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Non-fiction Unit 4.2 The Most Incredible Sport
About this unit:
In this unit, the children explore the big question: What is the world’s most incredible sport? They read the
interactive eBook, finding information and distinguishing between fact and opinion. They answer the big question,
planning and writing their own newspaper report.
Stimulus synopsis: Incredible Sports
Have you ever heard of bossaball, joggling or disc golf? Welcome to the exciting world of incredible sports!
This interactive eBook includes pop-up fact boxes, animation, videos and supplementary text to engage children
and support learning.
Lesson Bank
This lesson bank contains all available lessons for the unit, including comprehension lessons, composition activities
(both long and short), and depth focus and sentence grammar lessons where relevant. If you are planning a
thematic curriculum, or using Wordsmith alongside other resources, you can select appropriate lessons from the
lesson bank for your own planning. The learning objectives for each lesson are listed in the lesson plans below,
and national curriculum coverage can be viewed in The National Curriculum for England Correlation Chart Year 4,
The National Curriculum for Wales Correlation Chart Year 4, The National Literacy and Numeracy Framework
Correlation Chart Year 4 (Wales), The Curriculum for Excellence Correlation Chart P5 (Scotland) and The Northern
Ireland Curriculum Correlation Chart Year 5.
Recommended Route
If you’re looking for a route through the lessons that ensures coverage of the full curriculum, you may wish to use
the recommended route for the unit. The recommended route is a varied learning pathway through the lessons
available, which ensures full coverage of the curriculum objectives for the year group within a given number of
weeks. It will typically progress from comprehension to composition, with grammar and depth focus lessons
scheduled where relevant.
Spelling list
The spelling list linked below contains all the spellings children will come across in this unit. They are linked to the
spelling requirements for the National Curriculum for England Programme of Study for the year group. This list can
be used to issue spellings to children on a weekly basis.
NF AR 4.2.1 Spelling List: The Most Incredible Sport
You can also view the complete spelling list for Year 4.
Teaching Strategies
Throughout the lesson plans, key teaching techniques such as ‘Babble Gabble’ appear in green. For a definition of
each of these techniques, consult the Wordsmith Glossary of Teaching Strategies, which outlines what each
technique involves and how it can be used.
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the original Word files, re-download them from ActiveLearn.
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Comprehension
Session
Comprehension 1
Main focus
Introduce the
unit and the Big
Question
Identify the text
type
Create and
describe own
incredible sports
Teaching summary






Introduce the Big Question: What’s the world’s
most incredible sport?
Talk Partners use the text and contents on
Screen 1 to predict what the incredible sports
in the eBook will be.
The children Think-Pair-Share what text type
this is and how they can tell.
Discuss different kinds of journalistic writing
(e.g. news reports, features, editorials etc.).
Ask groups to browse through a collection of
newspapers to find an example of each.
Show ‘Create a weird sport’ (NF ITP 4.2.1).
Ask volunteers to create a new sport by
combining two sports shown. Discuss
appropriate names for the new sports.
Explain that the purpose of this unit is to
answer the Big Question by writing their own
report to be included in a newspaper ‘extra’.
Activity description
Core: In pairs, the children play ‘Weird sport’ (NF
PCM 4.2.1).
Support: In pairs, the children choose two sports
from ‘Weird sport’ NF PCM 4.2.1 to combine. They
name their new sport and describe it in two or three
sentences.
Extend: In pairs, the children invent up to five new
incredible sports by combining known sports. They
choose their favourite idea and write a description
of the sport and how it is played.
Objectives: Read differently structured books; read for range of purposes; Understand what they read, in books they can read independently; Check
that text makes sense and is in context
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.1
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports, NF ITP 4.2.1
Session
Comprehension 2
Main focus
Read for
information: Disc
Golf
Teaching summary




Talk Partners use the headline on Screen 2 of
the eBook to discuss what this sport might
involve.
Read the report and discuss whether the
children’s predictions of the sport were correct.
Click on the ‘Rule Book’ supplementary text
and explore the features and content of the
instructional text.
Is disc golf an expensive sport to take up?
Activity description
Divide the children into small, mixed-ability teams.
The teacher acts as quizmaster, asking the
questions on ‘A question of disc golf’ (NF PCM
4.2.2). Teams ‘buzz in’ to give the answer, using
evidence from the text to support it. Points are
awarded for each correct answer and the team with
the most points at the end wins.
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
Model skimming and scanning to find the
answer.
Is disc golf a sport you may like to try? How
has the article influenced you?
Objectives: Understand what they read, in books they can read independently; Retrieve and record information from non-fiction; Discuss books that
are read to them and those they read themselves
Spoken language: Listen and respond appropriately
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.2
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports
Session
Comprehension 3
Main focus
Identify features
of journalistic
reports
Teaching summary



