life.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- First, I ___.
- Next, I ___.
- Last, I ___.
- I felt ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What did Ama do first?
went to the market
Question 2. What did she do last?
ate ice cream
Question 3. How did she feel?
happy
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- An experience is something that ___ to you.
- Words for order: first, next, ___.
- Ama went with her ___.
- They bought fish and ___.
- Ama felt ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Put in order: last we ate ice cream; first we bought fish.
- Write what you did today with first and last.
- Add a feeling: I went to the park.
Level 3: Stretch
- Write three sentences about a day you remember.
- Why use first, next, last?
- Kofi writes about a trip but forgets the order. What can he do?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Tell a family member about a happy day and write two sentences.
Show a sample answer
First we played. Last we ate.
Another one. Draw and write about a favourite day.
Show a sample answer
A picture of the beach: I went to the beach.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Use first, next, last.
Fix: Add a feeling.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can choose an experience.
- I can tell it in order.
- I can use first, next and last.
- I can say how I felt.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Choose an experience.
- Tell it in order.
- Use first, next and last.
- Say how you felt.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Writing short descriptions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is a personal experience? [1 mark]
- Name three order words. [1 mark]
- Write two sentences about your day in order. [2 marks]
- Write a sentence that says how you felt. [1 mark]
- Explain how to write about an experience. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- something that happened to you [1]
- first, next, last [1]
- in order [1]; correct sentences [1]
- a feeling sentence [1]
- choose something that happened [1]; tell it in order [1]; say how you felt [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- An experience is something that ___ to you.
- Order words: first, next, ___.
- Ama felt ___.
- Write a sentence that says how you felt.
- Put in order: last we ate; first we shopped.
- Write about your morning.
- True or false: personal writing is about you.
- True or false: we use order words.
- Draw an experience.
- Write three sentences about a day.
Homework
Write three sentences about your favourite day.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. An experience is something that ___ to you. | happened | 1 |
| 2. Order words: first, next, ___. | last | 1 |
| 3. Ama felt ___. | happy | 1 |
| 4. Write a sentence that says how you felt. | a feeling sentence | 1 |
| 5. Put in order: last we ate; first we shopped. | first we shopped; last we ate | 1 |
| 6. Write about your morning. | sentences in order | 1 |
| 7. True or false: personal writing is about you. | true | 1 |
| 8. True or false: we use order words. | true | 1 |
| 9. Draw an experience. | a picture | 1 |
| 10. Write three sentences about a day. | three sentences | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 happened; 2 last; 3 mum; 4 mangoes; 5 happy. Level 2: 1 first we bought fish; last we ate ice cream; 2 a valid answer; 3 I felt happy.. Level 3: 1 three sentences in order; 2 to show the order; 3 add first, next and last.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Choose a real experience to write about | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Tell it in order | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Write sentences with first, next and last | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Add how they felt | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Telling events out of order. Use first, next, last.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use pictures to order events.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child writes about something that happened to them. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask about their day.
- Write a short diary together.
- Praise sequencing.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: choose a real experience to write about; tell it in order; write sentences with first, next and last; add how they felt.
Prerequisite knowledge. Writing about pictures.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Share a personal story and ask what happened first.
Explanation (10 min). Teach order and feelings.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise my story.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners share their writing.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What happened first, next, last? How did you feel?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures and sentence frames. Extension. Write a story with more detail.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Telling events out of order. Use first, next, last.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use pictures to order events. Enrichment. Write a longer story about a day. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Writing; Grade 1 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core W.1.3 (write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details, use temporal words, and provide some sense of closure); Education Endowment Foundation Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 guidance (composition); Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (writing). These sources informed the lesson.