Lesson video

Hi, everybody, and welcome to our lesson today.

We've been working so hard throughout this unit and I've been so impressed with what you've achieved so far.

So let's get started with today's learning.

In today's lesson, you will be using your plan to write the diet section of a non-chronological report about aye-ayes.

Here are some of the key words we will be using.

Paragraph, specific information, relative complex sentence, text cohesion, diet.

Brilliant, well done.

A paragraph is a section of a piece of writing that is indicated by a new line and an indentation.

Specific information is clear, exact and particular information.

A relative complex sentence is a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause.

Text cohesion refers to how text flows to maintain the interest of the reader and achieve the text's purpose.

An animal's diet is the food that it eats.

In our lesson today, we will be writing the diet section of a non-chronological report about aye-ayes.

Our lesson will be split into two parts.

Firstly, we will be preparing to write, then we will write the diet section.

Non-chronological reports often follow the same structure.

We have a title, an introduction, which is the first paragraph that encourages the reader to read on.

Then we have sections.

The sections contain paragraphs of information related to a particular aspect of the subject.

And finally, we have a conclusion.

The conclusion is the last paragraph that summarises the key information in the text.

So far in our unit, we have already written our introduction.

Now we are going to be writing section one, which is about the aye-aye's diet.

The purpose of the diet section is to engage the reader, give the reader specific information about the aye-aye's diet.

In our introduction, we kept our facts general, but now in the diet section, our facts will be very specific about what the aye-aye eats.

The structure of the section is like this.

We have a subheading, an introductory sentence, which introduces what the paragraph will be about, specific information, which gives the reader detailed information about the aye-aye's diet, and then a linking sentence which links on to the next paragraph.

Let's review the key linguistic features we can use to ensure our writing flows well.

Fronted adverbials, subject specific vocabulary, relative complex sentences.

These all form text cohesion.

Text cohesion, well done.

Match the cohesive device to its function.

Pause the video while you do that.

Well done if you spotted that a fronted adverbial is a sentence starter followed by a comma.

Subject specific vocabulary is vocabulary used when writing about a particular subject.

And relative complex sentences are a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause.

In a relative complex sentence, the relative clause can interrupt the main clause after the noun or noun phrase it links to.

Aye-ayes eat a wide range of food types.

This is an example of a simple sentence.

It is made up of one main clause.

Now, I have added in a relative clause to this sentence.

My relative clause is interrupting the main clause.

Let's read this complex sentence together.

Aye-ayes, comma, which have an omnivorous diet, comma, eat a wide range of food types.

We can see here my original main clause, which was aye-ayes eat a wide range of food types, has been interrupted by my relative clause.

Let's reread the relative only, which have an omnivorous diet.

Great work, and we can see that this relative clause begins with which as its relative pronoun.

So when we are creating relative complex sentences, we have a main clause which has been interrupted with the subordinate clause.

This structure shows us a relative complex sentence.

When a relative clause is added to a main clause, it creates a relative complex sentence.

Here's an example of a main clause.

These mammals have a nutritious diet.

Here's an example of a relative clause, which eat plants and animals.

Let's see how we can combine this main clause with this subordinate clause to make a relative complex sentence.

Let's read it together.

These mammals, comma, which eat plants and animals, comma, have a nutritious diet.

Excellent work, and we can see that our relative clause has been separated from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas.

Tick the examples of relative clauses.

Pause the video while you do that.

Well done if you spotted that which live inside trees' trunks, which are nocturnal and which means that they eat plants and animals are all examples of relative clauses.

They all begin with which as a relative pronoun.

Because of their impressive adaptations is a type of subordinate clause, but it is not a relative clause because it does not begin with a relative pronoun.

Now it's time for your task.

Turn these two clauses into one relative complex sentence and use the sentence scaffold to help you.

Let's read the main clause together.

Grubs are a staple of aye-ayes' diets, well done.

Now let's read the relative clauses together, comma, which live inside trees' trunks, comma.

Pause the video now while you rewrite these two clauses as one relative complex sentence.

Great work, everyone.

Well done if you spotted that the sentence when it was rewritten, should be grubs, comma, which live inside trees' trunks, comma, are a staple of aye-ayes' diets.

The relative clause was giving an extra fact about the main subject of the main clause, which was grubs.

Let's read it one more time.

Grubs, comma, which live inside trees' trunks, comma, are a staple of aye-ayes' diets, well done.

Now for the second part of your task, which of these relative clauses is most appropriate for the main clause below? Tick one, then write the full relative complex sentence on your sheet.

Let's read the main clause together.

These lemurs feed during the night.

Pause the video now while you decide which relative clause is the most appropriate for this main clause and rewrite the sentence out in full.

Remember to use a pair of commas around your relative clause.

Well done if you spotted that B, which are nocturnal, was most appropriate.

Let's read the sentence together.

These lemurs, comma, which are nocturnal, comma, feed during the night.

The reason why B was the appropriate relative clause was because the main clause was about the fact that the lemurs feed at nighttime.

