River View Primary & Nursery School
Autumn term writing
Autumn term 1
Robot Girl
We had lots of fun debating whether we agreed AI should or should not take over jobs in our local community. We explored both the pros and cons and put our ideas forward in a class debate.
In Year 5, we have been studying ‘Robot Girl’ by Malorie Blackman this half-term. To help the children familiarise themselves with the genre of science fiction, we created a ‘diamond 9’ ranking of what the children thought were the most important features of this specific genre of writing.
Hidden Figures
This term in English, the children have been exploring Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. This powerful text tells the previously untold story of four African-American women with exceptional mathematical skills who played a vital role in helping America win the Space Race. The children enjoyed learning about the women’s lives and how their determination and dedication enabled them to overcome challenges and achieve their dreams. Through this topic, the children have developed their writing skills by creating job adverts, formal persuasive letters, informal letters, and diary entries written in role. These activities have supported the children in producing their final piece of writing: a non-chronological report about the women’s achievements and the history of NASA.
Autumn term 2
The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries
This term in English, the children enjoyed reading The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries by J.T. Williams. They were immersed in the world of Georgian London, following the developing friendship and investigations of Lizzie and Belle as they worked together to solve a mystery. Throughout the unit, the children supported the characters by collecting case notes and writing diary entries in role. They also completed a range of engaging writing tasks, including articles for Stage Door magazine, persuasive speeches for a meeting of the Sons and Daughters of Africa, and a fact file about the significance of the Somerset ruling. As the story progressed, the children researched the life of Ignatius Sancho and planned, drafted, and published a biography for Stage Door magazine, celebrating his extraordinary life and achievements.
The Lost Thing
The children have explored the film and text The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan, focusing on the theme of belonging. They engaged thoughtfully with the story by making predictions and exploring its key ideas, before writing diary entries in role to deepen their understanding of the characters. The children then completed a range of creative writing tasks, including producing guides on how to care for an unusual “lost thing,” as well as creating official paperwork and adverts for the Department of Odds and Ends. To conclude the unit, the children designed and described their own lost things and incorporated them into their own imaginative narratives inspired by the story.