Thereport

book

Sue Palmer

report textreport text* describes what things are like (or were like)

* not in time order

(non-chronological) Blank version

report

catalogue information leaflet

magazine article

non-fiction book (e.g. geography)encyclopaed

ia entry

tourist guide book

topic-based school project

letter

These texts are often ‘report text’…

report organisation 1report organisation 1

Whe

n? What? Who?

Where?

More detail if necessary

information organised in categories

Main points in category

Topic

simple reportsimple report

Blank version

report organisation 1report organisation 1Introduction

Who-What-Where-When

etc.

ParagraphSection }

1}2

ParagraphSection

When you have made your “spidergram” skeleton, each spider leg gives you one paragraph (or subheaded section) in your writing

report organisation 2report organisation 2comparative comparative reportreport

e.g. 1e.g. 2

e.g. 3

etc.

categoriessimple comparison When you have made your grid, write a paragraph about each point of comparison.formatted text When you have made your grid, write about each example under each category heading.

Blank version

report language featuresreport language features

* present tense (except historical reports)

* ‘general’ nouns (not particular people, animals, things)

* third person

* factual description

* technical words and phrases

* often formal, impersonal language

AudienceAudiencesomeone* who wants to know about

- the subject

- one aspect of the subject

* You may have further information on age, interests, etc. of reader.

PurposePurposeto organise and write the facts, so they are easy to find and understand

Planning report textPlanning report text

* BRAINSTORM what you know (and find out more if

necessary).

* ORGANISE it into categories.

* Make the SPIDERGRAM. Write the topic in the middle, and one category on each leg.

When writing with a When writing with a partner..partner..

REHEARSREHEARSEE

Say each phrase or sentence aloud

Improve if possible

WRITEWRITE One writes, one helps.

RE-RE-READREAD

Read back to check it makes sense

* *

‘‘SSkeleton’keleton’blanksblanks

Report textReport text

Back to skeleton

Comparative reportComparative report

Back to skeleton

Alternative ‘skeleton’ Alternative ‘skeleton’ note-taking note-taking frameworksframeworks

Tree diagramTree diagram

Venn diagramVenn diagram

Mobile post-it notesMobile post-it notes

Examples of Examples of ‘‘skeletons’ skeletons’

in usein use

Taken from ‘How to teach Writing Across the Curriculum’ (KS1/2) by Sue Palmer, with many

thanks to David Fulton Publishers

OUR SCHOOLOur school is called Lee Park Primary, and it is in Longton near York. Lee Park has seven classes, from reception to Year 6, and there are 198 pupils in the school. It was built in 1965.Lee Park has a big playground, with special sections for the infants and juniors. In the infant playground there are lots of shapes painted on the ground, like hopscotch squares and a map of Britain, for people to play on. There is also a special area for sitting quietly. The junior playground has play areas marked out as well, including football and netball pitches.We also have a school field. This is next to the school down a little lane. In the summer we are allowed to play on the field too, but in winter it is too muddy. However, when it snows, Mrs Carr (our headteacher) sometimes lets us go on the field.The school has a large school hall that we use for assembly and some lessons, such as gym and drama. We also use the hall for lunches. You can bring packed lunch and sit at the back of the hall, or you can have school lunch. The dinner ladies serve this on long wooden tables at the front of hall. The rest of the time, the tables are stored in a cupboard.

Skeleton

Text

Our School

Intro

fieldplayground

hall

Lee Park Longton, near York

198 pupils 7 classes

built 1967 hopscotch

map

games

infants

quiet area

juniors

netballfootball

summer - play

winter

usually no play snow -

play

assembly, lessons

lunch

dramagympacked lunch

back

school lunch

front-tables (cupboard)

ButterfliesButterflies belong to the order of insects known as Lepidoptera. This means they have scaly bodies and wings, and a feeding tube on the front of the head called proboscis, coiled up when not in use. Their wings may be large, brightly coloured and patterned. Butterflies are found in most parts of the world and different species are adapted to the environments in which they live.

Like all insects, the butterfly’s body is divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen. On the head are a pair of antennae, used for smelling, and two large compound eyes. Three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings – fore and hind – grow from the thorax. The wings are made of a very thin membrane, stretched over a network of ‘veins’, in the same way as the skin of an umbrella is stretched over the frame. Tiny overlapping scales on the membrane give the wings their pattern and colour.

Male butterflies tend to be more brightly coloured than the females but the females are larger. They also have bigger wings, enabling them to fly even when they are carrying a heavy burden of eggs. A female butterfly may lay up to 3,000 eggs, always choosing an appropriate plant for the caterpillars to feed on. However, usually only one or two eggs out of a hundred hatch out and many others die as they grow through the stages of larva (caterpillar) and chrysalis (pupa) to become an imago (adult butterfly).

The imago usually has a lifespan of only a few weeks. It feeds on nectar from flowers or other sweet food, such as over-ripe fruit, which it sucks up through the proboscis. This food provides energy to fly and reproduce, but most butterflies do not need any body-building foods to see them through their short lives. In fact, a few species have mouthparts that do not open so they cannot feed.

1. 2. 3.

1. Brainstorm

Butterflies

caterpillarwings chrysalis

lays eggs

short life

sucks through tubenectar

antennae

six legs

insect

Text 2. 3.

2. Organise into categories

Butterflies

definition

reproduction feeding

characteristics

group?

insect

insect features wings

eggs leaves lifecycle nectar

tube

Text 1. 3.

3. Spidergram(adding to information from 2 though further readings)

Butterflies

definition

reproduction

characteristics

feeding

insect

Lepidoptera insect features wings

scales/veins

don’t need much for short life span

proboscisnectar over-ripe fruit

lifecycle3,000 max eggs leaves

male/female differences

1/100 survive

coiled proboscis scaly body/wings

Text 1. 2.

BUTTERFLY Scientific name: LepidopteraButterflies are insects with two pairs of brightly coloured, patterned wings. Their bodies and wings are covered in tiny scales – it is the scales that give the wings their pattern. They feed through a tube on the head called a proboscis, which is coiled when not in use.

By travelling from flower to flower to such up the nectar, butterflies help with pollination. They pick up the pollen on their abdomen in the flower and it brushes off on another.

HabitatMeadows, woodland, gardens

Feeding habits

Herbivorous: nectar from

flowers; ripe fruit

Life Cycle100s of eggs → caterpillars → pupa → adult (imago)

PredatorsBirds, bars,

spiders, lizards, etc.

forewings2 pairs of wings on thorax

hindwings

abdomen

compound eyes on either side of head

antennaehead

coiled proboscis

3 pairs of legs on thoraxthorax

Classification Key facts Habitat Feeding habits Life cycle Predators

Butterfly

Worm

Woodlouse

Insect Lepidoptera

1. scales and coiled proboscis 2. helps pollination

Meadows woodlands gardens

Herbivorous – nectar ripe fruit

100s of eggs → caterpillars → pupa → adult (imago)

Birds, bats, spiders, frogs, lizards, small mammals