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Non-fiction Unit 4.2 The Most Incredible Sport

About this unit: In this unit, the children explore the big question: What is the world’s most incredible sport? They read the interactive eBook, finding information and distinguishing between fact and opinion. They answer the big question, planning and writing their own newspaper report.

Stimulus synopsis: Incredible SportsHave you ever heard of bossaball, joggling or disc golf? This eBooks leads you through an exciting world of incredible sports! This interactive eBook includes pop-up fact boxes, animation, videos and supplementary text to engage children and support learning.

Recommended RouteThis recommended route is a varied learning pathway through the lessons available, which ensures full coverage of the curriculum objectives for the year group within a given number of weeks. It will typically progress from comprehension to composition, with grammar and depth focus lessons scheduled where relevant. The learning objectives for each lesson are listed in the lesson plans below, and national curriculum coverage can be viewed in The National Curriculum for England Correlation Chart Year 4, The National Curriculum for Wales Correlation Chart Year 4, The National Literacy and Numeracy Framework Correlation Chart Year 4 (Wales), The Curriculum for Excellence Correlation Chart P5 (Scotland) and The Northern Ireland Curriculum Correlation Chart Year 5.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5Comprehension 1Introduce the unit and the Big Question

Identify the text type

Create and describe own weird sports

Comprehension 2Read the information: Disc Golf

Comprehension 3Identify features of journalistic reports

Depth Focus 1:Newspapers and mediaExplore the way language is used in the media

Comprehension 4Identify features of journalistic reports

Compare different types of newspaper reports

Read and listen to a sports commentary

Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10Sentence grammar 1: Nouns and pronounsUse nouns and pronouns effectively and appropriately to avoid repetition and ambiguity

Comprehension 5 Read for information: non-chronological report, rules and interview

Identify features of journalistic reports

Devise interview questions

Depth Focus 2:Fact and opinionDistinguish between fact and opinion

Comprehension 6 Read for information: news report and feature article

Identify features of journalistic texts

Evaluate texts and express own views

Short composition 1Write a headline and introductory paragraph for a newspaper report

Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15Comprehension 7Read for information: An interview

Summarise and record relevant information

Long composition (Day 1)Plan and discuss ideas for writing a newspaper report

Long composition (Day 2)Draft and write a newspaper report

Long composition (Day 3)Draft and write a newspaper report

Long composition (Day 4)Evaluate their own and others’ writing

Edit and redraft their own writing

Recommended Grammar Lessons

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These short, discrete grammar lessons can be taught at any point in the recommended route, either spread between the lessons or taught in one session as a group. All of the units across a year group contain grammar lessons that, between them, cover the curriculum requirements for the year group.

Grammar Lesson 1 Grammar Lesson 2Revise adjectives and adverbs

Look at patterns in grammar (comparative and superlative forms)

Revise suffixes

Practise linking clauses with conjunctions in multi-clause sentences

Lesson BankIf you would prefer to develop your own route through the material, the lessons detailed below, alongside additional lessons, are available in the lesson bank for the unit. This lesson bank contains all available lessons for the unit, including comprehension lessons, composition activities (both long and short), and depth focus and sentence grammar lessons where relevant. If you are planning a thematic curriculum, or using Wordsmith alongside other resources, you can select appropriate lessons from the lesson bank for your own planning.

Spelling listThe spelling list linked below contains all the spellings children will come across in this unit. They are linked to the spelling requirements for the National Curriculum for England Programme of Study for the year group. This list can be used to issue spellings to children on a weekly basis.NF AR 4.2.1 Spelling List: The Most Incredible SportYou can also view the complete spelling list for Year 4.

Teaching StrategiesThroughout the lesson plans, key teaching techniques such as ‘Babble Gabble’ appear in green. For a definition of each of these techniques, consult the Wordsmith Glossary of Teaching Strategies, which outlines what each technique involves and how it can be used.

Grammar AssessmentAt the end of each term, once all four units have been covered for the year group, children’s individual knowledge of the grammar concepts taught during the unit can be assessed using the printable grammar progress check and mark scheme.

