Which topping is the best for a pancake?
Discuss this important question with your class before reading an example discussion text that can be used as a model for young writers to produce their own.
This pack contains a number of resources to support pupils to plan and write a discursive text about their own food related questions, with ideas provided to inspire writing. The resources are based on a model text, with opportunities to debate which pancake topping is, indeed, the best. Pupils can then choose their own debate, or be guided by the teacher, and research and plan their own discursive writing using the worksheets to support them.
This KS2 WAGOLL resource includes:
- Model text - Which is the best pancake topping? - An example text for pupils to explore the features of this text type.
- Discussion text writing sheet - A PDF worksheet with two versions for LKS2 and UKS2. Each contains success criteria as well as examples of grammar skills used in this text type: LKS2 the present perfect tense and generalised sentence starters; UKS2 generalised sentence starters, adverbials and the use of passive verbs.
- Discussion topic cards - A collection of ideas for pupils to debate and go on to plan and write their own discussion texts based on food themes.
- Discussion text writing plan - A worksheet to support pupils to plan and structure their writing.
- Writing paper - A PDF sheet that pupils could use to present their work.
What is discursive writing?
The purpose of discursive or discussion texts is to provide a balanced overview of a controversial issue or topic, providing two or more viewpoints on an issue. Evidence and examples are used to support differing views. Examples of discursive writing can include books about ‘issues’, debates, letters or leaflets, and articles that give a balanced account of a topic or issue.
National Curriculum English programme of study links:
Year 3/4
- Pupils should plan their writing by discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar.
- Pupils should be taught to use the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense.
Year 5 /6
- Pupils should plan their writing by identifying the audience for and purpose for writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own.
- Pupils should be taught to use passive verbs to affect the presentation of information in a sentence
- Pupils should use devices that create cohesion