Reread the main text on Screen 2. Discuss
what the purpose of the report is and who
would be the intended audience. What impact
did the reporter want to have on the reader?
Identify the features of a journalistic report and
discuss their functions (e.g. headline, byline,
introductory paragraph, quotes, photo and
caption, past tense, third person, journalistic
language etc.).
Show ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP
4.2.2). How does each feature help the reader
to understand the text? Are there any other
features you can add?
Activity description
Core: Individually or in pairs, the children complete
‘Feature detective’ (NF PCM 4.2.3).
Support: In pairs, the children label the features on
‘Feature detective’ NF PCM 4.2.3, using key words
from NF ITP 4.2.2.
Extend: On ‘Feature detective’ NF PCM 4.2.3, the
children find examples of journalistic language (e.g.
powerful verbs and adjectives, word play and
fronted adverbials). They record them on
‘Newspaper language’ (NF PCM 3.2.10).
Objectives: Identify themes and conventions; Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning; Retrieve and record
information from non-fiction
Spoken language: Listen and respond appropriately
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.3, NF PCM 3.2.10
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports, NF ITP 4.2.2
Session
Comprehension 4
Main focus
Teaching summary
Identify features
of journalistic
reports

Compare
different types of
newspaper

Recap ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP
4.2.2). Read Screen 3 of the eBook. What
features can you spot? Are there any new
features? Add these to the list on NF ITP 4.2.2.
Discuss the differences between this report
and the one on Screen 2, e.g. purpose (Screen
2 reports on a sports event, i.e. it is a news
Activity description
Core: In pairs, the children complete ‘Text types’
(NF PCM 4.2.4).
Support: The children cut out the pieces of text
from ‘Text types’ (NF PCM 4.2.4) and sort them
into columns headed ‘Fact’ and ‘Fiction’.
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reports
Read and listen
to a sports
commentary



report; Screen 3 describe three sports, i.e. it is
a feature article).
What is incredible about these sports? Allow
the children Think Time before taking
feedback.
Read and listen to the ‘sports commentary’
supplementary text. What sort of text is it?
(Script.) How is it different from a newspaper
report, and a play script? What does the audio
add to our understanding?
Bring the class together after the activity to
share the children’s outcomes.
Extend: The children rewrite an extract from ‘Text
types’ (NF PCM 4.2.4) as a different type of text
(e.g. rewriting the news report as commentary, or
the play script as fiction).
Objectives: Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning; Retrieve and record information from non-fiction; Discuss
books that are read to them and those they read themselves
Spoken language: Listen and respond appropriately
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.4
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports, NF ITP 4.2.2
Session
Comprehension 5
Main focus
Teaching summary
Read for
information: nonchronological
report, rules and
interview

Identify features
of journalistic
reports

Devise interview
questions




Read Screen 4 of the eBook. What links the
three sports described in this report? (They’re
now played in PE lessons in schools.)
Ask the children to Think-Pair-Share which of
the three sports they would like to introduce to
their PE lessons, giving reasons.
Discuss and highlight the features of a
newspaper report on this spread.
Read the ‘interview’ supplementary text. What
different information does this give the reader?
What other questions might the interviewer
have asked? Use ‘Interview questions’ (NF ITP
4.2.3) to help generate other questions.
Read and discuss the ‘Rule book’
supplementary text describing the rules of
korfball. Leave this text on-screen for the
children to refer to during the activity.
Activity description
Core: In pairs, the children Role Play an interview
with a korfball player. The interviewer can use the
questions from the street-surfer interview in the
eBook, and/or from ‘Interview questions’ (NF ITP
4.2.3), but should also be encouraged to think of
additional questions to ask. Ask one or two pairs to
share their Role Play with the rest of the class.
Support: In pairs, the children prepare for Role
Play by choosing three or four questions to ask a
korfball player and rehearsing the answers. They
then take turns to be interviewer korfball player.
Extend: The children prepare for Role Play by
selecting ‘open’ questions that will encourage
longer and more interesting answers from the
sports player being interviewed. They use the onscreen text to make sure the player can answer the
questions, using inferences where necessary.
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Objectives: Identify themes and conventions; Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning; Retrieve and record
information from non-fiction
Spoken language: Speculate, hypothesise, imagine and explore ideas
Photocopiables: n/a
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports, NF ITP 4.2.3
Session
Comprehension 6
Main focus
Teaching summary
Read for
information:
news report and
feature article

