Real Writing Year 3, Unit 6
How Magnets Help Us, by Jo Franklin
Curriculum links: Science (Forces and Magnets)
Unit overview
This writing unit for Year 3 is built around an original model text by Jo Franklin - an explanation text about magnets. The example text is available as a PDF in three versions (plain, illustrated and annotated); annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations are also included.
In this two-week unit, pupils will read an information text, explaining how magnets are used in everyday objects. They will have an opportunity to learn some precise, subject-specific vocabulary as well as some of the writing techniques associated with composing explanatory texts. It will culminate in them writing their own explanatory information leaflet about magnets
Key curriculum skills
Two fully-resourced lesson plans are included for Year 3 English objectives:
1. Vocabulary - Using a dictionary and thesaurus to explore the meanings of words
Pupils will: understand what is meant by ‘definition’, and that dictionaries can help us find them; understand what is meant by ‘synonym’, and that thesauruses can help us find them; understand what is meant by ‘glossary’ and why they are used; use a thesaurus to find synonyms; write definitions for a glossary.
2. Grammar - Identifying and writing different types of sentences
Pupils will: recap sentence types; sort sentences; write correctly punctuated sentences of each type.
Revisited skills
- subordination
- expanded noun phrases
- adverbs
- conjunctions to show time or place
- past and present tense
- commas for lists
Additional year 3 curriculum teaching points
- extending sentences with a wider range of conjunctions
- using paragraphs to group related material
- using headings and subheadings
Year 3 words: featured vocabulary
Tier two words: consequently, credit card, microscopic, interpret
Tier three words: magnet, magnetic, magnetism, attract, repel, pole, iron, nickel
Year 3 spellings: opposite, separate, strength, different, enough, important, possible