About the Grammar Progress Checks Grammar Progress Check: Year 4, Spring Term Grammar Progress Check Answers: Year 4, Spring Term

You can record children’s attainment on the Grammar Progress Checks using the editable Class Record.

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Day 1: Comprehension

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionComprehension 1 Introduce the

unit and the Big Question

Identify the text type

Create and describe own incredible sports

Introduce the Big Question: What’s the world’s most incredible sport?

Talk Partners use the text and contents on Screen 1 to predict what the incredible sports in the eBook will be.

The children Think-Pair-Share what text type this is and how they can tell.

Discuss different kinds of journalistic writing (e.g. news reports, features, editorials etc.). Ask groups to browse through a collection of newspapers to find an example of each.

Show ‘Create a weird sport’ (NF ITP 4.2.1). Ask volunteers to create a new sport by combining two sports shown. Discuss appropriate names for the new sports.

Explain that the purpose of this unit is to answer the Big Question by writing their own report to be included in a newspaper ‘extra’.

Core: In pairs, the children play ‘Weird sport’ (NF PCM 4.2.1).

Support: In pairs, the children choose two sports from ‘Weird sport’ NF PCM 4.2.1 to combine. They name their new sport and describe it in two or three sentences.

Extend: In pairs, the children invent up to five new incredible sports by combining known sports. They choose their favourite idea and write a description of the sport and how it is played.

Objectives: Read differently structured books; read for range of purposes; Understand what they read, in books they can read independently; Check that text makes sense and is in contextSpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.1Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports , NF ITP 4.2.1

Day 2: Comprehension

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionComprehension 2 Read for

information: Disc Golf

Talk Partners use the headline on Screen 2 of the eBook to discuss what this sport might involve.

Read the report and discuss whether the children’s predictions of the sport were correct.

Click on the ‘Rule Book’ supplementary text and explore the features and content of the

Divide the children into small, mixed-ability teams. The teacher acts as quizmaster, asking the questions on ‘A question of disc golf’ (NF PCM 4.2.2). Teams ‘buzz in’ to give the answer, using evidence from the text to support it. Points are awarded for each correct answer and the team with the most points at the end wins.

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instructional text. Is disc golf an expensive sport to take up?

Model skimming and scanning to find the answer.

Is disc golf a sport you may like to try? How has the article influenced you?

Objectives: Understand what they read, in books they can read independently; Retrieve and record information from non-fiction; Discuss books that are read to them and those they read themselvesSpoken language: Listen and respond appropriatelyPhotocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.2Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports

Day 3: Comprehension

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionComprehension 3 Identify features

of journalistic reports

Reread the main text on Screen 2. Discuss what the purpose of the report is and who would be the intended audience. What impact did the reporter want to have on the reader?

Identify the features of a journalistic report and discuss their functions (e.g. headline, byline, introductory paragraph, quotes, photo and caption, past tense, third person, journalistic language etc.).

Show ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP 4.2.2). How does each feature help the reader to understand the text? Are there any other features you can add?

Core: Individually or in pairs, the children complete ‘Feature detective’ (NF PCM 4.2.3).

Support: In pairs, the children label the features on ‘Feature detective’ NF PCM 4.2.3, using key words from NF ITP 4.2.2.

Extend: On ‘Feature detective’ NF PCM 4.2.3, the children find examples of journalistic language (e.g. powerful verbs and adjectives, word play and fronted adverbials). They record them on ‘Newspaper language’ (NF PCM 3.2.10).

Objectives: Identify themes and conventions; Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning; Retrieve and record information from non-fictionSpoken language: Listen and respond appropriatelyPhotocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.3, NF PCM 3.2.10Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports , NF ITP 4.2.2

Day 4: Depth focus

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Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionDepth focus 1:Newspapers and media

Explore the way language is used in the media

Show Screen 2 of the eBook. Discuss the different ways that language is used in newspapers and the media to capture the reader’s attention.

Highlight examples such as word play (e.g. ‘discguised’ or ‘flying start’), alliteration (e.g. ‘sporting sensation’ or ‘discovered the delights of disc golf’) and descriptive vocabulary that exaggerates or evokes emotion (e.g. ‘sensation’, ‘exciting’, ‘energetic’ or dramatic).