Identify features
of journalistic
texts

Evaluate texts
and express own
views

Read the headline on Screen 6 of the eBook.
What do ‘bog’ and ‘snorkelling’ mean? Model
scanning the spread to see if there are clues to
their meaning. Then check the meaning of the
words in a dictionary.
Read and discuss the rest of Screen 6,
including the interactive pop-ups. How does
the headline use words in a clever way? What
questions are answered in the introductory
paragraph? Who is quoted and how do they
feature in the story? Can you summarise what
bog snorkelling is in no more than three
sentences?
Read Screen 7 of the eBook. What do these
sports have in common? (Both take place in
England.) In which of these sports would you
like to participate? Why?
Activity description
Core: In groups, the children rank the three sports
on screens 6 and 7 of the eBook as ‘incredible’,
‘more incredible’ and ‘most incredible’, backing up
their choices with evidence from the text.
Support: In groups, the children discuss which of
the three sports on screens 6 and 7 of the eBook
they would like to try. Each child gives his/her
opinion and a reason, and the others say if they
agree or disagree.
Extend: In groups, the children try to answer the
question posed on Screen 7: Are they sport – or
not? Encourage the children to take turns and listen
to what others say. Groups note down their points
for and against on ‘Debate B’ (EWF 7). They then
try to reach a conclusion.
Come back together as a class. The children share
their activities and ideas with each other.
Objectives: Use dictionaries; Check that text makes sense and is in context; Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: EWF 7
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports
Session
Comprehension 7
Main focus
Read for
information: an
interview
Summarise and
record relevant
Teaching summary

Ask the children to scan the format of Screen 8
quickly. Turn the screen off. What kind of
article is it? Discuss the purpose of an
interview and the difference between a job
interview (evaluative) and a news interview
(informative).
Activity description
Core: Talk Partners discuss what they have
learned about mountain unicycling from the
interview and diary extract. They then work
individually to write a short paragraph (four or five
sentences) about the sport.
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information





Read just the headline and introductory
paragraph on Screen 8. Turn the screen off.
Establish what the incredible sport is. Discuss
the humour in the headline.
The children Think-Pair-Share questions they
would ask if they were interviewing Phil.
Now read and discuss the interview. Were
your questions asked/answered?
Discuss the use of non-standard English in the
interviewee’s answers.
Read the supplementary texts. What additional
information does the diary provide? Which
amazing fact do you find most amazing?
Support: Talk Partners discuss what they have
learned about mountain unicycling from the
interview and diary extract. They then work
individually to write three or four facts about
mountain unicycling in full sentences.
Extend: Talk Partners discuss what they have
learned about mountain unicycling from the
interview and diary extract. They then work
individually to write a paragraph to persuade
people to try mountain unicycling.
Objectives: Read differently structured books; read for range of purposes; Ask questions to improve understanding; Retrieve and record information
from non-fiction
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: n/a
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports
Session
Comprehension 8
Main focus
Ask questions
and use
skimming and
scanning
techniques to
find information
Complete ‘true or
false’ prereading activity,
then review and
revise answers
after reading
Teaching summary



What sport is played on a trampoline? Model
using the contents (Screen 1) and index
(Screen 9), then skimming and scanning to
find the answer on Screen 5 of eBook.
Read Screen 5 including all interactive popups, continuing to model how to retrieve
information by asking questions and finding
answers.
Why do you think Bossaball has been included
in a report about strange sports?
Activity description
Core: Talk Partners complete ‘Bossaball: True or
false?’ (NF PCM 4.2.5), noting the evidence from
the eBook to support their answers.
Support: Talk Partners complete ‘Bossaball: True
or false?’ (NF PCM 4.2.5),
Extend: Talk Partners write their own lists of
‘Incredible but true’ statements about Bossaball,
but include one or two false statement amongst the
true ones. They swap their statements with another
pair and try to identify the false statements.
Objectives: Identify and summarise main ideas; Ask questions to improve understanding; Retrieve and record information from non-fiction
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.5
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports
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Depth focus
Session
Depth focus 1:
Newspapers and
media
Main focus
Explore the way
language is used
in the media
Teaching summary




