Low Road and Windmill Music Federation
Literacy Planning
Information
Year 3/4
Genre: Explanation
Week Beginning:
13.10.14
Literacy links across curricular
topics:
Grammar session on a Friday
morning - currently focussing on
use of apostrophes.
Literacy Skills applied in History
lessons - writing reports on WW1
SMSC:
Word
Considerate
Communicates
Challenges
Chooses
Considers
Concludes
Collaborates
Connects
Curious
Confident
Creates
Culturally Aware
Formation of nouns using a range of prefixes [for example super–, anti–,
auto–]
Use of the forms a or an according to whether the next word begins with a
consonant or a vowel [for example, a rock, an open box]
Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in
form and meaning [for example, solve, solution, solver, dissolve, insoluble]
The grammatical difference between plural and possessive –s
Standard English forms for verb inflections instead of local spoken forms
[for example, we were instead of we was, or I did instead of I done]
Sentence
Expressing time, place and cause using conjunctions [for example, when,
before, after, while, so, because], adverbs [for example, then, next, soon,
therefore], or prepositions [for example, before, after, during, in, because
of]
To build on their selection of openers to begin sentences and connectives to
extend sentences: eg use ‘because’, ‘if’, ‘although’ and ‘when’ securely, and
experiment with ‘before’ and ‘after’.
To be able to use ‘Soon’, ‘After that’ and ‘Last’ securely as openers, and
experiment with ‘Last time’, ‘Also’, ‘After’ and ‘Another thing’.
Noun phrases expanded by the addition of modifying adjectives, nouns and
preposition phrases (e.g. the teacher expanded to: the strict maths teacher
with curly hair)
Fronted adverbials [for example, Later that day, I heard the bad news.]
To begin to vary the length of sentences.
Speaking and Listening
Focus:
Speaking
8 The range should include:
a reading aloud
b presenting to different audiences
c extended speaking for different purposes.
Listening
9 The range should include opportunities for
pupils to listen to:
a live talks/readings/presentations
b recordings [for example, radio, television,
film]
c others in groups.
Group discussion, debate and interaction
10 The range of purposes should include:
a investigating, selecting, sorting
b planning, predicting, exploring
c explaining, reporting, evaluating.
Drama activities
11 The range should include:
a improvisation and working in role
b scripting and performing in plays
c responding to performances.
Group NC Levels, PP Children and More Able (MA):
LA - Yellow - Jensen Chen 2b+, Lili-Mae Ledger
2a , Brooke Sykes 2a (PP), Marika Studzianna
2a+, Preston Finnegan 2b, Savannah Howarth
2a+ (PP)
Introduction to paragraphs as a way to group related material
Text
Headings and sub-headings to aid presentation
Use of the present perfect form of verbs instead of the simple past [for
example, He has gone out to play contrasted with He went out to play]
To produce a structured text with a beginning, middle and end.
Create settings, characters and plot
MA - Green - Ellie Cawthera 3c+, Ellie Thackray
3c, Harley Telford 3b, , Jayda Gray 3c+ (PP), Ben
Lake 3b, Shashank Vanka (level unknown),
Sumanjali Vanka (level unknown)
To structure writing with clear opening and closing statements
Appropriate choice of pronoun or noun within and across sentences to aid
cohesion and avoid repetition
To begin to identify the features associated with different types of writing
and include these in their writing.
MA- Purple - Aimee-Leigh Dallas 3c (PP), Devon
Stott 3b, Lewis France 3b (PP), Javina Kiona 3b
(PP)
HA - Orange - Elysha Ruddock 3a, Kadee-Leigh
Wood 3c+, Rhiannon Davies 3b (PP)
Punctuation
Construct sentences consistently using capital letters, full stops, commas to
separate items in a list, exclamation marks and question marks.
Use of inverted commas and other punctuation to indicate direct speech
[for example, a comma after the reporting clause; end punctuation within
inverted commas: The conductor shouted, “Sit down!”]
Apostrophes to mark plural possession [for example, the girl’s name, the girls’
names]
Learning Objective
Connection/
Introduction
Activation
Teaching
Learning
Spelling Focus:
To understand the features of
an explanation text.
To use causal connectives to
join sentences.
Reflection
To use causal connectives to
explain
LA – chd will be given a selection of cause and effect sentences with
the causal connective missing – they should choose an appropriate
connective to finish off the sentences. Guided group - JB
MA/HA– chd will be given the beginning of cause and effect sentence
–they should identify the correct ending for the sentence from a
selection. They should then go on to highlight the causal connective in
the sentence.
Ext - choose a causal connective and attempt to construct a sentence
using it.
Homework: Changing past to present tense
Homework:
Reflection
LA – chd to put pictures in the correct order to explain how the
contraption works. They should then match sentences to the pictures,
and improve them by adding causal connectives. Supported
HA – As above, but chd children should come up with their own cause
and effect sentences to match the pictures.
Reflection
Session 2:
Tell chd we will be looking at explanation
texts this week. Look at an explanation
text together and deconstruct.
Ensure chd are aware of features such
as:

