Living Things and Their Habitats: Sir David Attenborough

English | Year 6 | Topic Overview

Introduction
In this topic, the children will learn all about living things and their habitats. They will read and respond to fictional communications between their class
and Sir David Attenborough. They will learn how to plan and write attraction leaflets, and respond to formal letters by planning and writing their own
letters. Finally, they will use drama role play in a debate in order to immerse themselves in the issues facing fictional and real-life characters.

Assessment Statements
By the end of this unit...

...all children should be able to:

Home Learning • use some form of persuasive language;
Haveadayout.com: In this task, the children are given an online review from • write a letter to someone they have not met;
a travel website. They are asked to imagine that they have visited the zoo • create their own leaflet;
featured in this topic and review the experience.
• complete a 'Things to Do' section;
Charity Speech: In this task, the children are asked to imagine they are • describe toilet and refreshment facilities.
raising money for a charity through a sponsored event. Using the facts
provided, the children explain why the orangutan charity is important in a
persuasive speech.

...most children will be able to:

Educational Visits
An ideal visit would be to a local zoo or nature reserve in order to fully
understand the issues identified in these lessons.
• lay out and address their own letters;
• write an introduction and simple conclusion to
their letters;
• use rhetorical questions in their letters;
• think of their own slogan for their leaflets;
• think of marketing tricks to entice a visitor to an
attraction;
• use headings, bullet points and underlining;
• identify with the point of view of a character;
• explain what their character feels about an issue;
• give some ideas in a debate.

...some children will be able to:

Weblinks • link ideas across sentences or paragraphs using
ICT Suggestions adverbials;
• use a range of formal phrases, enhanced with a
Using a device, research facts about Sir David Attenborough.
persuasive tone;
Using Google Earth, explore an environment, e.g. rainforests, deserts or • listen to the ideas of others and respond
bushland. Research living things in that environment. cohesively in order to express an opinion.

Watch some of Sir David Attenborough’s programs and investigate how

his work has a positive impact on conservation.

Using a device, create your own mini ‘Living Things’ movie by filming a
plant or animal in its habitat and recording a voice-over with information
about the chosen living thing.

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Lesson Breakdown
Information Texts

Reading Comprehension
I can infer and deduce ideas from a biography.
I can justify my understanding of the text.

Australian Curriculum
This lesson plan could be used to support the teaching and learning of the following Content Descriptions from the Australian Curriculum.

Y6: Literacy: Interpreting, Analysing, Evaluating

Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information and ideas, comparing content from a variety of textual sources including media
and digital texts (ACELY1713)

Y6: Literacy: Interacting with Others

Participate in and contribute to discussions, clarifying and interrogating ideas, developing and supporting arguments, sharing and evaluating
information, experiences and opinions (ACELY1709)

Persuasive Writing

Planning a Zoo Leaflet

I can respond appropriately to a letter.

Completing a Zoo Leaflet

I can make my leaflet easy to read.

Planning a Persuasive Letter

I can plan a persuasive formal letter.

Writing a Persuasive Letter

I can write a persuasive formal letter.

Debate Preparation
I can plan a persuasive argument.

Stage a Debate
I can represent and justify a point of view.

Australian Curriculum
This lesson plan could be used to support the teaching and learning of the following Content Descriptions from the Australian Curriculum.

Y6: Literacy: Creating Texts

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features,
images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1714)

Y6: Language: Text Structure and Organisation

Understand how authors often innovate on text structures and play with language features to achieve particular aesthetic, humorous and
persuasive purposes and effects (ACELA1518)

Y6: Language: Expressing and Developing Ideas

Identify and explain how analytical images like figures, tables, diagrams, maps and graphs contribute to our understanding of verbal
information in factual and persuasive texts (ACELA1524)

Y6: Literacy: Interacting with Others

Participate in and contribute to discussions, clarifying and interrogating ideas, developing and supporting arguments, sharing and
evaluating information, experiences and opinions (ACELY1709)
Use interaction skills, varying conventions of spoken interactions such as voice volume, tone, pitch and pace, according to group size,
formality of interaction and needs and expertise of the audience (ACELY1816)

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WriteIt
Our WriteIt lessons and resources have been specially designed to create an independent writing opportunity for children with minimal teacher input.
The activity sheets are not differentiated because they have been created for writing assessment purposes. These packs are structured to deliver
lessons mirroring the learning that has taken place within this topic, whilst providing assessment opportunities and checklists for teachers.

WriteIt

Persuasive Writing
I can write a persuasive formal letter.

Australian Curriculum
This lesson plan could be used to support the teaching and learning of the following Content Descriptions from the Australian Curriculum.

Y6: Literacy: Creating Texts

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing and experimenting with text structures, language features,
images and digital resources appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1714)
Re-read and edit students’ own and others’ work using agreed criteria and explaining editing choices (ACELY1715)

Aims

Reading
• Checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in
context
• Summarising the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key ideas that support the main ideas
• Providing reasoned justifications for views

Writing

• Selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning
• Using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
• Using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader (for example,
headings, bullet points, underlining)

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

• Knowing the difference between vocabulary typical of informal speech and vocabulary appropriate for formal
speech and writing
• Recognising vocabulary and structures that are appropriate for formal speech and writing, including subjunctive forms
• Using expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely

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