This Year 3 writing unit from our Real Writing collection uses an original model text by published children’s author Ross Montgomery. Pupils will explore a non-chronological report about football in South America.
The model text is available as a PDF in three versions (plain, illustrated, annotated) and is supported by both annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations. Each unit follows a carefully mapped framework and provides two to three weeks of detailed lesson planning, giving you the tools to deliver structured, engaging lessons.
Curriculum links
This unit targets key Year 3 writing objectives while offering cross-curricular links to the human and physical geography of South America. Pupils will practise subordination, the correct use of past and present tense and the use of commas for lists.
They will explore idiomatic phrases related to football, using them accurately in context, and develop expanded noun phrases to create more detailed and engaging descriptions.
Pupils will also:
- extend sentences with a wider range of conjunctions
- use conjunctions, adverbials and prepositions to express time, place and cause
- improve cohesion with pronouns, conjunctions and adverbs
- develop paragraphs organised around a theme
- include organisational features such as headings and subheadings
Vocabulary focus
Year 3/4 statutory spelling words: century, popular, extreme, describe, famous, different
Tier 2 words: genius, individual, regarded, championed
Idiomatic phrases: the beautiful game, blow away the competition, kill time
Resources
- Model text PDF (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- PowerPoint presentations (annotated and non-annotated)
- Teacher notes with full teaching sequence
- Activity sheets for vocabulary, grammar and composition
- Report text margin planner
- ‘How to write a non-chronological report’ poster
- Writing skills checklist
Teaching activities
Begin by using football videos or images to prompt pupils to discuss what they observe, including tactics, stadiums and players. Pupils will then read the model text, examining tense, paragraph structure and organisational features such as subheadings and bullet points.
They'll highlight grammar and punctuation features, including coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, adverbs and commas for lists.
Vocabulary activities focus on exploring idiomatic phrases and applying technical and expressive language. Pupils write creative pieces, such as pen portraits of favourite sportspeople, using Tier 2 words, idioms and statutory spelling words. They'll practise crafting clear topic sentences and organising information into coherent paragraphs.
Pupils will investigate the features of reports, plan sections of a whole-class report focusing on competitions, stadiums or teams, and draft their own texts using the margin planner.
Outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will:
- Analyse and identify features of a non-chronological report
- Use football-related Tier 2, Tier 3 and idiomatic vocabulary accurately
- Write clear, structured paragraphs with strong topic sentences
- Apply grammar and punctuation skills independently
- Plan, draft and edit a report on South American football
- Present their work with organisational features such as headings, subheadings and visuals
This unit equips pupils with the skills to write confidently about football while strengthening vocabulary, grammar and cross-curricular knowledge in a practical, engaging way.