Real Writing Year 5 - Unit 7
Model text: Beowulf Versus Grendel
Curriculum Links: History (Anglo Saxons)
Unit overview
This writing unit for Year 5 is built around an original model text by Jon Mayhew; a ‘defeating the monster’ narrative written in the past tense. The example text is available as a PDF in three versions (plain, illustrated and annotated); annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations are also included.
This 3-week unit will inspire pupils to create their own versions of the story, building atmosphere through vocabulary choices and descriptions of character and setting. Teacher notes, teaching slides and activity sheets are included to deliver these in an engaging and interesting way, linked to the model text where appropriate.
Key curriculum skills
Two fully-resourced lesson plans are included for Year 5 English objectives:
1. Vocabulary - Use of prepositional phrases to build cohesion within and across paragraphs (and investigating origins of prepositions from the Anglo-Saxons)
Pupils will: Sort a list of preposition cards into groups for ‘when’ and ‘where’; complete sentences by adding prepositional phrases, and think about how different prepositional phrases change the meaning of a sentence; investigate words with Anglo Saxon origins.
2. Grammar - Linking ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time, place and number
Pupils will: Add adverbials to sentences and write their own sentences using adverbials; write a description of a scene shown on a worksheet, using different adverbials. There are also opportunities to revisit previous writing skills of using expanded noun phrases, prepositions, fronted adverbials and paragraphs.
Revisited skills
- expanded noun phrases
- prepositions
- fronted adverbials
- paragraphs
Year 5 words: featured vocabulary
Spelling words: harass, muscle
Tier 2 words: defeat, silhouette, talons, slay, battle, tendril, sinew, gobbets
Tier 3 words: mead, longsword