So therefore, the relative clause has got to be relevant to the rest of the sentence.

The fact that the lemurs have brown fur or a long tail has nothing to do with them feeding at nighttime, but the fact that they are nocturnal is very relevant to the fact that they feed at night.

What an excellent start to our lesson.

This now brings us on to the second part of our learning today where we are writing the diet section.

When we write, we always try to do these things.

We plan and say each sentence before we write it.

We use punctuation where we know the rules.

We showcase each sentence type we know.

We write letters neatly on the line in joined handwriting.

We use spelling strategies to spell words accurately, and we check and improve our writing when we think we are finished.

Here is our success criteria for today.

Success criteria is so important because it gives us a really good checklist of things to remember to include in our writing so that we can be as successful as possible.

Let's read the items in our success criteria through together.

I have written an introductory sentence which explains what the paragraph is about.

I have included specific facts about aye-ayes' diets.

I have used an apostrophe for plural possession.

I have used a relative complex sentence.

So all of these items in our success criteria are things we have been learning about throughout our unit, so we'll be feeling really well prepared to tackle them in our writing today.

Use your plan from the last lesson to write the diet section.

Build on your ideas from your plan when you're writing today.

Make sure that you have your plan with you, ready for writing.

Let's just recap the structure of a diet section.

It starts with a subheading.

Then the first sentence is the introductory sentence, followed by specific information and a linking sentence.

The introductory sentence introduces what the paragraph will be about.

The specific information gives the reader detailed information about an aspect of the topic, and the linking sentence links on to the next paragraph.

We're going to start our writing with the introductory sentence, which introduces what the paragraph will be about.

Make sure to have your plan with you.

Okay, everyone, so I have set up my page.

I've stuck in my success criteria and I've already written my subheading and underlined it with a ruler.

I've decided to use a question as my subheading.

Let's read it together.

What do aye-ayes' diets include? And I've actually decided to use an apostrophe for plural possession within my question as well.

What do aye-ayes' diets include? The diets belong to the aye-ayes.

So we would write this with aye-ayes apostrophe, and that apostrophe shows that there is plural possession there.

So straight away I can tick off my success criteria that says I have used an apostrophe for plural possession.

Now, for my first sentence, my introductory sentence, it needs to explain to my reader that this paragraph is all about the aye-ayes' diet.

I also am mindful of the type of sentence I want to use.

I would like to begin using a relative complex sentence.

So I'm going to go with, and I've got my indentation to start my paragraph, Aye-ayes, comma, which are omnivorous.

I had written down the word omnivorous on my plan as something, as a word that I wanted to use in my introductory sentence.

On my plan, I also wrote that I want to include that they eat both plants and animals.

So I'm going to write aye-ayes, which are omnivorous, eat a diet of plants and animals.

And while I'm writing, I'm making sure to use cursive handwriting and consistent letter size.

And I need to finish my sentence with a full stop.

Let's read this through together.

Aye-ayes, comma, which are omnivorous, eat a diet of plants and animals.

Now, I have used a relative clause, which are omnivorous, and which is my relative pronoun.

But can you spot that I have made a mistake? I've used a comma to separate the subordinate clause from the main clause before my relative clause, but I forgot the comma that goes after the relative clause.

So remember, my relative clause is which are omnibus, so I also need a comma after the relative clause to separate the relative subordinate clause from the rest of the sentence, which is the main clause.

Okay, now I feel much happier.

Aye-ayes, comma, which are omnivorous, comma, eat a diet of plants and animals.

I can also tick this off on my success criteria.

I've used a relative complex sentence.

Okay, now I'm going to include my specific information, which gives more detailed facts about aye-ayes' diets.

On my plan, I have got a list of grubs, nuts, nectar and fruit, and also that the grubs are found inside trees' trunks, and that these lemurs feed at nighttime because they are nocturnal.

So I'm going to include specific information about exactly what aye-ayes eat, because I think my reader is going to want to know exactly what foods they eat.

I'm going to write aye-ayes primarily, that means mainly, aye-ayes primarily.

I could say eat, but I've already written eat here, so I'm going to write consume as a more formal synonym for eat, primarily consume grubs, nuts, nectar and fruit.

Now, I'm sure you've already spotted the punctuation that I need to include.

Aye-ayes primarily consume grubs, nuts, nectar and fruit.

Fantastic that I've listed the items that aye-ayes eat, but I also need to use commas in a list.

So I need grubs, comma, nuts, comma, nectar and fruit, and I don't need a comma in front of the word and, great.

Now, I'm also going to use the point from my plan, which was that aye-ayes eat at nighttime because they are nocturnal.

So on one hand we have that the aye-ayes are nocturnal, which means they're active at night, and because of that, they feed at nighttime.

This is a perfect opportunity for me to use a fronted adverbial of cause, which shows cause and effect.

Hmm, I wonder whether you can give me any suggestions for fronted adverbials of cause I could use.

Hmm, I'm going to go with, due to the fact that these nocturnal lemurs.

