Real Writing Year 1 - Unit 16
Model text: Types of Houses, by Gabrielle Kent
Curriculum links: Geography
Unit overview
This writing unit for Year 1 is built around an original model text by Gabrielle Kent - a non-chronological report about types of houses. 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 learn how headings can be used to organise information and how authors use technical vocabulary linked to the topic. For the final writing task, pupils will write their own short reports about houses and homes. This unit could be used alongside work in geography when learning about their locality and developing their understanding of geographical vocabulary when describing key human features of places.
Key curriculum skills
Three fully-resourced lessons are included for the following Year 1 English objectives, which can form part of the unit or be taught discretely:
1. Vocabulary: to add the suffix -s to crate plural nouns
Pupils will: learn how the suffix -s can be added to words to create plurals and will identify examples of singular and plural nouns.
2. Grammar: to join clauses using ‘and’
Pupils will: revisit using capital letters and full stops to punctuate simple sentences. They will correct sentences, adding missing punctuation and orally compose and then write their own sentences about houses.
3. Punctuation: to punctuate sentences using capital letters and full stops
Pupils will: revisit using capital letters and full stops to punctuate simple sentences. They will correct sentences, adding missing punctuation and orally compose and then write their own sentences about houses.
Additional teaching points to teach or revisit:
- saying out loud what they are going to write about
- leaving spaces between words
- re-reading what they have written to check it makes sense
- reading aloud their own writing
Year 1 words: featured vocabulary
Common exception words: house has a the are one of they some
Tier 2 words: house, home, building
Tier 3 words: detached, mansion, semi-detached, terraced, town, city, flats, lift, bungalow, cottage, village, countryside, thatched roof