Week 4

Thursday 28th January

Let's get practical...

Task 1: Think you can remember the key features of a non-fiction text? Here is a wordsearch to wake those brains up. There is a downloadable copy below as well as a solution sheet (no peeking, cheeky monkeys!). You don't have to print it, you could just look at it on screen - this is simply a starter game, no proving required.

You've hunted out the key features of a non-fiction text.

You know what they mean.

Now it is time to show them in action!

Task 2: I would like you to create your own zig zag book which demonstrates the features (one or two of you did something similar to this yesterday which was seriously cool!!). At the end of term we will be making a REAL BOOK full of new and interesting facts, so this 'skeleton' book will be very useful to refer back to - make sure it includes ALL of the features you can think of (scroll down to see yesterday's list, watch Ronnie's video below and/or check out your posters).

Use one page for each feature, you could:

• draw the features and label them
• print screenshots from the real books you have read, that show each feature
• include a simple explanation of the purpose of each feature - to help you remember in 2 weeks time!

Wednesday 27th January

High ho, high ho, it's off to work we go!

Hooray and hurrah - your detective efforts yesterday were fabulous and I am really thrilled to see how many of you managed to complete my crossword! That was super tricky . Parents, please be aware that there may be tasks we post that seem too much for your kiddos, feel free to use your own judgement to adapt as needs be. I will endeavour to give adapted suggestions and explanations more relevant to Reception in particular, however for the next 5 days I am juggling home learning and school-site teaching at the same time which is not the easiest of tasks! Apologies in advance therefore if there is less detail at any point. I know all the staff are at the end of their Dojos if you want to message for any clarification.

Grab out those secret notebooks and on with day 3. Now you should all have a list of the features of non-fiction texts, we are going to explore them in more detail:

• glossary
• index
• captions
• headings
• blurb
• title
• front cover
• back cover
• pictures/photos
• labels
• contents page
• full of true facts (of course!)

Task 1: That is quite a list! Firstly, how many did you find? Did you find as many? More? The same or different? How do your spellings compare? To wake your brains up and prepare you for part 2, please open one of the book links from yesterday (scroll down to find them) or look in a non-fiction book from home. Challenge yourself to hunt out each of the features and give yourself a quick explanation of where each one is and why you think it is useful in the book. Your thinking might sound a little like this: 

"Oh look, I found the FRONT PAGE. This is really useful as it tells us what the book is all about."

Task 2: Done and dusted already? Crikey, you really are on fire this week! Your main task today is to design a poster which explains the key features of a non-fiction text. You will need a mixture of writing and pictures - maybe you could even use cool bubble writing or bright colours to make the feature words STAND OUT. Please include:

• what the feature is CALLED (look at your list and/or mine above)
• what the feature DOES (think about your chatter in task 1)
• what the feature LOOKS like (perhaps draw a pretend book page to show the feature in action)

I would like you to include AT LEAST 5 features but LOVE it if you could squeeze in more... your poster might have to be double sized or grow onto a second page .

Tuesday 26th January

Today we are hunting for features of a non-fiction text...

Task 1: Turn on your puzzling brains - here is a crossword challenge. I have given you the first 7 features of a non-fiction text, ta da! What do you mean you can't see them?? Oh well, you'll have to see if you can work them out from the cryptic clues. The final answers are available too but... NO CHEATING!

ACROSS

1. Like a dictionary. This explains what key words from the text mean. 

2. Usually at the back of the book. This lists the important words from the book in alphabetical order.

3. Always at the front. It tells you what is in the book in order, listing the titles of the chapters or sections.

4. These might be black and white or colourful and show you what things look like.

DOWN

1. Words which help you to identify a picture and its parts.

2. A phrase or sentence which explains what is shown or happening in a picture.

3. The main title of the text, which tells you what the text as a whole will be about.

Task 2: Today you have a fabulous selection of non-fiction (information) books to investigate**. There are lots to choose from and they are from a range of book band colours so many of you should be able to read them all by yourselves! Choose at least 4 and have a really good flick through.

Your job is to be a Dazzling Detective. Use your sharp eyes to explore each book carefully. There are lots of pieces of information and many things to learn along the way, which I hope you will really enjoy. You may even learn some new facts to share in our morning meets tomorrow.

These books are quite different to stories and have a range of features which make them particularly good for finding out about things. You might be able to spot some from your crossword earlier, but there are others to find too! Can you work out what all the features are? How many can you find? Make a list of all the features that you think make these books different from story books - keep this list safe in your detective notebook as you'll need it tomorrow!!

**All of these are eBooks, available to read for FREE on the Oxford Owl website. Follow links below to open them. You are of course encouraged to share other non-fiction books you have at home, however we would recommend looking at a few of the online texts too as they are age-specifically designed.

Monday 25th January

A fresh, new and 'chilly' start!

Before we can begin to teach you about non-fiction texts like autobiographies, we need to see what you already know. So today we begin with a COLD WRITE. I would like you to write:

• all about yourself. That's it!

Reception: Let's hear it! Talk to your grown ups, tell them all about yourself as if they were an alien who just landed in your living room and had never met you before. Parents, please can you write this up just like you did for the Paper Dolls HOT WRITE. We understand (and expect) that this will be in broken sentences, in 'child-speak' exactly as they said it, so don't try to form full phrases where they didn't exist. It may also be pretty short and tail off without warning - that is fine, don't try to extend it beyond what your child offers for themselves. Thank you :)

Year 1: You can write on the paper provided below or in your exercise books. Ready, Steady, GO!

PARENTS please note: a COLD WRITE is a very precious document. As teachers, in order to plan the most appropriate teaching, we need to see what level our children can already work at. We ask them to produce a piece that demonstrates this, with very little prior input. This 3-week unit is looking at informative factual writing BUT we are deliberately NOT discussing any features of a non-fiction text (even hinting at them!) yet. In order for us to see a true and clear picture of what our cohort naturally know, PLEASE can I urge you not to make any suggestions, lead-ins or demonstrations to your child today, just encourage them to go away and write: about themselves! In the classroom we would not be mentioning any particular formatting, content, structure etc - these will all become clear in future sessions.