Writing concise and developed comparisons of non-fiction texts
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can write concise and developed comparisons of writers' attitudes.
Key learning points
- A key characteristic of concise writing is specific and precise word choices.
- Adjectives can be used to add detail to your writing.
- Repetition should be avoided unless it is intentional and for a deliberate effect.
- Developed writing tracks the movement and change of ideas and feelings.
- A useful way to think of developing an answer is in terms of establish, build and end.
Keywords
Concise - giving information in a brief but comprehensive way
Precise - sharply defined or stated
To establish - to set up on a firm basis or foundation
Insightful - showing an accurate and deep understanding
Common misconception
Students sometimes think they need to include as much as possible in their argument and support their ideas with overly long quotations.
Encourage students to select short and precise quotations to keep their writing concise.
Teacher tip
Practice making noun phrases by writing nouns on the board and inviting students to expand them
Equipment
You need access to the opening of Bill Bryson’s travel book ‘Notes From A Small Island’. A copy of the extract from George Orwell’s ‘Down and Out in Paris and London’ in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Contains strong language
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is the best synonym for concise?
Q2.What is the correct term for the words that describe nouns?
Q3.In which two cities was George Orwell 'down and out'?
Q4.Who wrote 'Notes from A Small Island'?
Q5.Which of the following best explain the distinction between implicit and explicit?
Q6.By describing Paris as full of "loud singing" in his book 'Down and Out in Paris and London', Orwell might be implying that the city is ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words on the left with their synonyms on the right.
brief
exact
to set up
perceptive
Q2.In the following question, which word is asking you to write about methods: 'how does the writer convey their point of view'?
Q3.One of the main reasons to use adjectives is to ...
Q4.A good way to structure a developed answer to is to organise your points into three stages: establish, and end.
Q5.Words like 'yet' and 'despite' are useful for ...
Q6.Which of the following is the most precise description of the traffic noise you might find in a city?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Writing concise and developed comparisons of non-fiction texts, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Writing concise and developed comparisons of non-fiction texts, 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 4 English lessons from the Non-fiction: explorers unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.