Analysing the language to use in a report about the Great Fire of London
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand the appropriate language to use when writing a non-chronological report on the Great Fire of London.
Key learning points
- A non-chronological report must be written in a formal tone, avoiding language choices associated with fiction writing.
- Contractions are not used in formal writing.
- Information can be shared with the reader by phrasing it as a question.
Keywords
Formal - Formal means something is using a serious, unemotional and impersonal tone.
Informal - Informal means something is more relaxed and reflective of a person’s speaking voice and personality.
Questions - Something that is said or written in order to ask a person about something.
Contractions - A contraction is when two words are shortened in form and are put together to form one new word.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that non-chronological reports can be written in an informal way.
Reports should be formal and not use language that is too closely associated with fiction writing.
Teacher tip
Have examples of reports and fiction texts available for the pupils to look through and spot the differences in formality.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When did the Great Fire of London start?
Q2.How did the fire start in Thomas Farriner's bakery?
Q3.Which of these could be used to describe the weather conditions on the day the fire started?
Q4.Which of these were reasons why the fire spread so quickly?
Q5.In 1666, what were houses mostly made from?
Q6.Which of these are examples of equipment people used to help them tackle the fire?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these are examples of times when people behave formally?
Q2.Which of these is an example of a time when people behave informally?
Q3.Which of these best describes the tone of a written non-chronological report?
Q4.Which of these shows the structrure of an expanded noun phrase?
Q5.Which of these adjectives would be suitable to describe the fire in a formal report?
Q6.Which of these question starters could be used in a formal report?
To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Analysing the language to use in a report about the Great Fire of London, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Analysing the language to use in a report about the Great Fire of London, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 English lessons from the The Great Fire of London: non-chronological report unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.