This Year 6 writing unit from our Real Writing collection uses an original model text by published children’s author Anita Loughrey. Pupils will explore the life and achievements of al-Razi (also known as Rhazes), a pioneering Muslim medic and scientist.
All units in this collection follow a carefully mapped framework, providing two to three weeks of detailed lesson planning to support teachers in delivering structured and engaging lessons.
Curriculum links
This unit develops key Year 6 English objectives. Pupils will use their knowledge of morphology and etymology to spell words accurately, create word families and explore how word meanings change.
They'll practise précis writing to condense longer passages and revisit essential writing skills such as paragraphs, subordinate clauses, fronted adverbials, commas to avoid ambiguity and parenthesis.
Pupils will also learn to create cohesion using a wider range of devices, use the perfect tense and apply additional organisational and presentational tools, including headings and bullet points.
Cross-curricular links with history and science provide opportunities to study early Islamic civilisations and the history of medicine.
Vocabulary
Spelling words: achieve, determined, thorough
Tier 2 words: conduct, contradict, gild, ignorant, notable, systematic
Tier 3 words: alchemy, anaesthesia, concussion, cataract, distil, epilepsy, ethanol, holistic, observation, ointment, opium, paralysis
Resources
The unit includes:
- Model text PDF (plain, illustrated, annotated)
- Annotated and non-annotated PowerPoint presentations
- Vocabulary and research activity cards
- How to write a biography poster
- Biography margin planner
- Writer’s craft instruction sheet
- Lesson planning and teaching notes
- Information cards on al-Razi
Key activities
Pupils will begin by exploring images and videos of early Islamic civilisations to understand the historical context of al-Razi’s achievements. They'll read the model text, identify formal and informal language and create a timeline of al-Razi’s life.
Pupils will investigate vocabulary, explore homonyms and practise verb tenses, including the perfect tense. Comprehension and writing in role activities help pupils imagine al-Razi’s observations of smallpox and measles.
They'll investigate the features of biographies and then plan their own biography of al-Khwarizmi using the margin planner.
Outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils should be able to:
- use morphology and etymology to spell accurately and extend vocabulary
- summarise longer texts effectively using précis techniques
- identify and apply formal and informal language appropriately
- structure a biographical recount with headings and coherent paragraphs
- apply punctuation accurately, including parenthesis and advanced marks
- produce a researched biography of a historical figure
This unit offers practical, engaging steps for teachers to develop confident, informed writers while reinforcing key English and cross-curricular objectives.