This Year 5 Real Writing unit uses an original model text by author Anita Loughrey.
Pupils explore two vegetable samosa recipes – one aimed at adults and one for children. They learn to write instructions for different audiences, exploring formal and informal language.
The unit follows a carefully mapped framework, comes with two to three weeks of lesson planning and meets Year 5 writing objectives.
Curriculum links
This unit primarily develops English skills while connecting to design and technology. Pupils practise:
- Writing instructions with clear chronological sequencing
- Using adverbials of time and number to link ideas
- Selecting vocabulary appropriate to audience and context
- Exploring the structure and presentation of instructional texts
Cross-curricular links
- Design & technology: making recipes and understanding nutrition
- PSHE: teamwork and following safety instructions
Vocabulary
Tier 2 words: preparation, delicious, healthy, samosa, scrumptious
Tier 3 words: energy, saturated fat, carbohydrates, fibre, protein
Common exception words: temperature, vegetable
Resources included
- Model text PDFs (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- PowerPoint presentations (annotated and non-annotated)
- Vocabulary match cards
- Margin planner and writing task instruction sheets
- How to write instructions poster
- Writings skills check
Key teaching activities
- Read and analyse model texts: Pupils list expected features, compare formal and informal language, and annotate examples.
- Vocabulary work: Identify Tier 2 and Tier 3 words, match definitions, and explore Year 5/6 statutory spelling words.
- Formal and informal writing: Discuss audience, tone, and detail. Compare adult and child-focused recipes.
- Following a recipe: Make vegetable samosas as a class, then write a recount or persuasive text about the process.
- Imperative verbs: Investigate commands in instructional writing. Pupils write step-by-step instructions for familiar activities or a DT cooking project.
- Parenthesis: Introduce brackets, dashes, and commas to add extra information in instructions.
- Research and planning: Pupils create or research another recipe, take notes or photos, and plan steps using the margin planner.
- Writing and editing: Draft and refine recipes using the writing skills check for independent proofreading and improvement.
Outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will be able to:
- Write structured instructions for different audiences
- Use formal and informal language appropriately
- Apply adverbials of time and number to sequence steps
- Include expanded noun phrases, prepositions, fronted adverbials, and parenthesis
- Select precise vocabulary to enhance clarity and tone
- Organise and present their text clearly using layout features learned from model texts