This Year 5 Real Writing unit focuses on the life and achievements of Katherine Johnson, a mathematician whose work was vital to NASA’s space programme.
Pupils explore biographies and their structure, read an original model text by author Anita Loughrey, and write their own recount about a significant figure in space exploration or theory. The model text is available in plain, illustrated and annotated PDFs, plus annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint slides.
The unit follows a carefully mapped framework, provides two to three weeks of detailed lesson planning and matches Year 5 writing objectives.
Curriculum links
English objectives
- Grammar: Use the perfect form of verbs to mark relationships of time and cause
- Composition: Proofread, proposing changes to punctuation
- Revisited skills: Using paragraphs to organise ideas, relative clauses, précising texts
Other subjects
- Science: Explore Earth and Space through Tier 3 vocabulary such as atmosphere
Vocabulary
- Tier 2: research, inspired, proposed, originate, indispensable, discrimination, assertive, acknowledged, permit, asset, install, exceed, manually, congratulate
- Tier 3: mathematician, atmosphere
- Common exception words: opportunity, prejudice, achieve, programme
Resources included
- Model text: Katherine Johnson (plain, illustrated, annotated PDFs)
- PowerPoint slides (annotated and non-annotated)
- Vocabulary display and match cards
- How to write a biography poster
- How to précis a text poster
- Significant individuals cards
- Research and margin planner sheets
- Pupil worksheets for grammar and composition
- Writing skills check sheet
Activities and teaching sequence
Phase 1: Familiarisation
- Introduce the biography title, introduction, and images
- Discuss the type of writing and chronological organisation
- Create a class list of reasons why Katherine Johnson is significant
- Encourage research and formulate questions about her life
Phase 2: Teaching & rehearsing
- Grammar: Practice past perfect tense using worksheets
- Composition: Proofreading exercises focusing on punctuation
- Relative clauses: Identify and create sentences with relative clauses
- Writing features: Annotate examples of style, grammar, and punctuation from the model text
- Vocabulary work: Match Tier 2 and Tier 3 words to definitions
Phase 3: Application
- Discuss choice of individual for biographical recount
- Organise research into chronological paragraphs using margin planners
- Write and edit biographical recounts independently, checking punctuation and language
Outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will be able to:
- Analyse and identify the structure of a biographical recount
- Apply past perfect tense and relative clauses accurately in writing
- Use Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary to enrich text
- Plan, write, and edit a biographical recount about a significant individual
- Demonstrate understanding of chronology and key biographical features