Discuss any vocabulary that is subject specific to journalism (e.g. ‘media’, ‘newspaper’, ‘headline’, ‘byline’, ‘reporter’, ‘columns’, ‘fact’, ‘opinion’, ‘quote’ and ‘bias’).

Show ‘Compare reports’ (NF ITP 4.2.5). Compare the two reports of same event. Which is more exciting?

Core: Individually or in pairs, the children rewrite ‘Bossaball report’ (NF PCM 4.2.6) so that it captures the reader’s attention and uses interesting journalistic language.

Support: The children use ‘Newspaper language’ (NF PCM 4.2.10) to help them to rewrite the headline and one paragraph from ‘Bossaball report’ (NF PCM 4.2.6) using appropriate language.

Extend: The children rewrite ‘Bossaball report’ (NF PCM 4.2.6) using a range of language features and sentence structures (e.g. wordplay, alliteration, powerful verbs and fronted adverbials). They may refer to NF ITP 4.2.5 for ideas.

Objectives: Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read; Discuss words/phrases that capture reader’s interest; Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaningSpoken language: Build their vocabulary; Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.6, NF PCM 4.2.10Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports , NF ITP 4.2.5

Day 5: Comprehension

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionComprehension 4 Identify features

of journalistic reports

Compare different types of newspaper reports

Recap ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP 4.2.2). Read Screen 3 of the eBook. What features can you spot? Are there any new features? Add these to the list on NF ITP 4.2.2.

Discuss the differences between this report and the one on Screen 2, e.g. purpose (Screen 2 reports on a sports event, i.e. it is a news report; Screen 3 describe three sports, i.e. it is a feature article).

Core: In pairs, the children complete ‘Text types’ (NF PCM 4.2.4).

Support: The children cut out the pieces of text from ‘Text types’ (NF PCM 4.2.4) and sort them into columns headed ‘Fact’ and ‘Fiction’.

Extend: The children rewrite an extract from ‘Text types’ (NF PCM 4.2.4) as a different type of text

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Read and listen to a sports commentary

What is incredible about these sports? Allow the children Think Time before taking feedback.

Read and listen to the ‘sports commentary’ supplementary text. What sort of text is it? (Script.) How is it different from a newspaper report, and a play script? What does the audio add to our understanding?

Bring the class together after the activity to share the children’s outcomes.

(e.g. rewriting the news report as commentary, or the play script as fiction).

Objectives: Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning; Retrieve and record information from non-fiction; Discuss books that are read to them and those they read themselvesSpoken language: Listen and respond appropriatelyPhotocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.4Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports , NF ITP 4.2.2

Day 6: Sentence grammar

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionSentence grammar 1: Nouns and pronouns

Use nouns and pronouns effectively and appropriately to avoid repetition and ambiguity

Revise pronouns. Show Screen 1 of ‘Nouns and pronouns’ (NF

ITP 4.2.6). Read the sentences and highlight the repetition of nouns. What pronouns could we use instead?

Show Screen 2 of NF ITP 4.2.6. Identify and explain the ambiguity in each sentence (e.g. first sentence: the pronoun could refer to two different nouns; second sentence: there is a missing noun, i.e. ‘While the player is swimming ...’; third sentence: the noun ‘bat’ has more than one meaning.

Core: Individually or in pairs, the children complete the first part of ‘Nouns and pronouns’ (NF PCM 4.2.7), replacing repeated nouns with pronouns.

Support: The children complete ‘Replace the noun’ (NF PCM 4.2.11).

Extend: The children complete ‘Nouns and pronouns’ (NF PCM 4.2.7), replacing repeated nouns with pronouns and then rewriting sentences with ambiguous pronouns.

Objectives: Choose nouns/pronouns appropriatelySpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.7, NF PCM 4.2.11Digital resources: NF ITP 4.2.6

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Day 7: Comprehension

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionComprehension 5 Read for

information: non-chronological report, rules and interview

Identify features of journalistic reports

Devise interview questions

Read Screen 4 of the eBook. What links the three sports described in this report? (They’re now played in PE lessons in schools.)

