Song of the Dolphin Boy - Persuasive Letter (2 1/2 week English Unit) KS2

This is a 2 and a half week unit of work which focuses upon writing a persuasive letter to a famous footballer to stop them from releasing thousands of balloons when they open a supermarket. The main character is a boy called Finn who is trying to save the dolphins that swim near his Scottish seaside house. He discovers they eat them as they look like jellyfish and this can have very dangerous consequences. The unit is great for looking at plastic pollution in our seas and explores some interesting subjects as his Mum is rumoured to be a Selkie. The author is Elizabeth Laird and she writes very descriptive, funny and engaging stories that children love.

The end written piece is an opportunity to generate a great piece of writing as there is a well-structured plan to support your less able pupils. My class have always loved this unit as the story is great and they get very interested in how they can improve awareness about plastic pollution in our oceans. I have included all the resources including worksheets and displays so you can start using this straight away. The learning objectives for this unit are;

Stimulate & Generate
• • To locate and retrieve information using skimming, scanning
• To retrieve and record information from non-fiction
• To discuss words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination
• To draw sound inferences, supported through reference to the text
• To identify how language, contribute to meaning
• To identify key points of an argument
• To make persuasive statements
• To write a balanced argument
• To write persuasive statements

Capture, Sift and Sort
• To find the key features of a persuasive letter
• To use a variety of conjunctions
• To write a cohesive paragraph
• To write convincing conclusions

Create, Refine and Evaluate
• To plan a letter written as a character in a story
• To write and edit a letter written as a character in a story

This unit of work uses the 3-stage planning process of:

• Stimulate and Generate
• Capture, Sift and Sort
• Create, Refine and Evaluate

Stimulate and Generate = This usually starts with a hook to interest the class where the class realise who they are going to write for so they have a clear purpose and audience. Activities can include reading excellent model texts, drama or researching more about the author or the content of the book.

Capture, Sift and Sort = This is the part of the unit where pupils look at key features, practise skills they will need in order to complete the final piece or new learning for objectives they have not learnt yet.

Create, Refine and Evaluate = This is where you bring all you have learnt together and plan the final piece before you write it and then edit it to improve the piece. This can include self, peer or teacher led reviewing.