Show Screen 2 of the eBook. Discuss the
different ways that language is used in
newspapers and the media to capture the
reader’s attention.
Highlight examples such as word play (e.g.
‘discguised’ or ‘flying start’), alliteration (e.g.
‘sporting sensation’ or ‘discovered the delights
of disc golf’) and descriptive vocabulary that
exaggerates or evokes emotion (e.g.
‘sensation’, ‘exciting’, ‘energetic’ or dramatic).
Discuss any vocabulary that is subject specific
to journalism (e.g. ‘media’, ‘newspaper’,
‘headline’, ‘byline’, ‘reporter’, ‘columns’, ‘fact’,
‘opinion’, ‘quote’ and ‘bias’).
Show ‘Compare reports’ (NF ITP 4.2.5).
Compare the two reports of same event.
Which is more exciting?
Activity description
Core: Individually or in pairs, the children rewrite
‘Bossaball report’ (NF PCM 4.2.6) so that it
captures the reader’s attention and uses interesting
journalistic language.
Support: The children use ‘Newspaper language’
(NF PCM 4.2.10) to help them to rewrite the
headline and one paragraph from ‘Bossaball report’
(NF PCM 4.2.6) using appropriate language.
Extend: The children rewrite ‘Bossaball report’ (NF
PCM 4.2.6) using a range of language features and
sentence structures (e.g. wordplay, alliteration,
powerful verbs and fronted adverbials). They may
refer to NF ITP 4.2.5 for ideas.
Objectives: Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read; Discuss words/phrases that capture reader’s interest; Identify
how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
Spoken language: Build their vocabulary; Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.6, NF PCM 4.2.10
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports, NF ITP 4.2.5
Session
Depth focus 2:
Fact and opinion
Main focus
Distinguish
between fact and
opinion
Teaching summary




Discuss the distinction between a fact (a true
statement) and an opinion (a statement that
tells what someone thinks).
Discuss the functions of fact and opinion (e.g.
quotes) in news reports.
Show ‘Fact or opinion?’ (NF ITP 4.2.4) and
sort the statements under the appropriate
headings.
Reread a screen from the eBook, e.g. Screen
2 about disc golf. Can you spot two facts and
Activity description
Core: In groups, the children devise and write
statements related to familiar sports on individual
cards (e.g. making five fact cards and five opinion
cards). They then swap their cards with another
group, discussing which statements are facts and
which are opinions.
Support: In groups, the children devise and write
five facts and one opinion about a familiar sport.
They then swap their cards with another group,
which decides which one is the opinion.
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
two opinions? Highlight the fact that both fact
and opinion may be present in a single
sentence (as in the introductory paragraph).
Discuss the concept of bias (putting across an
unfair or unbalanced opinion). What happens if
a reporter is biased?
Extend: In groups, the children search the eBook
for examples of opinions, which they copy onto
sticky notes.
Objectives: Understand what they read, in books they can read independently; Draw inferences and justify with evidence; Retrieve and record
information from non-fiction
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: n/a
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports, NF ITP 4.2.4
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Sentence grammar
Session
Sentence grammar
1: Nouns and
pronouns
Main focus
Use nouns and
pronouns
effectively and
appropriately to
avoid repetition
and ambiguity
Teaching summary



Revise pronouns.
Show Screen 1 of ‘Nouns and pronouns’ (NF
ITP 4.2.6). Read the sentences and highlight
the repetition of nouns. What pronouns could
we use instead?
Show Screen 2 of NF ITP 4.2.6. Identify and
explain the ambiguity in each sentence (e.g.
first sentence: the pronoun could refer to two
different nouns; second sentence: there is a
missing noun, i.e. ‘While the player is
swimming ...’; third sentence: the noun ‘bat’
has more than one meaning.
Activity description
Core: Individually or in pairs, the children complete
the first part of ‘Nouns and pronouns’ (NF PCM
4.2.7), replacing repeated nouns with pronouns.
Support: The children complete ‘Replace the
noun’ (NF PCM 4.2.11).
Extend: The children complete ‘Nouns and
pronouns’ (NF PCM 4.2.7), replacing repeated
nouns with pronouns and then rewriting sentences
with ambiguous pronouns.
Objectives: Choose nouns/pronouns appropriately
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.7, NF PCM 4.2.11
Digital resources: NF ITP 4.2.6
Session
Sentence grammar
2: Paragraphs
Main focus
Use paragraphs
to organise ideas
around a theme
Teaching summary




