Choose exam board for KS4 Computer Science (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 English
Choose exam board for KS4 French
Choose exam board for KS4 Geography
Choose exam board for KS4 German
Choose exam board for KS4 History
Choose tier for KS4 Maths
Choose exam board for KS4 Music
Choose exam board for KS4 Physical education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Religious education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Spanish

      Writing the introduction of a report on The Great Fire of London

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can write the introduction of a non-chronological report about the Great Fire of London.

      Key learning points

      1. A question to the reader should end with a question mark.
      2. Using interesting general facts can gain the reader’s interest and make them want to read the full report.
      3. A command should start with an imperative verb and entice the reader to read on.

      Keywords

      • Introduction - An introduction tells the reader what the report is about and tries to entice them to read on.

      • Question - Something that is said or written in order to ask a person about something.

      • Outline - A general description or overview showing the main features of something.

      • Command - A command is a direct order or instruction telling someone to do something.

      Common misconception

      Children may write detailed information and facts about the fire in their introduction.

      An introduction plays a key role in a report and entices the reader to keep reading. It should only include brief, general facts.

      Teacher tip

      The success criteria on the slides could also be printed off and stuck into the pupils' books so they can tick off as they write. You could ask them to underline each example from the success criteria in their work.

      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

      Loading...

      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of these is a feature of a non-chronological report?

      characters
      Correct answer: an introduction
      chapters

      Q2.
      Order these parts of a non-chronological report.

      1 - introduction
      2 - paragraph 1
      3 - paragraph 2

      Q3.
      Which of these should the introduction tell the reader?

      information about the writer
      how long the report took to write
      Correct answer: what the report will contain

      Q4.
      How can the writer entice the reader to read on?

      making the report sound dull
      making the report sound long
      Correct answer: making the report sound interesting

      Q5.
      Which adjective would be best to describe the report and entice the reader to read on?

      Correct answer: incredible
      uninteresting
      unsurprising

      Q6.
      The last thing a writer will do in their introduction is give a command to the reader. What are they commanding the reader to do?

      stop reading the report
      Correct answer: read the rest of the report
      Write their own report

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the name for the section of a report that tells the reader what the whole report will be about?

      title
      Correct answer: introduction
      subheading

      Q2.
      Which of these is a purpose of the introduction?

      Correct answer: give the reader the most basic information
      give the reader detailed and specific information
      give the reader no information at all

      Q3.
      Which of these is not a purpose of the introduction?

      to tell the reader what they are going to read about
      to make the reader want to read on
      Correct answer: to tell the reader about a different topic

      Q4.
      Which of these should be included in the introduction?

      Correct answer: an outline of the report
      a list of people in the report
      a poem about the topic of the report

      Q5.
      Which of these should be included in the introduction?

      a drawing of any people in the report
      Correct answer: a question to the reader which shares a general fact about the subject
      a sentence about the writer's opinion of the events in the report

      Q6.
      A command should start with an imperative (bossy) verb. Which of these words are imperative verbs?

      Correct answer: look
      large
      long

      To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Writing the introduction of a report on The Great Fire of London, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...