Present tense

Causal connectives

Time connectives

Logical order

Explains how and why
something happens.
On the board display a simple sentence
and explain that in an explanation text
there is usually a cause and an effect –
the causal connective links these things
together. Show chd some examples.
Show chd a cause and effect sentence
with the causal connective missing – can
the chd add one in to complete the
sentences.
As a class watch a video of Wallace and
Gromit’s Cracking Contraptions. After this,
show the chd a selection of pictures that
explain how the machine works. Match
sentences (with no causal connectives)
to the pictures to explain how the
contraption works, in a logical order.
Ask the chd if the sentences could be
improved? Get the chd to suggest causal
connectives that could make the
explanation text better.
Reflection
Session 1:
Session 3:
I can use causal connectives
to explain
Show the chd a deadly 60 video from
BBC. Explain that this is a type of
explanation. Go on to look at a written
version of the explanation. Highlight and
talk about features and interesting vocab.
Together talk through what we saw in the
video and what we learned about the
creature. Talk about similes - what are
they, did they hear any in the video?
As a class we will write an opening of a simple explanation text.
Chd should then go on to complete the explanation using featurea that
they saw on the video.
LA - Guided group - LH
MA - supported - JB
HA - independent
Reflection
Look at another Deadly 60 video. Explain
that we will be writing an explanation
together about this creature.
Have questions on the board for chd to
make notes on as they watch the video.
Shared writing: Chd to talk through each feature of the creature that
we learned about in the video. They should suggest an interesting
sentence to explain the feature.
Homework: Watch Deadly 60 at home if possible - collect examples of
different features of Deadly animals in preparation for tomorrows
lesson.
Model writing what we have found in
interesting sentences - encourage chd to
use adjectives and adverbs in the
sentences to add detail/interest. Write
cause and effect sentences.
Session 4:
I can use causal connectives
to explain.
Explain that they are each going to create
what they think is the deadliest creature
and their writing is going to convince the
reader that they’re right by explaining why
and how the creature is the deadliest.
Explain that today the children will have to
think about what makes their creature the
most deadly. They have to think about
the various headers on the template sheet
The children can then draw their own creature on the design your own
creature template.
In pairs or threes they each take 5/10 minutes to explain to their
partners what makes their creature deadly for each section. The
partners should push them for detail and ask questions that make the
speaker specific. Model this with another child before they start.
When they have finished they make notes in each section of the
template in preparation for their writing tomorrow.
Homework:
Reflection
Show an example that I have created on
the board. Orally explain to the chd the
features that the creature has that make it
deadly. Can the chd pick out any
interesting vocab that I have used? Any
causal connectives?
Chd can use internet and Deadly 60 website to help them come up
with a deadly creature. Ensure chd know that they can be as
imaginative as they like with the task.
and make notes on them.
Show chd Deadly 60 word bank and talk
about the potential vocab they could use
Session 5:
I can write an explanation
text.
All chd to write a text explaining why their animal is deadly.
LA - 2 paragraphs - support from JB
MA/HA - 3 paragraphs.
When chd are coming to end of their writing stop and talk about how
we could finish the piece of writing. Take suggestion on what to
include in a closing parapgraph
Shared writing - chd to suggest ideas to
write an introduction to the text.
Homework:
Reflection
Today the children will write sections of
their explanation text. Where should we
begin? To help the reader picture our
animal, suggest that size and speed
would be a good place to start. In pairs
have them sugest a suitable sub header
that will tell the reader what the paragraph
will be about. Take suggestions and use
one.