This Year 6 writing unit from our Real Writing collection is built around an original model text, The Pros and Cons of Plastic, by published children’s author Anita Loughrey.
Pupils will read a discursive text exploring arguments for and against the use of plastic and use this as a model to create their own discursive writing on plastic or another topical issue.
Following a carefully mapped framework, this unit offers two to three weeks of detailed lesson planning. Each lesson is designed to help pupils develop critical reading, analytical and writing skills while making cross-curricular links.
Geography and science connections allow pupils to explore materials, environmental impact and sustainability.
Curriculum links
This unit supports key Year 6 English objectives, including:
- Understanding how words are related by meaning as antonyms
- Linking ideas across paragraphs using a wider range of cohesive devices
- Revisiting parenthesis and relative clauses
- Using colons to introduce lists and bullet points
- Year 6 statutory spelling and vocabulary
Pupils will also practise presenting reasoned arguments and persuasive language, making links to speaking and listening objectives and developing skills relevant to debating and discussion.
Vocabulary
Tier 2 words: versatile, vital, biodegradable, seep, disposable
Year 6 spellings: convenience, vehicle, suggest
Resources
- Model text PDFs (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- Annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations
- Vocabulary cards and discursive writing key phrases poster
- Writing skills checklist
- Planning margins for discursive text drafting
- For and against statement cards and topical issue cards
Activities
Begin the unit by bringing a range of disposable plastic products into the classroom and ask pupils to discuss in groups whether each product is useful or problematic.
Pupils will collect ideas about the positive and negative aspects of plastic to share with the class. Next, they'll read the model text together, exploring its structure and identifying the introduction, arguments for and against and conclusion.
Discuss the author’s use of emotive language, rhetorical questions and cohesive devices. Examine examples of parenthesis, relative clauses, colons and bullet points.
Pupils will then explore new vocabulary using word cards. They'll organise statements from the model text into pros and cons and participate in a class debate to practise presenting reasoned arguments using persuasive language.
Pupils will use the ideas generated during the debate to research additional facts for their own discursive writing, recording notes on a for-and-against worksheet.
Using the margin planner, pupils will plan paragraphs for their own discursive texts. They'll write their texts over multiple sessions, applying persuasive devices, cohesive devices and appropriate grammar.
Outcomes
- Analyse a model discursive text and identify arguments for and against an issue
- Recognise and apply persuasive language, rhetorical questions and emotive language
- Use vocabulary accurately
- Write a structured discursive text with cohesive paragraphs, colons, bullet points and parenthesis
- Present reasoned arguments confidently in debate or discussion
This unit equips pupils with critical thinking, writing and analytical skills while linking English learning to environmental topics, making the work purposeful, practical and engaging.