Literacy Unit Plan
St. Peter’s CE JIN School
Name: Mr Hilton
Year Group: 6
Term: Autumn (1st half
term)
Resources:
Prior learning:
http://johnlennon.com/html/news.aspx
http://www.beatles.com/core/home/
Unit:
Non-fiction unit 1
Biography and
autobiography (2wks)
Week beginning:
19/10/09
02/10/09
http://www.johnlennon.com/html/videos.aspx
Hard Days Night and Imagine songs
John Lennon – Short biography
John Lennon ‘Imagine’ song lyrics
John Lennon powerpoint presentation
John Lennon timeline
John Lennon notebook
Check that children can already: Identify and
discuss the language and organisational features
of information texts. Identify and discuss
elements of persuasion when they encounter
them in texts. Identify and discuss the
comparative advantages of using words, images
and sounds when communicating through
multimodal text. Understand how texts are and
can be adapted to suit different purposes and
audiences.
Groups:
Red – Leola, Amber, Chloe H, Jonathan, Alex.
Green – Helena, Ellie, Jade, Amy G.
Blue – Josh, Harry, Amie H, Chloe C, Nathan.
Yellow – John, Jacob, Sam, Billi-Jo.
SEN:
Statements – None
SA+ - John Fort, Amber Midwood
SA – Helena Butterworth, Chloe C, Amie Humphreys, Billi-Jo Rogers, Sam Watson.
Day
Objectives
Whole class work
Guided group tasks
Differentiated independent
tasks
Plenary focus
1
Open Biography notebook using the IWB.
Show slide 1, and ask the children to
continue each of the 4 sentences on
their whiteboards using the VCOP
principles.
Show slide 2, and challenge each table
to up level the sentence.
Ask the class what a biography is? Agree
it is when somebody writes about
someone else’s life. It’s a type of
recount.
Show Slide 3-5, ask the class to list the
features of a recount text on the IWB
such as wrote in the 3rd person, events
joined with time connectives etc.
In partners discuss what
the key information is
from the John Lennon
biography.
Show slide 12 on the IWB.
The children will watch the video
to Imagine and then comment on
again, what it tells us about the
man.
http://www.johnlennon.com/html/v
ideos.aspx
2 Listening and
responding
Make notes when
listening for a
sustained period
and discuss how
note-taking
varies depending
on context and
purpose.
7 Understanding
and interpreting
texts
Understand
underlying
themes, causes
and points of
view.
They will then move on to look at John
Lennon and whether anyone can
recognise him from a picture. The
children will also be asked what they
know about him already if anything. How
Children to order events from John
Lennon’s life on a time line.
Yellow – Supported by GH
Blue – Supported by DD
(VA)
did they find out about this information?
Visit the official John Lennon website;
http://www.johnlennon.com/html/news.a
spx
They will then be shown a summary of
his life and be asked what they can
deduce if anything by what is written.
The children will also jot down key pieces
of information.
2
8 Engaging with
and responding
to texts
Compare how
writers from
different times
and places
present
experiences and
use language.
9 Creating and
shaping texts
Set their own
challenges to
extend
achievement and
experience in
writing.
3
10 Text
structure and
organisation
Use varied
structures to
shape and
organise text
coherently.
Open Biography notebook using the
IWB. Show slide 14, The children
will comment on what has been
learnt so far regarding biographies
and John Lennon generally.
List the sections of the biography;
Introduction (who, what, when and
where) Events (chronological order
using time connectives) Past tense,
written in 3rd person, conclusion
(sums up main feelings and points).
The children will look at
song lyrics from Imagine
and how they would add
their own verse, as a
class, making sure the
flow is not lost.
Show slide 19 on the IWB showing
planning a John Lennon biography. Split
into 5 sections.
The children will look at
a series of simple
sentences on the board
and they will attempt to
make them complex using
connectives and other
vocabulary.
The children will complete the write up of
John Lennon’s biography.
Children to share their recounts.
(A)
Using the notes from Monday and more
importantly their own views, the children
will begin drafting a recount of his life.
