*New* Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish – Instructional Writing Unit (8 Sessions)

Inclusive English planning for SEND learners with strong cross-curricular enquiry
This creative and aspirational teaching sequence is based on Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish by Michael Foreman, a powerful narrative exploring environmental responsibility, community action and the impact of humans on our planet. Through sensory storytelling, practical design tasks, drama and discussion, pupils investigate key themes including sustainability, pollution and shared ownership of the world. The structure of the story provides a meaningful foundation for a final written outcome focused on instruction writing, using imperative verbs and sequencing language.
Designed for learners across Pre-Formal, Semi-Formal, Formal and Formal+ pathways, the planning ensures differentiated access to learning, strong communication opportunities and clear assessment links to SOLAR/EHCP outcomes. Attention Autism is embedded throughout, alongside rich opportunities for sensory exploration and continuous provision linked to the Engagement Model.
This unit fully maps British Values and SMSC with explicit teaching of democracy, respect, rule of law and environmental responsibility woven across sessions

Dinosaurs And All That Rubbish …

What’s included
• Eight detailed English sessions delivered over four weeks
• Two weekly sessions: sensory reading and skills-based lesson
• Sequencing language and story mapping to support reading for meaning
• Practical DT-linked task: designing and building a rocket
• Explicit teaching of imperative verbs in context
• Symbol-supported sorting and communication mats
• Comprehension tasks linked to eco-problems and solutions
• Enhanced continuous provision for Pre-Formal pathways every session
• Vocabulary development and key-word signing included
• Visual scaffolds and Colourful Semantics for sentence structure
• Clear learning objectives, success criteria and assessment outcomes for each pathway

Curriculum and skill development
• Early reading: inference using illustrations, picture-to-text matching
• Writing with purpose: sequencing instructions using clear steps
• Speaking & listening in small group discussion
• Environmental awareness and responsibility through narrative enquiry
• PSHE links including decision-making, cause-and-effect and problem-solving
• Fine and gross motor development through practical tasks
• Independence in following structured routines and instructions

Intended outcomes
By the end of the unit, pupils will have:
• Demonstrated growing understanding of environmental themes in the text
• Contributed to a shared sequence of story events
• Followed a visual recipe/instruction set to make a personal rocket
• Identified and used imperative verbs to give instructions
• Created their own written or symbol-supported instruction text