Planning a unit of work

Planning a unit of work

Principles:• Each unit should develop Speaking, Listening, Reading

and Writing leading to a meaningful outcome;• Challenging pace and high expectations;• Follows the teaching sequence: Reading – Analysis –

Writing;• Integrates ICT, AFL and cross-curricular links;• Enjoyable, engaging and personalised;• Flexible timing.

Process of planning

• Identify the main theme of the unit and associated objectives;

• Decide upon the form of the unit outcome;• Decide upon the learning outcome/s (‘child

speak’) for each phase;• Using your chosen planning format, map the key

objectives against the three main teaching phases.

Process of Planning continued

• Add initial thoughts on content for each phase • Consider a range of teaching strategies and

approaches• Assessment opportunities • Incorporate use of speaking, listening, drama,

ICT and cross-curricular links

Mixed age planning

• Select the text form from one of the year groups• Use the strand objectives from across the year

groups to meet the needs of the pupils (particularly the sentence strand 11)

• Refer to the progression documents in the library on the Website/DVD – see example

• Continue to use current planning and support with the suggested teaching sequences where appropriate

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Planning Circles

Gathering ideas and content:

• Visual literacy, drama, speaking and listening

• Short writing opportunities

WritingShared writing• Planning, • Independent and guided writing: • Creative outcomes

Phase 3

ReadingShared reading:• Decoding• Understanding• Text analysis

Phase 1

Phase 2

An example of short term planning

Year 4

Non-fiction

Explanations

Unit 3

Day 1 Activity

Day 1 Activities:

• Modelled explanation using an object • Use technical and explanatory vocabulary

• Take one of the objects on your table and explain how it works to your partner.

Day 1 Activity

Modelled explanation using a picture of The Umbrella Machine

Activity

Look at the picture of Wacky Mousetrap and explain how it works to your partner.

Day 2 Activity

Reading activity

• Read the text • Decide on the stages in the life cycle • Each table to make notes about one of the

stages

Butterflies and Moths

Eggs and caterpillarsButterflies and moths lay their eggs on plants. Later the eggs hatch into caterpillars. A caterpillar looks a bit like a worm. It has three pairs of legs and four pairs of suckers which help the caterpillar to grip the leaves and stems of plants.

Caterpillar foodThe caterpillars only like certain kinds of leaves and so the butterflies lay the eggs on these leaves. Caterpillars start eating as soon as they hatch and eat all day long. As a result the caterpillar grows so large that its skin gets tight. Then it has to shed the old skin and grow a larger one. Sometimes, caterpillars can kill a plant by eating all its leaves.

What is a pupa?Finally when a caterpillar is fully grown, it stops eating and sheds its skin for the last time. Lying under the old skin is a pupa. A pupa is a hard case made from the skin of the caterpillar.Inside the pupa, the caterpillar slowly changes into an adult butterfly. This is called metamorphosis. It means changing shape. Then the pupa splits open and the new adult butterfly comes out.

Day 8 Activity - Scenario

School is unexpectedly closed for the day

• Talk partners – consider reasons for the closure and the effects this will have.

• Share possible responses of the pupils, parents and teachers.

Day 8 Activity

Incidental writing Consider viewpoint, purpose and audience

• Text message• Poster at school gates• Radio announcement• TV broadcast• Email• Announcement on website

Day 9 Activity – The Shirt Machine

• Watch (and re-watch) the film

• Focus boxes Likes Dislikes

Questions

Day 10 Activity

Drama • Each group to take a section of the

machine and act out the sounds and movement

• Time allocated to practise• Act out in sequence

Writing – Phase 3

• Use the photographs to generate technical language that will be useful for writing their explanation

• Oral rehearsal in pairs using speaking frame of each part of the machine

Shared writing Teacher demonstration Teacher as scribe Supported composition

IWB Resource

• See IWB resource and refer to planning sheet