On the IWB show ‘The Life of John
Lennon’ powerpoint.
They will then comment on the text
they have looked at and how good a
biography it actually is. They will
then listen to 2 contrasting songs –
written by John Lennon and they
will be asked what the songs say
about his character – if anything.
Hard Days Night and Imagine.
The children will again recap the focus
of the week and listen to other examples
of John Lennon songs e.g. Mother, Love
and Give Peace A Chance and again make
their own judgements on the songs as
well as what this tells us on the
character.
They will then look at the features
required for a piece of biographical text
that they will suggest.
A selection of the children, all if time
allows, to share their accounts to the rest
of the class with the focus on the delivery
of their account.
The children will comment on each
other’s account and the delivery of
it.
(A)
4
10 Text
structure and
organisation
Use varied
structures to
shape and
organise text
coherently.
Begin by once again showing the ‘Life of
John Lennon’ powerpoint.
The children will create a John Lennon
bank of information and what generally
has been learnt this week. They will then
look back at the opening passage of the
John Lennon’s biography and highlight
what elements of it make it ‘biographical’
How can we remember that when we are
asked to create another one?
Hangman – The children
will play hangman using
key words associated
with John Lennon as well
as songs.
5
6
1 Speaking
Use the
techniques of
dialogic talk to
explore ideas,
topics or issues.
9 Creating and
shaping texts
Use different
narrative
techniques to
engage and
entertain the
reader.
10 Text
structure and
organisation
Use varied
structures to
shape and
organise text
coherently.
The children will attempt to turn the
opening piece of biographical text into an
autobiographical piece. Remembering it
needs to be written in the first person.
DD – To support less able group and
create a group autobiography
A sample of children to share their
autobiography’s and comment on
them e.g. difficulty etc.
The children will again listen to
examples of JL songs.
Conrad Burdekin lesson
Open the Biography and
autobiography notebook using
the IWB on slide 22.
Show slide 23 and challenge the
class to uplevel the sentences
from a made up autobiography
using the principles of VCOP.
Use individual whiteboards to
complete the sentences.
As a class, discuss the children’s
knowledge and understanding of
biographies and autobiographies
and the similarities and
differences between them. On
slide 25 Create a Venn diagram
on the IWB labeled Biography
and Autobiography and ask the
children to place the features
correctly.
.
Explain that in this lesson, they
are going to use the information
they have collected over the
past two weeks to write an
autobiographical text, as if they
were John Lennon.
Together, develop a list of two or three
success criteria that will be used to
evaluate the children’s writing.
(VA)
Hot seating activity
Children chosen to sit in
the hot seat as John
Lennon.
Rest of the class ask
questions about his life
during his childhood and
teenage years from the
work done in previous
lessons. E.g. living with
auntie, learning to play
the banjo etc.
Swap the child in the
hot seat.
(VAK)
All children to write the first
paragraph (birth, childhood,
growing up) of their John Lennon
autobiography.
Children to refer back to their
planning from when they wrote the
John Lennon biography.
Emphasise that they must take on
the role of John Lennon and
elaborate on his feelings
CG to support yellow group.
(K)
Select children to read their opening
paragraph of the autobiography.
Rest of class to offer feedback based on
the agreed success criteria and principles
if VCOP.
(VA)
7
1 Speaking
Use the
techniques of
dialogic talk to
explore ideas,
topics or issues.
7 Understanding
and interpreting
texts
Appraise a text
quickly, deciding
on its value,
quality or
usefulness.
9 Creating and
shaping texts
Select words and
language drawing
on their
knowledge of
literary features
and formal and
informal writing.
8
1 Speaking
Use the
techniques of
dialogic talk to
explore ideas,
topics or issues.
10 Text
structure and
organisation
Use paragraphs
to achieve pace
and emphasis.
Model writing an autobiography of Mr
Hilton. Firstly complete timeline of events
on slide 27. Begin with birth (1982) sister
born (1985) moved house (1986) started
first school (1987) started high school
(1995) champions league final (1999) lived
in New Zealand (2000) began working at
St Peters (2008). Ask the class for
additional dates which i have not filled in
such as lost first tooth, first Man United
game, first holiday abroad etc.
