Inspired by: How Dinosaurs Really Work - Medium Term Plan

Year 5 students delve into the fascinating world of dinosaurs with Module 4 of the curriculum, titled "How Dinosaurs Really Work" by Alan Snow. The comprehensive plan spans six weeks, covering various aspects of literacy including comprehension, composition, grammar, and punctuation. In the first week, the objective is to enhance students' engagement with a broad spectrum of non-fiction and reference books, focusing on understanding the structure and purpose of different texts. Writing tasks involve identifying the audience and purpose of their own work, using similar texts as models, and summarising longer passages. Grammar exercises introduce the use of brackets, dashes, or commas for indicating parenthesis.

As the weeks progress, students continue to explore both fiction and non-fiction texts, developing their ideas through reading and research. They work on ensuring subject-verb agreement and selecting the appropriate register for their writing. Punctuation lessons extend to using commas for clarity and indicating parenthesis. Activities include researching the life of Mary Anning and distinguishing between facts and opinions about dinosaur extinction. The curriculum also covers poetry, encouraging students to memorise and understand different forms, and to identify the audience and purpose in narrative writing. Grammar objectives evolve to include modal verbs for expressing possibility and using relative clauses effectively. The final week encourages discussion and debate about books, with a focus on providing reasoned justifications for views expressed. Students learn to select appropriate grammar and vocabulary to enhance meaning and use organisational devices such as headings and bullet points to structure text and guide the reader. The module's culmination is a creative exploration of whether dinosaurs still exist in today's world, both in discussion and illustrated works.