Non-Chronological Reports

Objectives

To plan and record main points and ideas before writing.

To select appropriate information, with appropriate detail, as needed when speaking.

Resources

Lined paper | A4 plain paper | Work completed in Lesson 4

Today's Lesson

Spelling

Take the spelling test by asking your student to write the words they have been learning this week.

Main Activity

Begin Lesson 5 by reviewing what you did in Lessons 1-4. Revisit the Non-Chronological Report Checklist.

Watch 'The Croods' trailer with your student.

WATCH - The Croods trailer (YouTube)

Then access The Croods Images and look at these together. Discuss how the animals and humans have different features on their head (eg different types of hair, ears, tusks, horn).

📄 VIEW - The Croods Images

Explain that the student will be designing their own brand-new animal today to write a non-chronological report about. Spend some time discussing what it may look like. What colour is it? What size is it? Does it have fur? Scales? Fins? Will it have horns, tusks, antennas? How many eyes will it have? What shape will its body be?

Ask your student to draw and design their animal on an A4 piece of paper. Ask your student to colour the animal and to label the parts using an adjective (or two adjectives would be even better) and a noun, e.g. long, thin neck; large, flat feet.

Now this type of animal needs a name which can be made up (for example a kangaflugel). Tell your student that the name of their animal will make up the heading for their own non-chronological report.

Once the animal is complete, tell them that you are going to interview them and ask questions about their animal so that they know their animal really well and are able to write about them.

Ask them questions such as:

Describe your creature to me.
What colour is it?
What size it?
Does it have fur? Scales? Fins?
What does it eat? Vegetables? Meat? Fruit? Is it carnivore / herbivore / omnivore?
What is its position in the food chain?
Where does it live? Where in the world can the creature be found?
What is its home like?
How does it move?
Is the species protected/ endangered/ common?
Would the creature be kept as a pet / domesticated or wild?
Is the creature mammal / reptile / amphibian? Does it give birth to live young or lay eggs?

From these questions, tell your student that they should create a list of subheadings (eg Habitat - where do <animal name> live? Interesting Facts About <animal name>)

Try to write five subheadings using the information from the interview. Ask, ‘Are your subheadings formal and informative?’ ‘Do the subheadings allow you to write a full, informative, interesting report about the animal?’ Keep the subheading information for the next lesson.

Recap what you have learned today.

Citations

[1] www.youtube.com