Real Writing Year 5 - Unit 3
Model text: A Chilli Day
Curriculum Links: Science (Earth and Space)
Unit overview
This writing unit for Year 5 is built around an original model text by Jon Mayhew; a hilarious story about an alien invasion in the school playground. 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 three-week unit, pupils will engage closely with the model text, considering how the author conveys character, creates settings and atmosphere and uses dialogue to advance the action. Finally, they will structure and write a science-fiction narrative of their own, written in the first person.
Key curriculum skills
Two fully-resourced lessons are included for the following Y5/6 English objectives, which can form part of the unit or be taught discretely:
1. Vocabulary - To change nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes
Pupils will: revisit the identification of nouns and adjectives; explore examples of nouns turned into verbs with suffixes; choose the correct suffixes for root words; convert root words by adding suffixes and changing the spelling where necessary; complete sentences with the correct suffix; write a description of an alien scene using vocabulary learnt.
2. Grammar - To write using the past perfect tense
Pupils will: revisit the present perfect tense; understand how the past perfect tense is formed, and when it is used; change sentences from the simple past to the past perfect tense; add phrases to past perfect sentences; write paragraphs using the past perfect tense.
Revisited skills
- using expanded noun phrases
- speech punctuation
- commas in a list
- fronted adverbials
- the present perfect tense
Year 5 words: featured vocabulary
Spelling words: existence
Tier 2 words: alien/alienate, note/notify, deep/deepen, apology/apologise