Revise what a paragraph is (a group of
sentences that tell about one thing) and why
we use paragraphs (to help make texts easier
to understand by linking common ideas
together).
Use a screen from the eBook to identify
paragraphs, e.g. Screen 3 is divided into
paragraphs with headings for joggling, cycle
polo and octopush.
Show ‘Paragraphs’ (NF ITP 4.2.7). Model how
to organise the title and sentences for one
paragraph. Ask the children to help you
complete the others.
Reread the paragraphs for sense and to make
sure that only the relevant sentences are in
each paragraph.
Activity description
Core: In pairs, the children complete ‘Mountain
unicycling’ (NF PCM 4.2.8).
Support: In pairs, the children complete ‘Incredible
sports: paragraphs’ (NF PCM 4.2.12).
Extend: The children arrange sentences from
‘Mountain unicycling’ (NF PCM 4.2.8) into
paragraphs, highlighting the words that helped
them to order the sentences (e.g. adverbials,
pronouns etc.). Individually, they then write an
additional paragraph (e.g. on competitions), with a
topic sentence and two additional sentences giving
further detail.
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Page 10 of 19
Objectives: Draft and write, organising paragraphs around a theme
Spoken language: n/a
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.8, NF PCM 4.2.12
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports, NF ITP 4.2.7
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Page 11 of 19
Composition tasks
Short composition 1
Session
Day 1
Main focus
Write a headline
and introductory
paragraph for a
newspaper
report
Teaching summary



Show ‘Disc golf’ (NF ITP 4.2.8). Recap
features of the headline (e.g. that it’s short and
catchy; the word play of ‘discguised’ etc.).
Discuss how the ‘W’ questions (who, what,
when, where) are answered in the introductory
paragraph to sum up the story and interest the
reader. Elicit answers to the questions from the
children and add these to NF ITP 4.2.8.
Now write ‘Joggler sets new record’ on the
board. Role Play an interview in which a child
from the class (the reporter) interviews you (a
joggler) to answer the four ‘W’ questions. Add
the answers to the board for reference during
the activity.
Activity description
Core: The children think of their own improved
joggling headlines and then use the notes made in
the session to write introductory paragraphs to go
with them. Remind the children that the headline
should be short and snappy to grab the reader’s
interest and that the paragraph should be written in
complete sentences.
Support: The children compose their headlines in
pairs, and orally rehearse sentences for their
introductory paragraphs prior to writing.
Extend: The children each think of three possible
headlines before choosing the most attentiongrabbing one. They then try to write one sentence
that contains all the introductory information
needed. They each improve their sentence to make
it even more powerful (e.g. by adding adjectives or
adverbials).
Objectives: Plan their writing; Discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write; Discuss and record ideas
Spoken language: Listen and respond appropriately
Photocopiables: n/a
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports; NF ITP 4.2.8
Short composition 2
Session
Day 1
Main focus
Plan and write
the script for a
sports
commentary
Teaching summary

Reread and listen to the ‘sports commentary’
supplementary text on Screen 3 of the eBook.
Discuss the lively interplay between
commentators and the creation of tension to
Activity description
Core: Talk Partners plan and write a piece of
commentary in the form of a script. Remind them
that the script is to be read aloud; they should
practise their sentences aloud before writing, to
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Page 12 of 19




hook the listener.
Model planning a similar commentary script
with two commentators. What would be a good
sport to choose?
Having decided the sport, the children work in
pairs to Role Play the commentary.
Take feedback and use Modelled Writing to
turn some of these suggestions into a section
of the commentary. Highlight the correct use of
nouns and pronouns.
The children Think-Pair-Share other sports
they could write about. Make a list for the
children to choose from for the activity.
ensure they sound right.
Support: Talk Partners use ‘Commentary
framework’ (NF PCM 4.2.13) to plan, orally
rehearse and then write their commentaries.
Extend: Challenge the children to write their
commentaries using a range of sentence-types for
effect (e.g. questions for interaction, exclamations
for excitement and short sentences to build
tension).
Objectives: Plan their writing; Discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write; Draft and write, using oral rehearsal, rich vocabulary
and increasing range of sentence structures
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.13
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports
Session
Day 2
Main focus
Evaluate and
edit
commentaries
Read aloud
and/or record
commentaries
Teaching summary


