Tension Writing Unit – Year 5 (Fantasy Texts)

This two-week unit of work is designed to support tension writing, using engaging activities inspired by Harry Potter to motivate and challenge pupils of all abilities.

The lessons have been carefully adapted for mixed-ability classes and are fully linked to the National Curriculum, with clear learning objectives and progressive skills development throughout the unit. The sequence builds excitement and confidence, culminating in a high-quality extended “Big Write”.

This unit includes:
10 fully planned lessons leading up to the final extended write
A strong focus on key writing skills, including:
FANTASTICS
Subordinating conjunctions
Relative clauses
Fronted adverbials
Onomatopoeia
Similes and metaphors

A range of supporting resources to scaffold and extend learning
Language through Colour activities to support sentence construction and grammar.
Carefully selected text extracts to model effective tension writing
Opportunities for creativity, discussion, and vocabulary development

This unit is ideal for teachers looking to engage reluctant writers, raise standards in descriptive writing, and provide a clear, structured build-up to an extended piece of writing.