Non-chronological reports
(4 weeks)

This is the last in a sequence of non-fiction units in Year 2. It builds on children's work during unit 3 on information texts related to questioning, evaluating usefulness and drawing on knowledge when writing. This unit can be linked to many other curriculum areas or themes and is based on cross-curricular work. Children should have the opportunity to develop their research skills using paper-based and ICT-based texts. They could use search engines to find images on the Internet, leaflets from educational visits, photographs taken by children and non-chronological paper-based texts.

Phase 1

Read and compare paper and ICT-based non-chronological reports. Identify common features; evaluate effectiveness of text to support reading pathways.

Phase 2

Plan a non-chronological report identifying a general theme, using subheadings, key details and information.

Phase 3

Demonstrate how to organise ideas under subheadings into a paragraph. Children write their own non-chronological reports arranged into simple paragraphs.

Overview

• After a practical activity or undertaking some research in books or on the web in a foundation subject, lead a discussion on generalising from repeated occurrences or observations so that the children can distinguish between a description of a single member of a group and the group in general, for example a particular dog, and dogs in general. Read texts containing information in a simple report format, for example 'There are two sorts of x... ; 'They live in x... ; 'the As have x... , 'but the Bs... , etc. Assemble information on another subject and use the text as a template for writing a report on it, appropriating the language to present, sequence and categorise ideas.

1998 Framework objectives covered:

Year 2, Term 3: T19 and T21 make simple notes from non-fiction texts; write non-chronological reports based on structure of known texts, using appropriate language to present, sequence and categorise ideas.