Slide 29 write the first and second
paragraphs of a Mr Hilton autobiography.
Refer to the time line and in first
paragraph write an introduction. Second
paragraph should cover birth, childhood
and growing up. Remember principles of
VCOP and refer to autobiographies
success criteria.
(VA)
Model writing an autobiography of Mr
Hilton. Firstly refer back to the timeline
of events on slide 27.
Read slide 29 the first and second
paragraphs of a Mr Hilton autobiography.
Check that it covers the principles of
VCOP and the agreed success criteria for
writing an autobiography.
Refer to the time line and write the third
paragraph. Third paragraph should include
teenage years, university, travelling.
Remember principles of VCOP and refer
to autobiographies success criteria.
(VA)
Hot seating activity
Children chosen to sit in
the hot seat as John
Lennon.
Rest of the class ask
questions about his life
during the Beatles years
from the work done in
previous lessons. E.g.
meeting Paul McCartney,
Beatlemania, Yoko Ono.
Swap the child in the
hot seat.
All children to write the second
paragraph (Beatles) of their John
Lennon autobiography.
Children to refer back to their
planning from when they wrote the
John Lennon biography.
Emphasise that they must take on
the role of John Lennon and
elaborate on his feelings
Select children to read their second
paragraph of the autobiography.
Rest of class to offer feedback based on
the agreed success criteria and principles
if VCOP.
(VA)
GH to support yellow group.
DD to support blue group.
(K)
(VAK)
Hot seating activity
Children chosen to sit in
the hot seat as John
Lennon.
Rest of the class ask
questions about his life
during the solo career
years from the work
done in previous lessons.
E.g. Leaving the Beatles,
Imagine, peace activist.
Swap the child in the
hot seat.
(VAK)
All children to write the third
paragraph (Solo career, death) of
their John Lennon autobiography.
Children to refer back to their
planning from when they wrote the
John Lennon biography.
Emphasise that they must take on
the role of John Lennon and
elaborate on his feelings
GH to support yellow group.
DD to support blue group.
(K)
Select children to read their third
paragraph of the autobiography.
Rest of class to offer feedback based on
the agreed success criteria and principles
if VCOP.
(VA)
9
1 Speaking
Use the
techniques of
dialogic talk to
explore ideas,
topics or issues.
9 Creating and
shaping texts
Integrate words,
images and
sounds
imaginatively for
different
purposes.
12 Presentation
Select from a
wide range of
ICT programs to
present text
effectively and
communicate
information and
ideas.
10
6 Word
structure and
spelling
Use a range of
appropriate
strategies to
edit, proofread
and correct
spelling in their
own work, on
paper and on
screen.
Model writing an autobiography of Mr
Hilton. Firstly refer back to the timeline
of events on slide 27.
Read slide 29 the first, second and third
paragraphs of a Mr Hilton autobiography.
Check that it covers the principles of
VCOP and the agreed success criteria for
writing an autobiography.
Refer to the time line and write the final
paragraph. The final paragraph should
include St Peters, buying first house.
Remember principles of VCOP and refer
to autobiographies success criteria.
(VA)
Hot seating activity
Children chosen to sit in
the hot seat as John
Lennon.
Rest of the class ask
questions about any part
of his life from the
work done in previous
lessons.
All children to write the final
paragraph (Solo career) of their
John Lennon autobiography.
Children to refer back to their
planning from when they wrote the
John Lennon biography.
Emphasise that they must take on
the role of John Lennon and
elaborate on his feelings .
Swap the child in the
hot seat.
Emphasise it must not include his
death!
(VAK)
GH to support yellow group.
DD to support blue group.
Children to word process complete
autobiographies on PCs including
images.
(K)
Big writing
Select children to read their completed
autobiography.
Rest of class to offer feedback based on
the agreed success criteria and principles
if VCOP.
(VA)