Practise writing in free verse and find creative ways to celebrate small moments in these new teaching activities inspired by Cristy Burne’s heartfelt new book
One Day Soon is a new verse novel by Cristy Burne, a powerful and moving insight into a boy’s emotional journey through the diagnosis and loss of an uncle to motor neurone disease, compounded by his father and family’s own 50% risk of inheriting the causative gene.
Alex learns to appreciate the smaller, special moments of life, which students can also explore in our Mini Challenges: Small Moments activity sheet. The mini challenges include drawing, writing a poem and even writing a recipe, to encourage students to think about the small moments that matter most.
In Writing Free Verse, students are encouraged to write from the heart without rules or limitations, and includes writing prompts for inspiration.
One Day Soon comes with free teaching notes, perfect for Y4–8 with curriculum outcomes in English, the Arts, Health and Physical Education, and Science. Classroom ideas include:
- One Day Soon is based on the experiences of the author’s family. What value does lived experience bring to a work of fiction?
- How can people express big emotions in safe and healthy ways?
- How might learning about a genetic risk influence a young person’s identity, choices or future goals?