Ask the children to Think-Pair-Share which of the three sports they would like to introduce to their PE lessons, giving reasons.

Discuss and highlight the features of a newspaper report on this spread.

Read the ‘interview’ supplementary text. What different information does this give the reader?

What other questions might the interviewer have asked? Use ‘Interview questions’ (NF ITP 4.2.3) to help generate other questions.

Read and discuss the ‘Rule book’ supplementary text describing the rules of korfball. Leave this text on-screen for the children to refer to during the activity.

Core: In pairs, the children Role Play an interview with a korfball player. The interviewer can use the questions from the street-surfer interview in the eBook, and/or from ‘Interview questions’ (NF ITP 4.2.3), but should also be encouraged to think of additional questions to ask. Ask one or two pairs to share their Role Play with the rest of the class.

Support: In pairs, the children prepare for Role Play by choosing three or four questions to ask a korfball player and rehearsing the answers. They then take turns to be interviewer korfball player.

Extend: The children prepare for Role Play by selecting ‘open’ questions that will encourage longer and more interesting answers from the sports player being interviewed. They use the on-screen text to make sure the player can answer the questions, using inferences where necessary.

Objectives: Identify themes and conventions; Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning; Retrieve and record information from non-fictionSpoken language: Speculate, hypothesise, imagine and explore ideasPhotocopiables: n/aDigital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports , NF ITP 4.2.3

Day 8: Depth focus

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionDepth focus 2:Fact and opinion

Distinguish between fact and opinion

Discuss the distinction between a fact (a true statement) and an opinion (a statement that tells what someone thinks).

Discuss the functions of fact and opinion (e.g. quotes) in news reports.

Show ‘Fact or opinion?’ (NF ITP 4.2.4) and

Core: In groups, the children devise and write statements related to familiar sports on individual cards (e.g. making five fact cards and five opinion cards). They then swap their cards with another group, discussing which statements are facts and which are opinions.

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sort the statements under the appropriate headings.

Reread a screen from the eBook, e.g. Screen 2 about disc golf. Can you spot two facts and two opinions? Highlight the fact that both fact and opinion may be present in a single sentence (as in the introductory paragraph).

Discuss the concept of bias (putting across an unfair or unbalanced opinion). What happens if a reporter is biased?

Support: In groups, the children devise and write five facts and one opinion about a familiar sport. They then swap their cards with another group, which decides which one is the opinion.

Extend: In groups, the children search the eBook for examples of opinions, which they copy onto sticky notes.

Objectives: Understand what they read, in books they can read independently; Draw inferences and justify with evidence; Retrieve and record information from non-fictionSpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: n/aDigital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports , NF ITP 4.2.4

Day 9: Comprehension

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionComprehension 6 Read for

information: news report and feature article

Identify features of journalistic texts

Evaluate texts and express own views

Read the headline on Screen 6 of the eBook. What do ‘bog’ and ‘snorkelling’ mean? Model scanning the spread to see if there are clues to their meaning. Then check the meaning of the words in a dictionary.

Read and discuss the rest of Screen 6, including the interactive pop-ups. How does the headline use words in a clever way? What questions are answered in the introductory paragraph? Who is quoted and how do they feature in the story? Can you summarise what bog snorkelling is in no more than three sentences?

Read Screen 7 of the eBook. What do these sports have in common? (Both take place in England.) In which of these sports would you like to participate? Why?

Core: In groups, the children rank the three sports on screens 6 and 7 of the eBook as ‘incredible’, ‘more incredible’ and ‘most incredible’, backing up their choices with evidence from the text.

Support: In groups, the children discuss which of the three sports on screens 6 and 7 of the eBook they would like to try. Each child gives his/her opinion and a reason, and the others say if they agree or disagree.

Extend: In groups, the children try to answer the question posed on Screen 7: Are they sport – or not? Encourage the children to take turns and listen to what others say. Groups note down their points for and against on ‘Debate B’ (EWF 7). They then try to reach a conclusion.

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Come back together as a class. The children share their activities and ideas with each other.

