Real Writing Year 4 - Unit 12
Model text: Protest Letter by Loretta Schauer
Curriculum links: Science (Living Things and their Habitats)
Writing unit overview
This writing unit for Year 4 is built around an original model text by Loretta Schauer; a formal protest letter discussing the destruction of an ancient woodland. The example text is available as a PDF in three versions (plain, illustrated and annotated); annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations are also included.
In this two-week unit, pupils will investigate how the suffix ‘-ous’ can be added to words and will explore the author’s use of fronted adverbials in discursive writing. In their final writing task, pupils will write their own formal protest letter about a suggested issue, or one that is local to their school or locality. This unit could be used within a science unit based on animals and their habitats or as part of a topic based on the local area of the school.
Key curriculum skills
Two fully-resourced lessons are included for the following LKS2 English objectives, which can form part of the unit or be taught discretely:
1. Vocabulary: To use the suffix ‘-ous’
Pupils will: add the suffix ‘-ous’ to root words; write sentences containing words ending in ‘-ous’; write sentences dictated by the teacher or other pupils
2. Grammar: To use fronted adverbials in discursive writing
Pupils will: orally rehearse discursive writing using adverbial phrases; write short paragraphs about topical issues
Revisited skills
- Using a range of conjunctions to create sentences with more than one clause
- Using the present perfect verb form
- Using consistent tense
- Commas to separate items within a list
Additional Year 4 curriculum objectives to teach or revisit
- Simple organisational devices
- Organising paragraphs around a theme
Year 4 vocabulary
Year 3 / 4 statutory spelling words: build, exercise, interest, natural, often, particular, popular, purpose, recent, through
Tier 2 words: albeit, assertion, contrary, express, furthermore, however, in addition, outrageous, precious, preserve, proposal, reconsider, urge
Tier 3 words: biodiversity, habitat, species
What is a suffix?
A suffix is a group of letters that can be added to the end of a word. The suffix can change the word’s meaning. Examples of suffixes include -ing, -ed, -er, -est, -ness, -less, -ful, -ly, -ment and -ous.
What is a fronted adverbial?
Adverbials are used like adverbs. They are words or phrases that add more information to a verb, and explain how, when or where something happened.
Fronted adverbials are therefore are adverbials that have been moved to the front of the sentence, before the verb. They describe the rest of the sentence to come.
Fronted adverbial examples
- Meanwhile, we did some drawing.
- Somewhere around here, Jamie left her pencil case.
- Just then, we heard a noise.
- Somewhat understandably, the teacher was furious.
- In September, it’ll be my birthday.
- Occasionally, I like to walk through the forest.