An Informal Email based on the novel The Jamie Drake equation (3 week unit)

This is a 3 week unit of work which focuses upon writing in an informal style. The end written piece is an informal email from Jamie to his Father who is an astronaut. The tone is conversational as he expresses how much he is missing him . It also teaches pupils how to use idioms, lively language, anecdotal comments all while writing in role as a character from a book. Pupils love this unit as it allows them to write in a different style that to what they normally undertake in class too.

The book is great class reader which makes for an excellent guided reading text. I have included all the resources including worksheets, WAGOLL and displays so you can start using this straight away. The learning objectives for this unit are;

Stimulate & Generate
• To use a range of strategies to explore a text
• To describe using expanded noun phrases and powerful adjectives
• To use inference to build knowledge about a character
• To draw inferences from the text
• To justify inferences with evidence from the text

Capture, Sift and Sort
• To imitate an author’s style
• To find the key features of an informal email
• To describe using expanded noun phrases and powerful adjectives
• To edit my writing to improve and clarify
• To write in a conversational tone
• To generate ideas in role

Create, Refine and Evaluate
• To draft writing by composing orally first
• To write an informal email in role
• To edit my writing to improve and clarify

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.