A fifteen-lesson writing unit, leading students towards writing their own information text about two rainforest creatures. This unit of writing is ideal for students who have already studied the rainforest or to be taught alongside a rainforest topic (try ours here!). Students spend time at the start of the unit reading sample information texts to understand their purpose and structure. They then research two rainforest creatures to write their own texts about, they can use the rainforest fact files provided and we strongly advise also using textbooks or the internet to support their research. The first ten lessons explore the text type and sentence level work. The final five lessons allow time to write the information text. The unit uses three differentiated example text types about giant anteaters and red-eyed tree frogs to support students’ understanding. Where appropriate, each lesson is differentiated and carefully planned to suit different students’ needs. Answers (or example answers) are provided, where appropriate. Lesson order: • Hook lesson: read through the sample information texts with parts missing, students can try to work out what the texts are about and gain an understanding of the purpose of information texts. • Identify key features, students use the sample texts to understand and identify the key features in information texts. • Sorting information, students begin researching their rainforest creatures using the rainforest fact files provided and class books/the internet. Students complete a mind map to sort the information they find. • Answering questions in more detail, students use a chatterbox to answer questions about their creatures in more detail. • Using present tense, students will learn how information texts use present tense and practise writing in the present tense. • Using third person pronouns, students will learn how information texts use third person pronouns and practise using them to avoid repeating nouns. • Comparing and contrasting the two rainforest creatures using conjunctions and adverbials. • Writing a glossary for the information texts. • Exploring how rhetorical questions are used in information texts and practise writing them, • Introducing headings and sub-headings, students will use these to plan their information texts in preparation for writing. • Writing the introduction, looking at examples and creating a shared write as a class. • Writing the second and third paragraphs, more detail about the rainforest creatures. • Writing the conclusion. • Students can practise editing using our ‘information text to edit’ before editing their own work. • Publishing texts. Looking for more? Try our newspaper writing units, available for Years 3&4 and Years 5&6. Or our Year 3&4 explanation text.

Ideal for use in Lower Key Stage Two, builds on the work done in Year Two on subordinating conjunctions. Subordinating conjunction activity sheets with three levels of differentiation including a range of activities to help children recognise and understand the meaning of different subordinating conjunctions. Answers included. Subordinating conjunction passages, short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify the subordinating conjunctions used. Ideal as a short activity or a grammar session. Answers included. Coordinating conjunction activity sheets with three levels of differentiation including a range of activities to help children recognise and use different coordinating conjunctions. Answers included. Coordinating conjunction passages, short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify the coordinating conjunctions used. Ideal as a short activity or a grammar session. Answers included. Conjunction talk cards. A range of questions including identifying the missing conjunction in a sentence, discussing the effectiveness of a conjunction and explaining how different conjunctions can change the meaning of a sentence. Answers included. Conjunction display cards. National Curriculum Links – Years 3 and 4 Pupils should be taught to extend the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although. Use conjunctions to express time and cause. Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements. Differentiation Subordinating conjunctions: when, because, if, that, however, although. Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or. Subordinating conjunctions: when, because, if, that, however, although, as, until, before, while, even though. Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions: when, because, if, that, however, although, as, until, before, while, even though, since, provided that, unless. Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, so, yet, for, nor.

Ideal for use in Y4 when this objective is introduced, covering common verbs and verb forms that are used incorrectly. ‘Standard verb form’ activity sheets with three levels of differentiation including a range of activities to help children identify when a particular verb or verb form should be used in Standard English. ‘Standard verb form’ talk cards. A selection of questions cards for children to identify whether or not a sentence is written in Standard English or not. Ideal for use pairs or small groups National Curriculum Links – Years 3 and 4 Terminology to be introduced in Year 4 – Standard English forms for verb inflections instead of local spoken forms. Was/were and did/done Including the words above and was/were and did/done including for plural verbs. Brought/bought, didn’t/don’t, goes/go. Including the words above and borrowed/lent, have/of and learnt/taught.

