Teach-Primary-Issue-19.2

74 | www.teachwire.net Jane Seymour protected herself and her family by playing the role of the ideal Tudor wife to perfection. Anne of Cleves built an independent life on her own terms in a strange country. Catherine Howard freed prisoners and tried to have fun. And Katherine Parr became the first woman ever to publish books under her own name in the English language. When we hear something is about history, some of us begin to worry that that means it’ll be B-O-R-I-N-G. Especially when we’re talking about something from five hundred years ago. The truth is these women’s stories are the opposite of boring and it’s my job as a writer to prove that to you, my reader. This book is packed with drama (think, fighting, playing games and… er… being beheaded). If I can convince you to keep reading from the first page, you’ll discover that Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Catherine, and Katherine’s stories are exciting and dramatic, full of danger, laughter, tears and history-changing achievements. But, if I can’t, then you’ll go away assuming they were boring and only knowing a rhyme about their deaths. So, you see, the stakes are high. That’s why the first page of a book – and especially a non-fiction book – is so important. This introduction is your chance to grab your readers’ attention and convince them to listen to what you have to say. I’m going to teach you how to do just that! TP T he Six Queens of Henry VIII is about the six women who were unlucky enough to be married to the Tudor King Henry VIII, who ruled England between 1509 and 1547. Henry wasn’t a great husband, and you might know these queens by way of a rhyme which refers to their fates: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. The rhyme isn’t wrong, but there’s a lot more than that to every one of them. Katherine of Aragon led an army while Henry was off in France. Anne Boleyn started a religious revolution that still stands today. The Six Queens of Henry VIII by Honor Cargill-Martin WAGOLL The Six Queens of Henry VIII , by Honor Cargill-Martin, ill. Jaimee Andrews (£14.99 HB, Hachette), is out now How writers can create a teaser introduction to an historical study Writing an introduction to a non-fiction text might sound like a dry exercise, but it doesn’t need to be. A great author can craft an introduction that engages potential readers by placing them in the subject matter, teasing with small elements of exciting details and hinting at how much more there is to discover… if the reader is brave enough to read on! The extract explored here is an introduction to an historical text, and a major aspect of the authorial craft is the control of tenses. Having children create their own introduction to a recent historical study or topic will help them develop this control for themselves, along with a variety of other techniques. Techniques a writer could use to engage interest in an introduction Importantly, there must be solid knowledge of the subject matter; in this, timing is everything: although an introduction to a historical work comes at the beginning, we shouldn’t try to write it until the end of the study. We have to know what we are going to describe, what we are going to hint at, and what we will leave out, before we write the introduction. Use a personal address very early on, as if you are welcoming the reader to your work. Honor Cargill- Martin, the author of The Six Queens of Henry VIII , actually begins with, Welcome to the Tudor period… , and this could easily be adapted and used in an introduction to any topic of study. Image source © worldhistory.org/image/12120/ 1 Planning sheet Writing a teaser introduction Plan a short introduction of your own, using a period you have learned about in history. Think about how you will use different tenses and descriptive writing to entice your reader, without giving too much away. Section of the introduction Language suggestions Examples from The Six Queens of Henry VIII The welcome What are some key features of this period in history? Why is it important? • Literally welcome readers • State the importance of the period, and give examples • Use present tense, including progressive verbs • Use formal and technical vocabulary Welcome to the…one of the most… New styles of art are flooding…sailors are bringing…The king is popularising… Turbulent, extraordinary, radical Tournaments, banquets, pageants The dangers What are the risks of being alive in this time and place? • Warn with a command • Continue using present tense, including progressive • Describe dangers with contrasts • Use present perfect to refer to something in the past having an impact in this period Beware of the splendour of the court – it’s a dangerous place The king is educated and romantic, he’s also…suspicious and unpredictable The most powerful positions are also the most dangerous The changes…have created tension 1 DOWNLOAD RESOURCES AT Download your FREE , exclusive teaching pack to help you explore both this extract and the rest of the book with your class. tinyurl.com/tp-intros 1 The Six Queens of Henry VIII by Honor Cargill-Martin Introduction, pp.4-5 Welcome to the Tudor period, one of the most turbulent and important in British history. New styles of art are flooding in from Europe and sailors are bringing back never-before-seen fruits and spices from the furthest reaches of the world. The king is popularising tennis and the new technology of book printing is spreading radical new ideas about religion. The most extraordinary place of all is the Tudor royal court, where every day is a whirl of ceremonies and tournaments, banquets and pageants. Image source © worldhistory.org/image/12120/ FIVE TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT INTRO 1. AUDIENCE IS EVERYTHING Think about who your dream reader is. Are they your age or younger or older? Do they like funny or serious books? This is the person you’re trying to hook with this introduction so keep them in your mind’s eye as you write. 2. WHAT’S THE POINT? When your reader has finished your whole book what do you want them to come away with? Maybe they will have learnt something, or had a good laugh, explored a new world, or met famous characters they’d never heard about before. Promise them this in your introduction. Just make sure you follow through – you don’t want angry readers on your trail! 3. SET THE SCENE Just because you’re writing non-fiction, that doesn’t mean it should be unimaginative. Paint a picture! If you’re writing about history, tell readers what it might have smelt like. Writing about another part of the world? Tell them what the weather is like. Describing a person? Focus on how they look, talk, or move. 4. TANTALISING DETAILS The thing that really captures readers is detail. Think of this like the snatches of scenes you see in movie trailers. You want to give your reader a taste of the sort of facts they’ll learn and people they’ll meet inside your book. 5. LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE Your goal is to get the reader to turn the page, so don’t give away all your secrets in the intro. Reference something briefly, then move on. If they're frustrated? They’ll just have to keep reading... Peer inside the mind of the author, and help pupils understand how to write a tantalising teaser intro for non-fiction Exploring writers’ techniques Reread the introduction to The Six Queens of Henry VIII by Honor Cargill-Martin. Using the ‘How writers create a teaser introduction’ poster, annotate the text below to show the ways in which Cargill-Martin has engaged readers’ interests in the historical period she’s about to explore. Welcome to the Tudor period, one of the most turbulent and important in British history. New styles of art are flooding in from Europe and sailors are bringing back never-before- seen fruits and spices from the furthest reaches of the world. The king is popularising tennis and the new technology of book printing is spreading radical new ideas about religion. The most extraordinary place of all is the Tudor royal court, where every day is a whirl of ceremonies and tournaments, banquets and pageants. Image source © worldhistory.org/image/12120/ 1