Objectives: Use dictionaries; Check that text makes sense and is in context; Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaningSpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: EWF 7Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports

Day 10: Short composition 1

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionDay 1 Write a headline

and introductory paragraph for a newspaper report

Show ‘Disc golf’ (NF ITP 4.2.8). Recap features of the headline (e.g. that it’s short and catchy; the word play of ‘discguised’ etc.).

Discuss how the ‘W’ questions (who, what, when, where) are answered in the introductory paragraph to sum up the story and interest the reader. Elicit answers to the questions from the children and add these to NF ITP 4.2.8.

Now write ‘Joggler sets new record’ on the board. Role Play an interview in which a child from the class (the reporter) interviews you (a joggler) to answer the four ‘W’ questions. Add the answers to the board for reference during the activity.

Core: The children think of their own improved joggling headlines and then use the notes made in the session to write introductory paragraphs to go with them. Remind the children that the headline should be short and snappy to grab the reader’s interest and that the paragraph should be written in complete sentences.

Support: The children compose their headlines in pairs, and orally rehearse sentences for their introductory paragraphs prior to writing.

Extend: The children each think of three possible headlines before choosing the most attention-grabbing one. They then try to write one sentence that contains all the introductory information needed. They each improve their sentence to make it even more powerful (e.g. by adding adjectives or adverbials).

Objectives: Plan their writing; Discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write; Discuss and record ideasSpoken language: Listen and respond appropriatelyPhotocopiables: n/aDigital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports ; NF ITP 4.2.8

Day 11: Comprehension

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Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionComprehension 7 Read for

information: an interview

Summarise and record relevant information

Ask the children to scan the format of Screen 8 quickly. Turn the screen off. What kind of article is it? Discuss the purpose of an interview and the difference between a job interview (evaluative) and a news interview (informative).

Read just the headline and introductory paragraph on Screen 8. Turn the screen off. Establish what the incredible sport is. Discuss the humour in the headline.

The children Think-Pair-Share questions they would ask if they were interviewing Phil.

Now read and discuss the interview. Were your questions asked/answered?

Discuss the use of non-standard English in the interviewee’s answers.

Read the supplementary texts. What additional information does the diary provide? Which amazing fact do you find most amazing?

Core: Talk Partners discuss what they have learned about mountain unicycling from the interview and diary extract. They then work individually to write a short paragraph (four or five sentences) about the sport.

Support: Talk Partners discuss what they have learned about mountain unicycling from the interview and diary extract. They then work individually to write three or four facts about mountain unicycling in full sentences.

Extend: Talk Partners discuss what they have learned about mountain unicycling from the interview and diary extract. They then work individually to write a paragraph to persuade people to try mountain unicycling.

Objectives: Read differently structured books; read for range of purposes; Ask questions to improve understanding; Retrieve and record information from non-fictionSpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: n/aDigital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports

Day 12: Long composition

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionDay 1 Plan and discuss

ideas for writing a newspaper report

Recap the Big Question and the outcome of this unit, which is to write a newspaper-style report answering it. The reports will be compiled in a class supplement.

The children Role Play a ‘morning conference’, where reporters meet to decide what news stories will be covered and who will report on

In small, mixed-ability groups, the children discuss and plan their newspaper reports, using ‘Report plan’ (NF PCM 4.2.9) to support them. They should work on this task together, but should each complete their own plan. To lead the activity, you could appoint Group Editors from children usually given ‘Extend’ activities.

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what. As Editor, elicit answers to the Big Question and, based on the answers, assign the children (reporters) to small groups, each of which will report on the same sport (either one from the eBook, or one of their own choosing).

Recap ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP 4.2.2). Display this during the activity as a checklist for writing.

The teacher completes their own version of NF PCM 4.2.9 to use on Day 2.

Objectives: Plan their writing; Discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write; Discuss and record ideasSpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: NF PCM 4.2.9Digital resources: eBook of Incredible Sports , NF ITP 4.2.2

Day 13: Long composition

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionDay 2 Draft and write a

newspaper report

Use your completed ‘Report plan’ (NF PCM 4.2.9) and Modelled Writing to compose part of a newspaper report from the plan, encouraging the children to contribute ideas.

