Recounts: newspapers/magazines
(4 weeks)

This unit is the first in a block of four non-fiction units in Year 4. It can be purposely linked to other areas of the curriculum (see the Resources section for examples). The unit has four phases, with oral or written outcomes and assessment opportunities at regular intervals.

Phase 1

Analysis of the features of a simple recount based on a real event. Application of these features in draft form as a basis for later work.

Phase 2

Reading and discussion on the concepts of 'fact' and 'opinion' in both recounts and an example newspaper article.

Phase 3

Analysis of newspaper or magazine texts, revising key organisational features and identifying language conventions. Re-drafting recount into a newspaper article.

Phase 4

Children study a visual text as the basis for a newspaper article. Drama is used to study and record character opinions alongside factual evidence. Children plan, draft and write a newspaper article that contains both factual and opinion-based content.

Overview

• Analyse and identify the features of recount texts based on a real event. Ask and answer: who, what, why, where, when? Demonstrate how to write a simple recount, identifying use of first person and past tense before applying these features in draft form as a basis for later work.
• Read and discuss the concepts of fact and opinion in both recounts and an example newspaper article. Explore issues raised within a text and how a reader's opinion might be affected by the author's commentary.
• Analyse newspaper/magazine texts, revise key organisational features and identify language conventions. Redraft recount into newspaper article.
• Study a visual text as the basis for a newspaper article. Use drama to study and record character opinions alongside factual evidence. Plan, draft and write a newspaper article that contains both factual and opinion based content.

1998 Framework objectives covered:

Year 4, Term 1: T16, T17 and T19 identify different types of text; identify features of non-fiction texts in print and IT; understand and use the terms fact and opinion; and begin to distinguish the two in reading and other media; T20 identify the main features of newspapers; T24 write newspaper style reports including composing headlines, using IT to draft and lay out reports, editing stories to fit a particular space, organising writing into paragraphs.