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      Learning the features of a non-chronological report on nocturnal animals

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can identify the different features of a non-chronological report.

      Key learning points

      1. Non-chronological reports are non-fiction.
      2. Non-chronological reports often have titles, subheadings and paragraphs.
      3. An introduction followed by two paragraphs of information is how we can structure a non-chronological report.
      4. A non-chronological report must be written in a formal tone, avoiding language choices associated with fiction writing.
      5. Contractions are not used in formal writing.

      Keywords

      • Information - pieces of knowledge that help us understand something

      • Non-chronological report - a non-fiction text that informs about a subject or event and that is written out of time order

      • Features - the parts or characteristics that make something unique

      Common misconception

      Pupils may find the vocabulary of 'chronological' and 'non-chronological' challenging.

      Using examples that pupils are very familiar with, such as the events in a school day, will help to explain the concepts.

      Teacher tip

      Have examples of information texts and non-chronological reports for the children to explore and identify the features. It would also be helpful to have some fiction texts for them to compare and see the differences. Add images to the slide deck.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Every sentence should start with a...

      Correct answer: capital letter.
      full stop.
      comma.

      Q2.
      Where should you place a full stop in a sentence?

      at the start
      Correct answer: at the end
      in the middle

      Q3.
      What text type is a report?

      fiction
      Correct answer: non-fiction
      poem

      Q4.
      Fiction texts are...

      Correct answer: made-up stories.
      about real things.
      a mixture of made-up and real.

      Q5.
      Which of these is a type of non-fiction text?

      poems
      Correct answer: instructions
      plays

      Q6.
      The main job of a report is to give the reader...

      a story.
      Correct answer: information.
      a list of numbers.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Select the missing word. The simplest way to organise texts is into two categories: non-fiction and ....

      books.
      words.
      Correct answer: fiction.

      Q2.
      Which of these is a type of fiction text?

      Correct answer: poems
      instructions
      newspaper

      Q3.
      Which of these is a type of non-fiction text?

      plays
      poems
      Correct answer: reports

      Q4.
      What does 'chronological' mean?

      the route to get to a place
      the ideas that a writer has in their head
      Correct answer: the order in which something happens

      Q5.
      What does 'non-chronological' mean?

      Correct answer: out of time order
      fiction
      the order that something happens

      Q6.
      Put these instructions of making a jam sandwich in chronological order.

      1 - Gather your ingredients
      2 - Spread butter onto the bread
      3 - Spread jam onto the bread
      4 - Put one slice of bread on top of the other
      5 - Cut the sandwich
      6 - Eat the sandwich

      To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Learning the features of a non-chronological report on nocturnal animals, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...