Real Writing Year 6 - Unit 18
Model text: Small, but mighty! By Anita Loughrey
Curriculum Links: Science (micro-organisms and classification)
Unit Overview
This writing unit for Year 6 is built around an original model text by Anita Loughrey; a report which describes and explains what micro-organisms are. The example text is available as a PDF in three versions (plain, illustrated and annotated); annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations are also included.
Pupils will explore how semi-colons, colons and dashes can be used to separate independent clauses and how prefixes and suffixes can be used to create diminutives. They will use their knowledge of micro-organisms, together with information gathered from further research, to write their own reports about them, focusing on a particular area, such as their use in food production, the natural world or how they cause illness. This unit could be used as part of a topic on living-things, micro-organisms or classification.
Key Curriculum Skills
Two fully-resourced lessons are included for the following UKS2 English objectives, which can form part of the unit or be taught discretely:
1. Vocabulary: To use further prefixes and suffixes - diminutives
Pupils will: add prefixes and suffixes to form diminutives; complete and write their own sentences using diminutives; create their own diminutives using their knowledge of prefixes and suffixes.
2. Grammar: To use semi-colons, colons and dashes to separate independent clauses
Pupils will: write sentences containing two independent clauses that are joined by semi-colons, colons or dashes; choose the appropriate punctuation to join given clauses; write short paragraphs using the punctuation taught to join clauses where appropriate.
Revisited skills
- using parenthesis
- adverbials
- noun phrases
Additional Y6 teaching points
- using a wider range of layout devices
- using hyphens
- writing using the passive voice
- using a wider range of cohesive devices
- précising texts
Year 6 words: featured vocabulary
Spelling words: category, categorise, familiar
Tier 2 words: miniscule, strand
Tier 3 words: algae, antibiotic, bacteria, cell, decay, decompose, enzyme, ferment, fungi, microbe, microbiology, micro-organism, microscope, mineral, parasite, photosynthesis, vaccination, virus