Recounts: Diary Entry (Explorers) - KS2 Text Types, Writing Planners and Model Texts

Teach children how to write a diary entry with this KS2 text types resource pack. Pupils will write their own diary entries based around the theme of ‘explorers’ after reading two diary entry examples - a diary entry about a polar exploration and another about exploring on holiday. The resources could be used as part of a geographical study of places, giving pupils the opportunity to describe the places that they have studied. Two model texts are included, showing WAGOLL (what a good one looks like), to inspire writing and learn diary entry features.

What is a recount?

A recount is written in the past tense about events that have happened. Examples of texts that are recounts include: diaries. an account of a school event or trip out, an historical account of events, letters and postcards, newspaper articles and re-telling well-known stories.

Features of a recount

• Events that take place are written in chronological order, with the exception of when flashbacks may be used.
• These are usually written in the past tense with opportunities to use the past perfect or past progressive verb forms.
• Conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions are used to show time (then, next, afterwards, at last, before, when, after, until)
• In personal recounts, the first person is used.
• Third person is used when recounting events of a group.
• Different levels of formality are used depending on the text type. A diary may be informal whereas a newspaper article recounting an event will be more formal in style.

What is a diary entry?

This is a first-person recount written in the form of a diary entry. Its function is to give an account of events that have happened, adding a personal perspective, emotion, feeling and possibly an explanation or two where required.

What is included in this resource?

• Model text 1 - A Polar Exploration: An example diary entry about an event that children will be familiar with
• Model text 2 - Beach Explorers: An example diary entry recounting the discovery of a cave
• Diary recount writing sheet: a PDF containing success criteria that pupils can use to support their writing, differentiated for LKS2 and UKS2
• Exploring ideas worksheet: a PDF for pupils to collect ideas for independent writing
• Diary recount writing plan: a diary entry template to support pupils to plan and structure their writing
• Writing paper: A PDF sheet that pupils could use to present their work.

National Curriculum English programme of study links:
Year 3/4

Pupils should plan their writing by discussing writing that is similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar.

Year 5 /6

Pupils should plan their writing by identifying the audience for and purpose for writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own.

This resource is part of the WAGOLL: text types writing packs collection.
View more from this collection

• Model text 1 - A Polar Exploration
• Model text 2 - Beach Explorers
• Diary recount writing sheet
• Exploring ideas worksheet
• Diary recount writing plan
• Writing paper
• Teacher notes