In this Year 5 Real Writing unit, pupils dive into a lively science-fiction adventure created by published children’s author Jon Mayhew.
Pupils are guided through a tightly mapped sequence that explores character, setting and action.
Over two to three weeks, the class reads closely, practises key skills and builds towards writing a first-person alien invasion narrative of their own.
Curriculum links
This unit supports Year 5 English objectives and revisits key skills that strengthen narrative writing. There are also natural links to science through work on planets, forces and imaginative responses to unfamiliar environments.
English objectives covered
- Change nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes
- Write using the past perfect tense
- Use expanded noun phrases, speech punctuation, commas in a list, fronted adverbials and the present perfect tense
Vocabulary
- Tier 2 vocabulary: alien/alienate, note/notify, deep/deepen, apology/apologise
- Tier 3 vocabulary: ray gun, spacecraft, atmosphere
- Common exception words: existence, heard, breath
Resources included
- Three versions of the model text PDF
- Annotated and non-annotated teaching slides
- Activity sheets for vocabulary, grammar and comprehension
- Character and setting prompt cards
- Writer’s craft instruction poster
- Margin story planner
- Picture cards for alien and object prompts
Key teaching activities
- Read and discuss the model text to explore features of science fiction
- Identify nouns, adjectives and suffix patterns then convert words through direct practice
- Investigate how dialogue advances action and shapes character
- Build character descriptions for Jay, Katya, the aliens and Mr Jenks
- Locate and interpret Tier 2 vocabulary and statutory spelling words
- Use the past perfect tense in short paragraphs
- Analyse how the story is organised using the margin planner
- Plan and rehearse original alien invasion stories using provided prompts
Outcomes
By the end of the unit pupils:
- Read and discuss a model text with confidence
- Identify and use key writing features of science fiction
- Apply suffix rules to convert nouns and adjectives into verbs
- Write accurately using the past perfect tense
- Create descriptive sentences that include expanded noun phrases and precise vocabulary
- Plan, draft and edit a first-person science-fiction narrative that shows clear structure and purposeful language choices