Real Writing Year 1 - Unit 16
Model text: Types of Houses, by Gabrielle Kent
Curriculum links: Geography
Writing 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 vocabulary
Year 1 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
What is a non-chronological report?
A non-chronological report is a piece of text that isn’t written in time order. They tend to be non-fiction, and they give information on subjects or events.
What is a plural noun?
A plural noun has the suffix -s or -es added and means there is more than one of the object. Some plural nouns do not follow this rule, for example mice. When there is only one item, this is singular.
I have eaten a cake.
The noun cake is singular (only one cake).
I have eaten all the cakes.
The noun cakes is plural (more than one cake).
When nouns end in x, sh, s, ss, ch, tch or z, the suffix -es is added and creates an extra syllable (or beat) to the word.
We opened the box.
The noun box is singular (only one box).
We opened the boxes.
The noun boxes is plural (more than one box).
When are capital letters used?
Capital letters are punctuation marks used in sentences to make meaning clear. These letters are used at the beginning of sentences, for proper nouns, days of the week and months of the year. They are also used in abbreviations (for example RSPCA) and acronyms (for example AWOL).
When are full stops used?
Full stops punctuate the end of a sentence to show that it is complete.
A sentence is a group of words that make sense when they are placed in a certain order. It is a complete thought. A sentence can be a main clause on its own (often called a simple sentence) or two or more clauses can be combined to make a multiclause sentence.
What is a sentence?
A capital letter is used to mark the beginning of a sentence and a full stop, exclamation mark or question mark is used at the end to show that it is complete.