Lesson Planning
Non-fiction
English Year 5/6 Spring Reports and Recounts
Space
Use Hidden Figures and Curiosity - The Story of the Mars Rover to explore the features of non-fiction texts. Learn to use cohesive devices and parentheses. Write a double-page spread about Mars Rovers and write a diary entry as part of the Mars rover mission team.
Start with the core unit to introduce key texts. Then select from comprehension, SPAG and composition units.
Unit 1 Core: Facts, Research, Comprehension, Magazine articles
(suggested as 5 days)
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
There is no spelling and grammar presentation for this unit.
You Will Need
Essential Texts
Hidden Figures - The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
Curiosity – The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motom
Optional Texts
Selection of non-fiction books about Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Dr Christine Darden, Mars, Space, the Mars rovers.
Weblinks
The Moon Landing – National Geographic Kids
History of Space Travel – National Geographic Kids
Tim Peake Interview - National Geographic Kids
Katherine Johnson – National Geographic Kids
Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Unit 2 SPaG: Cohesive devices
(suggested as 3 days)
Lesson Planning
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
You Will Need
Essential Texts
Hidden Figures – The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
Meet Jessica Watkins: Meet the first black woman to work on the ISS (see weblinks)
Weblinks
Nasa names street ‘Hidden Figures Way’ after three scientists who fought prejudice – BBC Newsround
Meet Jessica Watkins: Meet the first black woman to work on the ISS – BBC Newsround
Katherine Johnson - National Geographic Kids
Unit 3 SPaG: Use brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis
(suggested as 2 days)
Lesson Planning
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
You Will Need
Optional Text
Curiosity – The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motom
Weblinks
NASA Space Place – The Mars Rovers (Nasa’s children website)
NASA Space Place – Curiosity (Nasa’s children website)
Mars Curiosity Rover: Methane gas source found on Mars BBC Newsround
Mars in a minute video series – NASA's short videos about Mars
Unit 4 Composition: Plan and produce a double page spread non-chronological report. Write a diary entry in role
(suggested as 5 days)
Lesson Planning
SPaG: Grammar and Punctuation
There is no spelling and grammar presentation for this unit.
You Will Need
Essential Text
Curiosity - The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motom
Weblinks
Passport to Space - National Geographic Kids
Space: UK Tim Peake – UK Space Agency, Principea Mission
Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
NASA’s Perseverance: Touchdown on Mars for rover – BBC Newsround
Pedro Duque’s Diary from Space – ESA, European Space Agency