Begin with the introductory paragraph, modelling how to summarise what the report is about by answering the ‘W’ questions.

Discuss how further details might be grouped for subsequent paragraphs and think of sub-headings.

Finally, compose an appropriate headline that is short, snappy and attention-grabbing.

Still in their small, mixed-ability groups, children start the process of drafting and writing their reports. Encourage them to refer to the first screen of ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP 4.2.2) and/or to ‘Newspaper language’ (NF PCM 4.2.10), and offer ‘Non-fiction report B’ (EWF 2) for further support.

In your role as Editor of the supplement, you can offer advice to your reporters during the writing process.

Objectives: Draft and write, using oral rehearsal, rich vocabulary and increasing range of sentence structures; Draft and write, organising paragraphs around a theme; Use simple organisational devices in non-narrative materialSpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: Teacher-completed version of NF PCM 4.2.9, NF PCM 4.2.10, EWF 2 Digital resources: NF ITP 4.2.2

Day 14: Long composition

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Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionDay 3 Draft and write a

newspaper report

The children use the whole session to continue writing their reports.

Encourage them to rehearse sentences orally before committing to paper, ensuring that they are using nouns and pronouns appropriately to avoid repetition or ambiguity; pay attention to structure to ensure that it follows that of a newspaper report with appropriate paragraphing; use journalistic language that engages the reader.

Core: The children read what they have written so far and then continue writing their reports, referring to screens 1 and 2 of ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP 4.2.2). They should include a quote and a short closing paragraph.

Support: The children read what they have written so far and then continue writing their reports, remembering to start new paragraphs when appropriate.

Extend: The children focus on sustaining a journalistic style by using oral rehearsal. Challenge them to use a variety of appropriate sentence structures, including multi-clause sentences and embedded information.

Objectives: Draft and write, using oral rehearsal, rich vocabulary and increasing range of sentence structures; Draft and write, organising paragraphs around a theme; Use simple organisational devices in non-narrative materialSpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: n/aDigital resources: NF ITP 4.2.2

Day 15: Long composition

Session Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionDay 4 Evaluate their

own and others’ writing

Edit and redraft their own writing

With their permission, use a child’s writing to show how to evaluate the writing and give constructive feedback.

Using ‘Newspaper report features’ (NF ITP 4.2.2) as a checklist, focus on the overall structure, paragraphs and journalistic language, and how they have followed the newspaper report plan. Give Two Stars and a Wish.

Core: Talk Partners assess each other’s work, commenting on its overall structure, its use of paragraphs and its use of journalistic language.They then redraft their writing in light of the feedback, if necessary.

Support: Talk Partners assess each other’s work against three key criteria, decided in advance (e.g. ideas grouped into paragraphs; key features such as a headline, byline and introduction; some

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powerful words or phrases. The children make changes following this feedback.

Extend: In small groups, the children hold an ‘editorial meeting’ to go through the reports. They can ask for help with improving specific parts of their own reports as well \as commenting oon those of others’. They then redraft their writing in light of the feedback, if necessary.

As a class, compile the reports into a journal to display on the Learning Wall.

Objectives: Assess own and other's writing; Propose changes to improve consistency; Proof-read for errorsSpoken language: Consider and evaluate different viewpointsPhotocopiables: n/aDigital resources: NF ITP 4.2.2

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Grammar lessons

Grammar Lesson 1: Y4 Comparative and superlative

Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionRevise adjectives and adverbs

Look at patterns in grammar (comparative and superlative forms)

Revise suffixes

Before the session, ask four children to devise a performance of the story text, using ‘Morris, Horace and Doris’ (G PCM 4.2.1).

Show ‘Hot, hotter and hottest’ (G ITP 4.2.2). Ask the four children to perform their version of the story to the class as the rest of the children follow it on screen.

Explain to the children that the ‘–er’ and ‘–est’ forms of adjectives and adverbs are known as comparative and superlative. Help the children identify the pattern in the story.

On Screen 1, drag and drop adjectives and adverbs into the three columns: big, bigger, biggest.

Repeat for ‘ugly’ and ‘bored’ and for Screens 2 and 3. Can you work out the pattern? (‘More’ and ‘most’ are

used with longer words which cannot take an extra syllable.)

