This Year 5 Real Writing unit uses an original model text by Jon Mayhew: a magazine article about The Beatles. It includes three PDF versions of the text (plain, illustrated and annotated) and PowerPoint presentations to guide teaching.
Over two weeks, pupils learn how questions as headings organise information, how to use brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis, and how to précis longer passages.
Pupils then write their own magazine article about a band of their choice, linking to topics in music or history.
This unit matches Year 5 writing objectives.
Curriculum links
This unit addresses key English objectives for Year 5:
- Composition: Précis longer passages; summarise information; plan and write structured texts.
- Grammar: Use brackets, dashes and commas to indicate parenthesis; apply relative clauses.
- Revisited skills: Co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions; avoid repetition using pronouns; organise ideas into paragraphs.
- Cross-curricular links: Music history, cultural studies, and research skills.
Vocabulary
- Tier 2 words: generation, influenced, musicians, vinyl records, docked, tribute, inspired, cultures, meditation, equality, tailored, segregated
- Tier 3 words: précis, parenthesis, headings, caption, layout, magazine article
- Common exception words: rhythm, identity, signature
Resources included
- Model text PDF (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- Annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations
- Teacher notes and full teaching sequence
- Lesson plans for two English objectives
- Activity sheets for vocabulary, comprehension, headings, writing planning and writer’s craft
- Report margin planner and writing skills check
Activities and teaching sequence
- Familiarisation: Read and discuss the model text, identify headings, captions and layout features, and explore purpose and audience.
- Vocabulary development: Match Tier 2 and 3 words to definitions; display classroom vocabulary cards.
- Comprehension: Answer guided questions to check understanding of the article and The Beatles’ history.
- Influence discussion: Pupils write about people who have influenced them and how.
- Grammar focus: Identify and use brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis; explore relative clauses.
- Headings and structure: Organise information under headings using worksheets and model text guidance.
- Research and planning: Investigate a chosen band, record key information, and plan writing with the report margin planner.
- Writing and editing: Compose, proofread and edit magazine articles in an informative, magazine-style format.
- Publishing: Present articles with headings, captions and images, either on paper or digitally.
Outcomes
By the end of this unit, pupils will be able to:
- Summarise longer passages clearly and accurately
- Identify and use parenthesis effectively in writing
- Plan and structure a magazine article using headings and paragraphs
- Apply relative clauses and cohesion devices to improve writing
- Research and present information about a band of their choice
- Produce a polished, published magazine-style article incorporating illustrations, captions and glossaries