Real Writing Year 4, Unit 4
Discovering Sutton Hoo, by Loretta Schauer
Curriculum links: History (Anglo-Saxons)
Writing unit overview
This writing unit for Year 4 is built around an original model text by Loretta Schauer - a non-chronological report about Sutton Hoo. 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 read an information text about the archaeological finds made at Sutton Hoo. They will have an opportunity to learn technical vocabulary related to archaeology, and will look at using dictionaries and thesauruses to explore words, and organising paragraphs around a theme. Finally, they will research and write their own report about Sutton Hoo, or another aspect of Anglo-Saxon life.
Key curriculum skills
Two fully resourced lesson plans are included for Year 4 English objectives, which can form part of the unit or be taught discretely:
Vocabulary: To use dictionaries and thesauruses to explore words
Pupils will: revisit the meaning of ‘definition’, and understand that you can use a dictionary to find them; understand the meaning of ‘synonym’ and how to use a thesaurus to find them; understand what is meant by ‘glossary’ and why they are used; find synonyms using a thesaurus; find definitions for a glossary related to a text about Anglo-Saxon life.
Grammar: To organise paragraphs around a theme
Pupils will: revisit paragraphs; group sentences to make paragraphs; sort fact cards into paragraphs with headings; write a paragraph about Anglo-Saxon life.
Additional skills to teach or revisit
- using adjectives and prepositions
- using appropriate tenses consistently
- using a range of conjunctions
- using commas in a list
Additional year 4 curriculum teaching points
- using fronted adverbials
- organisational devices
- creating expanded noun phrases using adjectives and prepositional phrases
Year 4 words vocabulary
Tier two words: ceremonial, haul, ornate, precious
Tier three words: archaeological, artefact, evidence, excavate
Year 3/4 statutory spelling words: century, certain, imagine, knowledge, early
What is a non-chronological report?
A non-chronological report is a piece of text that isn’t written in time order. They tend to be non-fiction, and they give information on subjects or events.