This Year 6 writing unit from our Real Writing collection uses an original model text by published children’s author Anita Loughrey. Pupils will explore the life and achievements of Alessandro Volta, the Italian scientist who discovered the battery cell.
All units in this collection follow a carefully mapped framework, with each unit providing two to three weeks of detailed lesson planning to support teachers in delivering engaging, structured lessons.
Curriculum links
This unit directly supports key Year 6 English objectives. Pupils will learn to distinguish between homonyms and select appropriate verb forms, including the perfect, progressive and perfect progressive tenses, to enhance meaning and cohesion.
The unit revisits essential skills such as fronted adverbials, subordinate clauses and modal verbs. Pupils will also develop their understanding of formality in writing, use adverbials to create cohesion. They'll also apply a wider range of layout devices, including headings and bullet points.
Pupils will practise punctuation including colons, semi-colons, dashes and commas. The unit links with science topics on electricity, giving opportunities for cross-curricular teaching and research.
Vocabulary
Spelling words: definite, equipment, explanation
Tier 2 words: cell, charge, conduct, conductor, current, gratification, intently, muse, phenomenon, ponder, simultaneously, unique
Tier 3 words: cell, charge, conduct, conductor, current, electricity, hypothesis, insulate, insulator, repel
Resources
The unit includes:
- Model text PDF (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- Annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations
- Vocabulary and research activity sheets
- Diary poster highlighting key features
- Writer’s craft instruction sheet
- Margin planner for diary writing
- Lesson plans and teaching notes
- Information cards on Luigi Galvani
Key Activities
Pupils will begin by exploring electrical circuits and investigating conductors and insulators. They'll read and analyse Volta’s diary, identifying formal and informal language, and discuss facts and opinions.
Pupils will explore vocabulary, practise homonyms and investigate verb forms to enhance cohesion. They'll study the features of diaries, including headings and diary entry openings, and revisit punctuation skills.
Children will then research another Italian scientist, Luigi Galvani, and plan their own diary entries using the margin planner.
Outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils should be able to:
- identify and use homonyms accurately
- select and apply a range of verb forms for clarity and cohesion
- distinguish formal and informal language in diaries
- structure diary entries effectively with clear headings and chronological order
- apply punctuation and sentence structures correctly
- produce a researched diary recount of a scientist’s achievements
This unit provides clear, practical steps for teachers, combining engaging activities with curriculum coverage to develop confident, creative writers.