This Year 1 writing unit from our Real Writing collection invites pupils to explore the changes that happen in autumn through reading, discussion and writing.
All texts in our Real Writing collection are written by published children’s authors, ensuring high-quality, engaging material. This unit centres on a simple non-chronological report by Mike Davies, which describes what pupils might observe in autumn.
The report uses clear subheadings to organise information, helping pupils understand how to structure their own writing. The model text is available as a PDF in three versions – plain, illustrated and annotated – along with PowerPoint presentations to support teaching.
Over two to three weeks, pupils will create a class book about autumn, writing simple sentences to describe what they see. The unit follows a carefully mapped framework that aligns with Year 1 English objectives, while also offering links to science and geography through seasonal changes and weather patterns.
Curriculum links and objectives
This unit addresses key Year 1 English skills:
- Vocabulary: Pupils learn to add the suffix -er to words where no change is needed to the root word, building understanding of word formation.
- Grammar: Pupils combine words to create simple sentences, orally rehearsing them before writing.
- Punctuation: Pupils begin to punctuate sentences using capital letters and full stops.
Teachers can also revisit important writing strategies, such as saying aloud what pupils plan to write, composing sentences orally and reading their work aloud.
Vocabulary
The unit introduces a rich vocabulary, including Tier 2 words like apples, blackberries, rosehips, pears, chestnuts, pumpkins, swell, shrubs, hoarding, feast, swallow, swift.
Tier 3 words include autumn, weather, seasons, wind, chill, clouds, gust, fog.
Common exception words include I, my, house, our, friend, school, you, me, so, was, he, a, she, one, says, the, there, we.
Resources
The unit provides a comprehensive set of resources to support teaching:
- Model text PDFs and PowerPoint presentations
- Autumn image cards and planning sheets
- Activity sheets for vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
- Writer’s craft instruction sheets and checklists
- Common exception word cards
Key teaching activities
Pupils begin by exploring autumn, either on a short walk in the school grounds or by observing images of autumnal scenes. They'll discuss their observations in groups and record ideas on planning sheets.
Using the model text, pupils will draw images to illustrate autumn changes, match new vocabulary to meanings and orally compose sentences for their class book.
Teachers will guide pupils through lessons focused on suffixes, sentence construction and punctuation. Pupils will write about trees, plants, weather or animals, using headings to structure their work.
More confident pupils can extend their writing across multiple sections or create a complete report.
Pupil outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will:
- Recognise and use autumn-related vocabulary in context
- Write simple sentences with correct capitalisation and punctuation
- Orally compose sentences before writing
- Use headings to organise information
- Read and assess their own writing with support
- Contribute to a class book about autumn, demonstrating understanding of seasonal changes
This unit combines creativity, structured learning and cross-curricular links, giving Year 1 pupils a clear and engaging pathway to develop their writing skills while exploring the wonders of autumn.