Semi-colon activity sheets with three levels of differentiation that have a range of activities allowing children to use semi-colons correctly, inset them in the correct place and mark sentences that have tried to use them. Answers included. Semi-colon talk cards, a range of questions including questions about how semi-colons can be used and identifying where they can be used in a sentence. Perfect for use in pairs or small groups to consolidate what children know about using semi-colons. Semi-colon passages. Short paragraphs with three levels of differentiation where children need to identify where the semi-colons need to go. Ideal as a short activity or as part of a grammar session. Answers included. National Curriculum Year 6 statutory content to be introduced – Use of the semi-colon, colon and dash to mark the boundary between independent clauses [for example, It’s raining; I’m fed up]. Use of the colon to introduce a list and use of semi-colons within lists. Years 5 and 6 – Pupils should be taught to indicate grammatical and other features by using semi-colons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses. Differentiation Separating detailed items in a list and using semi-colons to replace conjunctions. Separating detailed items in a list, using semi-colons to replace conjunctions and to separate related clauses. Separating detailed items in a list, using semi-colons to replace conjunctions and to separate related clauses in multi-clause sentences.

Fourteen weeks of morning task activities, four activities per week. These morning activities are perfect for the start of the day, after break or lunch. We know how these times of the school day can be tricky and there is a lot going on, each day’s activity focuses on one objective with a challenge for any students who need it. They are designed to review curriculum knowledge that students have already learnt about, so are a perfect way to warm up for the day. These activities are prepared for the first term of Year 3 but can be used whenever, keep an eye out for morning tasks for the rest of the year. Objectives cover: Adding 10 and 100 Times tables Mental addition and subtraction Spelling, including common exception words Word classes Number sequences Ordering and comparing numbers and more! PPT and worksheets. Answers/examples provided where appropriate. Try the first week’s morning activities for free.

Eleven weeks of morning task activities, four activities per week. These morning activities are perfect for the start of the day, after break or lunch. We know how these times of the school day can be tricky and there’s a lot going on, each day’s activity focuses on one objective with a challenge for any students who need it. They are designed to review curriculum knowledge that students have already learnt about, so are a perfect way to warm up for the day. These activities are prepared for the second term of Year 4 but can be used whenever, keep an eye out for morning tasks for the rest of the year or buy our Autumn and Spring Bundle here. Objectives and activities include: Multiplication and division facts Multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100 Multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers by 1 digit Perimeter Recognising fractions and their equivalents Writing decimals Sequences and patterns Adjectives, nouns, verbs and adverbs Spelling Following instructions to create an image Speech Writing stories and letters Reading comprehensions Try the first week of Autumn morning activities for free here.

Ideal for use in Year 3 when using ‘a’ or ‘an’ is introduced or consolidation in later years. PPT with the rules for adding ‘a’ and ‘an’ including the common exceptions to the rule and a quickfire **quiz**. Activity sheets with three levels of differentiation to allow children to identify when ‘a’ or ‘an’ needs to be used across a variety of words. National Curriculum Links Use of the forms a or an according to whether the next word begins with a consonant or a vowel Differentiation Using ‘a’ and ‘an’ before a range of words, no exceptions to the rule. Using ‘a’ and ‘an’ before a range of more increasingly difficult words, no exceptions to the rule. Applying their knowledge to sentences. Using ‘a’ and ‘an’ before a range of words including exceptions to the rule. Applying their knowledge to sentences and paragraphs.

Ideal for use in Year 4 when the possessive apostrophes objective is first introduced or in later years for consolidation. ‘Plural possessive apostrophes’ PPT. A guide to how to use apostrophes for plural nouns with a **quiz** to allow for practise in class. ‘Possessive apostrophes’ activity sheets with three levels of differentiation including a range of activities to allow children to practise using and adding apostrophes. National Curriculum Links Year 4 statutory content to be introduced – Apostrophes to mark plural possession Differentiation Adding apostrophes to singular nouns to consolidate previous learning. Adding apostrophes to plural nouns that end in an ‘s’. Adding apostrophes to plural nouns that end in an ‘s’ and those that don’t e.g. children.