Use ‘Commentaries’ (NF ITP 4.2.9) to discuss
success criteria for commentaries.
Share one or two pairs’ commentaries for
evaluation using NF ITP 4.2.9. Encourage the
rest of the children to give constructive
feedback using Two Stars and a Wish.
Activity description
Core: Pairs share their commentaries. Children
give their partners Two Stars and a Wish and
children then make the changes suggested before
practising reading the scripts aloud.
Support: Small groups of even numbers share
their commentaries to check they make sense.
Children give their partners Two Stars and a Wish
and children then make the changes suggested
before practising reading the scripts aloud.
Extend: Pairs give their commentaries to another
pair to perform, and the performers then give Two
Stars and a Wish. Talk Partners use this feedback
to help them improve their own writing before
practising ‘performing’ their commentary with
appropriate intonation and expression.
Objectives: Assess own and other's writing; Propose changes to improve consistency; Read aloud own writing
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Spoken language: Articulate and justify answers; Gain the interest of the listener
Photocopiables: n/a
Digital resources: NF ITP 4.2.9
Long composition
Session
Day 1
Main focus
Plan and discuss
ideas for writing
a newspaper
report
Teaching summary



Recap the Big Question and the outcome of
this unit, which is to write a newspaper-style
report answering it. The reports will be
compiled in a class supplement.
The children Role Play a ‘morning conference’,
where reporters meet to decide what news
stories will be covered and who will report on
what. As Editor, elicit answers to the Big
Question and, based on the answers, assign
the children (reporters) to small groups, each
of which will report on the same sport (either
one from the eBook, or one of their own
choosing).
Recap ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP
4.2.2). Display this during the activity as a
checklist for writing.
Activity description
In small, mixed-ability groups, the children discuss
and plan their newspaper reports, using ‘Report
plan’ (NF PCM 4.2.9) to support them. They should
work on this task together, but should each
complete their own plan. To lead the activity, you
could appoint Group Editors from children usually
given ‘Extend’ activities.
The teacher completes their own version of NF
PCM 4.2.9 to use on Day 2.
Objectives: Plan their writing; Discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write; Discuss and record ideas
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.9
Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports, NF ITP 4.2.2
Session
Day 2
Main focus
Draft and write a
newspaper
report
Teaching summary



Use your completed ‘Report plan’ (NF PCM
4.2.9) and Modelled Writing to compose part of
a newspaper report from the plan, encouraging
the children to contribute ideas.
Begin with the introductory paragraph,
modelling how to summarise what the report is
about by answering the ‘W’ questions.
Discuss how further details might be grouped
Activity description
Still in their small, mixed-ability groups, children
start the process of drafting and writing their
reports. Encourage them to refer to the first screen
of ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP 4.2.2)
and/or to ‘Newspaper language’ (NF PCM 4.2.10),
and offer ‘Non-fiction report B’ (EWF 2) for further
support.
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Page 14 of 19

for subsequent paragraphs and think of subheadings.
Finally, compose an appropriate headline that
is short, snappy and attention-grabbing.
In your role as Editor of the supplement, you can
offer advice to your reporters during the writing
process.
Objectives: Draft and write, using oral rehearsal, rich vocabulary and increasing range of sentence structures; Draft and write, organising
paragraphs around a theme; Use simple organisational devices in non-narrative material
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: Teacher-completed version of NF PCM 4.2.9, NF PCM 4.2.10, EWF 2
Digital resources: NF ITP 4.2.2
Session
Day 3
Main focus
Draft and write a
newspaper
report
Teaching summary


