Information texts (dictionaries, fact and fiction, report)
(5 weeks)

This is the fourth in a block of five non-fiction units in Year 1. It can be purposefully linked to many other areas of the curriculum. In total, five weeks are allowed for this unit. It is recommended that this is split into smaller blocks of three and two weeks, with children being given the chance to consolidate and extend understanding through applying learning in a different context at a later date, possibly using ICT-based sources and presentation. The unit has three phases, with oral or written outcomes and assessment opportunities at regular intervals.

Phase 1

Using another curriculum area as a starting point, for example history, model how to pose questions and encourage children to ask their own questions. In shared reading, use information books (or ICT sources) to find answers, exploring how to use index and alphabetical order. Use dictionaries and glossaries to find definitions of words from reading. Discuss differences between fact and fiction. Give children practical opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the curriculum area under focus, for example by comparing old and new toys and discussing. Use digital cameras to record and illustrate differences.

Phase 2

Analyse how information texts work, particularly non-chronological reports, focusing on layout and language features. Use talk for writing, with digital pictures to remind children of content, and practise composing sentences orally in the style of the text.

Phase 3

Demonstrate how to write in the style of a non-chronological report. Support children in using the style as they write about a theme, for example wheeled toys. Children write their own page for an information book, using digital photographs to support the writing and illustrate text.

Overview

• Play games looking up interesting words in dictionaries and encyclopaedias by alphabetical order. Discuss how to find books that might give more detail on a topic by examining covers, title, blurb and illustrations.
• Give the children further experience in using the alphabetical system by continuing to use dictionaries, glossaries and encyclopaedias and starting to use directories and indexes in books. With the children, make a class dictionary or glossary of special interest words.
• Discuss the differences between books containing stories and those containing factual information. Introduce the terms 'fiction' and 'non-fiction'. Introduce the class topic (e.g. video, visit out of school, visitor to school, practical activity) and write up as children contribute the information they found out. Record the information as a list, chart or spidergram, as appropriate. Discuss what information on the topic the experience did not provide and model posing questions to collect further information from books. Children search for appropriate books based on cover, title, etc., and explain to the class the reasons for their choices. Model how to use the contents page and index to locate the appropriate part of the book to find answers and give children the opportunity in guided reading to use indexes and contents pages. Demonstrate how to scan a page to read subheadings, pictures and diagrams that might provide relevant information and then close reading to extract the information. Repeat this process using an ICT platform and demonstrate how to locate information on screen. Give children opportunities to carry out these processes in guided and independent reading.
• In shared writing, model how to write a non-chronological report supported by appropriate pictures and diagrams for a page in an information book. Children contribute to the report by trying out some sentences on their individual whiteboards.
• In pairs, children assemble information on a different subject, for example food or pets, and produce a simple non-chronological report by writing sentences to describe aspects of the subject and supporting them with pictures.

1998 Framework objectives covered:

Year 1, Term 2: T20 and T21 use dictionaries to locate words; to understand that dictionaries and glossaries give definitions and explanations; use other alphabetically ordered texts; understand the purpose of contents pages and indexes and to begin to locate information by page numbers and words by initial letter; T17 use terms 'fiction' and 'non-fiction', noting some of their differing features; T19 predict what a given book might be about from a brief look at title, blurb, etc., and check to see if it is; to assemble information from own experience, for example food or pets; T25 write simple non-chronological reports.