Note the irregular forms (good/better/best; bad/worse/worst and more/most, for which there is no simple adjectival form).

Top tip: irregular forms like these are often the cause of grammatical errors. Make a class collection of errors such as ‘goodest’ and ‘bestest’ and the correct Standard English forms.

Act it outWork in groups or as a whole class. Give adjectives or adverbs and ask the children to act them out in the basic, comparative, and superlative forms, growing steadily more dramatic. Good examples are: grumpy, sad, happy. Or you could work through the Seven Dwarves from Snow White!

Objectives: Use and understand the grammatical terminology in Appendix 2Photocopiables: G PCM 4.2.1, G PCM 4.2.2, G PCM 4.2.3, G PCM 4.2.4Digital resources: G ITP 4.2.2, Pilot’s Licence 4.11

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Further Activities:Activity 1: Pen and paper: Using Morris, Horace and Doris 1, 2 and 3’ (G PCM 4.2.2, G PCM 4.2.3, G PCM 4.2.4) as appropriate, the children practise using comparative and superlative adjectives.Activity 2: Get creative: Show the children how to create comparative phrases, e.g. Brighter than a thousand suns; taller than a full-grown oak tree; more intelligent than Albert Einstein.Activity 3: Ask the children to write a short description of a superhero, using at least four comparative phrases. Extend it into writing a villain.

Use the quiz (Pilot’s Licence 4.11) to reinforce children's knowledge of the terminology and content of the lesson.

Grammar Lesson 2: Y4 Multi-clause sentences

Main focus Teaching summary Activity descriptionPractise linking clauses with conjunctions in multi-clause sentences

Sing the Sentence Song II, using the backing audio on ‘Sentence song II’ (G ITP 4.2.3) if needed. Refer to ‘Sentence Song I’ (G ITP 1.1.1) for the tune if required.

Show ‘Conjunction store’ (G ITP 4.2.4) and remind children about conjunctions.

Split the class into small teams. Display the first main clause: The giant laughed Ask them to choose a conjunction and use it to add

another clause to the sentence. They will get 1 point for using a conjunction from the shelf on the left-hand side of the page, 2 points for those from the top shelf on the right and 3 points for those from the bottom shelf on the right. Record the team scores.

Click on the text box to change the main clause, and repeat the activity with the children.

Remind children about main clauses and subordinate clauses.

Jot down some of the best sentences for use later.

Show ‘The giant laughed’ (G ITP 4.2.5) (The giant laughed. He was happy.) How do you know these are clauses? Identify the verbs.

Click Next. What’s happened to the clauses? Which one no longer makes sense on its own? Identify the main and the subordinate clause.

Click Next. What’s happened? Which clause has moved? Working in pairs, children take one of the sentences jotted down earlier. They practise orally moving the clauses around.

Top tip: subordinate clauses starting with a conjunction are adverbial. This is why they can move around the sentence.

Objectives: Use a wider range of conjunctions; Use conjunctions, adverbs and prepositionsPhotocopiables: N/ADigital resources: G ITP 1.1.1, G ITP 4.2.3, G ITP 4.2.4, G ITP 4.2.5, Pilot’s Licence 4.12

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Further Activities:Activity 1: Each pair composes a two-clause sentence that follows the pattern The giant laughed whenever he was happy (or uses one of the sentences you collected earlier), and writes it clearly on a long strip of paper. They cut them up into two clauses. Play Human Sentences to show that the clauses can be swapped around. They then join up with other pairs to attach their main clauses with the other pair’s subordinate clause to make a funny sentence.Activity 2:Choose a shared text (or texts) containing conjunctions in the middle of the sentences. Mask them with sticky notes on which you have written ‘and’. Discuss which conjunctions would be the most appropriate in place of ‘and’, then check to see which the author has used.

Use the quiz (Pilot’s Licence 4.12) to reinforce children's knowledge of the terminology and content of the lesson.

Pearson is not responsible for the quality, accuracy or fitness for purpose of the materials contained in the Word files once edited.  To revert to the original Word files, re-download them from ActiveLearn.