The children use the whole session to continue
writing their reports.
Encourage them to rehearse sentences orally
before committing to paper, ensuring that they
are using nouns and pronouns appropriately to
avoid repetition or ambiguity; pay attention to
structure to ensure that it follows that of a
newspaper report with appropriate
paragraphing; use journalistic language that
engages the reader.
Activity description
Core: The children read what they have written so
far and then continue writing their reports, referring
to screens 1 and 2 of ‘Newspaper report features’
(NF ITP 4.2.2). They should include a quote and a
short closing paragraph.
Support: The children read what they have written
so far and then continue writing their reports,
remembering to start new paragraphs when
appropriate.
Extend: The children focus on sustaining a
journalistic style by using oral rehearsal. Challenge
them to use a variety of appropriate sentence
structures, including multi-clause sentences and
embedded information.
Objectives: Draft and write, using oral rehearsal, rich vocabulary and increasing range of sentence structures; Draft and write, organising
paragraphs around a theme; Use simple organisational devices in non-narrative material
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: n/a
Digital resources: NF ITP 4.2.2
Session
Day 4
Main focus
Evaluate their
own and others’
writing
Teaching summary


With their permission, use a child’s writing to
show how to evaluate the writing and give
constructive feedback.
Using ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP
Activity description
Core: Talk Partners assess each other’s work,
commenting on its overall structure, its use of
paragraphs and its use of journalistic language.
They then redraft their writing in light of the
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Page 15 of 19
Edit and redraft
their own writing
4.2.2) as a checklist, focus on the overall
structure, paragraphs and journalistic
language, and how they have followed the
newspaper report plan. Give Two Stars and a
Wish.
feedback, if necessary.
Support: Talk Partners assess each other’s work
against three key criteria, decided in advance (e.g.
ideas grouped into paragraphs; key features such
as a headline, byline and introduction; some
powerful words or phrases. The children make
changes following this feedback.
Extend: In small groups, the children hold an
‘editorial meeting’ to go through the reports. They
can ask for help with improving specific parts of
their own reports as well \as commenting oon those
of others’. They then redraft their writing in light of
the feedback, if necessary.
As a class, compile the reports into a journal to
display on the Learning Wall.
Objectives: Assess own and other's writing; Propose changes to improve consistency; Proof-read for errors
Spoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpoints
Photocopiables: n/a
Digital resources: NF ITP 4.2.2
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Page 16 of 19
Consolidation
Session
Consolidation
Main focus
Use evidence
from the text to
evaluate and
provide an
answer to the
Big Question
Teaching summary





Return to the Big Question and discuss how
‘incredible’ might be interpreted.
The children undertake the activity.
Pairs share answers from the activity, giving
reasons for their answers. Do you all agree or
do you have different answers?
Write a headline to reflect the outcome, e.g.
‘Bog Snorkelling Snatches Title of World’s
Most Incredible Sport’.
Discuss which, if any, of the sports in the
eBook might eventually become an Olympic
sport.
Activity description
Talk Partners discuss the Big Question, coming up
with an agreed answer using evidence from the
eBook to support this. They may need to persuade
each other to come to a consensus!
Core: Talk Partners discuss the Big Question,
coming up with an agreed answer supported by
evidence from the eBook. They may need to
persuade each other to come to a consensus!
Support: Talk Partners discuss the Big Question,
agreeing on an answer and some reasons to
support it.
Extend: Talk Partners agree their answer to the
Big Question. They use evidence from the eBook to
write or present a persuasive argument for why
their sport should win the title of ‘World’s Most
Incredible Sport’.
Objectives: Identify and summarise main ideas; Retrieve and record information from non-fiction; Discuss books that are read to them and those
they read themselves
Spoken language: Articulate and justify answers; Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives; Consider and evaluate different
viewpoints
Photocopiables: n/a
Digital resources: n/a
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Page 17 of 19
Grammar lessons
Grammar Lesson 1: Y4 Comparative and superlative
Main focus
Revise adjectives and adverbs
Teaching summary

Before the session, ask four children to devise a
performance of the story text, using ‘Morris, Horace and
Look at patterns in grammar
Doris’ (G PCM 4.2.1).
(comparative and superlative
 Show ‘Hot, hotter and hottest’ (G ITP 4.2.2). Ask the
forms)
four children to perform their version of the story to the
class as the rest of the children follow it on screen.
Revise suffixes
 Explain to the children that the ‘–er’ and ‘–est’ forms of
adjectives and adverbs are known as comparative and
superlative. Help the children identify the pattern in the
story.
 On Screen 1, drag and drop adjectives and adverbs
into the three columns: big, bigger, biggest.
 Repeat for ‘ugly’ and ‘bored’ and for Screens 2 and 3.
 Can you work out the pattern? (‘More’ and ‘most’ are
used with longer words which cannot take an extra
syllable.)
 Note the irregular forms (good/better/best;
bad/worse/worst and more/most, for which there is no
simple adjectival form).
 Top tip: irregular forms like these are often the cause
of grammatical errors. Make a class collection of errors
such as ‘goodest’ and ‘bestest’ and the correct
Standard English forms.
Objectives: Use and understand the grammatical terminology in Appendix 2
Photocopiables: G PCM 4.2.1, G PCM 4.2.2, G PCM 4.2.3, G PCM 4.2.4
Digital resources: G ITP 4.2.2, Pilot’s Licence 4.11
Activity description
Act it out
Work in groups or as a whole class. Give adjectives or adverbs
and ask the children to act them out in the basic, comparative,
and superlative forms, growing steadily more dramatic. Good
examples are: grumpy, sad, happy. Or you could work through
the Seven Dwarves from Snow White!
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Page 18 of 19
Further Activities:
Activity 1:
Pen and paper: Using Morris, Horace and Doris 1, 2 and 3’ (G PCM 4.2.2, G PCM 4.2.3, G PCM 4.2.4) as appropriate, the children practise using comparative
and superlative adjectives.
Activity 2:
Get creative: Show the children how to create comparative phrases, e.g. Brighter than a thousand suns; taller than a full-grown oak tree; more intelligent than
Albert Einstein.
Activity 3:
Ask the children to write a short description of a superhero, using at least four comparative phrases. Extend it into writing a villain.
Use the quiz (Pilot’s Licence 4.11) to reinforce children's knowledge of the terminology and content of the lesson.
Grammar Lesson 2: Y4 Multi-clause sentences
Main focus
Practise linking clauses with
conjunctions in multi-clause
sentences
Teaching summary

Sing the Sentence Song II, using the backing audio on
‘Sentence song II’ (G ITP 4.2.3) if needed. Refer to
‘Sentence Song I’ (G ITP 1.1.1) for the tune if required.
 Show ‘Conjunction store’ (G ITP 4.2.4) and remind
children about conjunctions.
 Split the class into small teams.
 Display the first main clause: The giant laughed
 Ask them to choose a conjunction and use it to add
another clause to the sentence. They will get 1 point for
using a conjunction from the shelf on the left-hand side
of the page, 2 points for those from the top shelf on the
right and 3 points for those from the bottom shelf on the
right. Record the team scores.
 Click on the text box to change the main clause, and
repeat the activity with the children.
 Remind children about main clauses and subordinate
clauses.
 Jot down some of the best sentences for use later.
Objectives: Use a wider range of conjunctions; Use conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions
Photocopiables: N/A
Digital resources: G ITP 1.1.1, G ITP 4.2.3, G ITP 4.2.4, G ITP 4.2.5, Pilot’s Licence 4.12
Activity description
Show ‘The giant laughed’ (G ITP 4.2.5) (The giant laughed. He
was happy.) How do you know these are clauses? Identify the
verbs.
Click Next. What’s happened to the clauses? Which one no
longer makes sense on its own? Identify the main and the
subordinate clause.
Click Next. What’s happened? Which clause has moved?
Working in pairs, children take one of the sentences jotted
down earlier. They practise orally moving the clauses around.
Top tip: subordinate clauses starting with a conjunction are
adverbial. This is why they can move around the sentence.
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Page 19 of 19
Further Activities:
Activity 1:
Each pair composes a two-clause sentence that follows the pattern The giant laughed whenever he was happy (or uses one of the sentences you collected
earlier), and writes it clearly on a long strip of paper. They cut them up into two clauses. Play Human Sentences to show that the clauses can be swapped
around. They then join up with other pairs to attach their main clauses with the other pair’s subordinate clause to make a funny sentence.
Activity 2:
Choose a shared text (or texts) containing conjunctions in the middle of the sentences. Mask them with sticky notes on which you have written ‘and’. Discuss
which conjunctions would be the most appropriate in place of ‘and’, then check to see which the author has used.
Use the quiz (Pilot’s Licence 4.12) to reinforce children's knowledge of the terminology and content of the lesson.
Grammar Assessment
At the end of each term, once all four units have been covered for the year group, children’s individual knowledge of the grammar concepts taught during the unit
can be assessed using the printable grammar progress check and mark scheme.



About the Grammar Progress Checks
Grammar Progress Check: Year 4, Spring Term
Grammar Progress Check Answers: Year 4, Spring Term
You can record children’s attainment on the Grammar Progress Checks using the editable Class Record.
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