No, sorry, due to the fact that these lemurs are nocturnal, which means that they're active at night, comma, they usually feed at nighttime.

There I have shown the relationship between the aye-ayes' behaviour as in that they are nocturnal, so because or due to the fact that they are nocturnal, comma, they therefore usually feed at nighttime, because that is when they are awake.

Okay, so I'm really, really happy with that sentence.

Now I'm going to move on to my final sentence, which is my linking sentence.

And remember, on my plan I will have written down a few sentence openers, and this is where I start to hint to my reader that in the next section we will be learning about adaptations.

So on my plan, I wrote down two potential openers and I used fronted adverbials to show viewpoint, so viewpoint fronted adverbials.

The two viewpoint fronted adverbials I wrote down were notably, comma, and fascinatingly, comma.

I'm going to go with fascinatingly, comma.

So fascinatingly, these animals, these aye-ayes are highly adapted to locate and consume these foods.

Okay, and I do think that is fascinating because the adaptations themselves are really, really unique.

So let's start with my viewpoint fronted adverbial, fascinatingly.

Fascinatingly is quite a tricky word to spell because it has got that SC letter string.

So fascinatingly, comma, these.

No, I have already referred to them as aye-ayes and I have referred to them as lemurs, so I'm going to refer to them now as primates.

I'm using that varied subject specific vocabulary to avoid things becoming too repetitive.

So fascinatingly, these primate are highly-adapted, oh, highly hyphen adapted, to locate and consume.

Now I could write to find and eat, but to locate and consume signs is more formal.

So to locate and consume these foods.

Okay, so now we have written our full diet section.

I'm going to reread it and make sure I'm happy with it and check my success criteria.

So what do aye-ayes' diets include? Aye-ayes, comma, which are omnivorous, comma, eat a diet of plants and animals.

Aye-ayes primarily consume grubs, comma, nuts, nectar and fruit.

Due to the fact that these lemurs are nocturnal, comma, they usually feed at nighttime.

Fascinatingly, comma, so I've used that comma after my fronted adverbial.

These primates are highly adapted to locate and consume these foods, full stop.

So I have written an introductory sentence, which explains what the paragraph is about, and I have included specific facts about the aye-ayes' diets.

I've also used an apostrophe for plural possession, and I've used a relative complex sentence.

So I am feeling really successful and I'm ready to go.

Now that you've helped me write my diet section, it's your turn.

So use your plan to draught your subheading and an introductory sentence.

You might decide to write your subheading as a question.

Remember to use a question mark.

You could also use my scaffold to help you get started.

Aye-ayes, comma, which hmm, comma, eat a diet that features a mixture of plants and animals.

You do not have to use my scaffold.

It is just there to help you if you would like it.

Pause the video now while you draught your subheading and introductory sentence.

Great work, everyone.

Here's some ideas I came up with.

You might have written something like, what do aye-ayes' diets consist of? You might have used the relative clause, which are omnivorous.

Here's my full drafted sentence.

Aye-ayes, comma, which are omnivorous, comma, eat a diet that features a mixture of plants and animals.

Now we can all tick off our introductory sentence.

I've also, in this example, used an apostrophe for plural possession in my subheading and I have used a relative complex sentence.

Now we're going to look in more detail at our specific information where we give our reader detailed information about an aspect of the topic.

Look at the relevant part of your plan.

On my plan, I had a list such as grubs, nut, fruit and nectar, the fact that grubs were found inside trees' trunks, that the aye-ayes' dietary staples are found in trees near their nests, and that these nocturnal lemurs feed at nighttime.

Take a moment to reread the specific information section of your plan.

Now it's your turn to use your plan to draught your specific information.

You can use this scaffold to help you if you would like to.

Aye-ayes primarily consume, hmm.

Due to the fact that these lemurs are nocturnal, comma.

You do not have to use my scaffold.

Pause the video while you draught your specific information.

Brilliant work, everyone.

Here are my ideas.

Aye-ayes primarily consume grabs, nectar, fruit and nuts.

Due to the fact that these lemurs are nocturnal, they usually feed at nighttime.

Having reread my sentence, I can tick off that I have included specific facts about aye-ayes' diets.

Take a moment to reread your sentence and check which success criteria you can tick.

And now this brings us on to our linking sentence, which links on to the next section.

Check the relevant part of your plan.

Think about what your sentence opener is going to be from reading your plan, and how are you going to explain to the reader that they are now going to be learning about aye-ayes' adaptations in the next section.

Use your plan to draught your linking sentence.

You might use my viewpoint fronted adverbial, which was fascinatingly, comma.

You might choose a different way to open your sentence.

Pause the video while you do that.

Brilliant work, everyone.

Here's my sentence.

Fascinatingly, aye-ayes' adaptations enable them to find and eat their food.

These adaptations are therefore vital to these creatures' survival.

I have used a linking sentence that includes not just one, but two examples of apostrophes for plural possession.

My first one shows that the adaptations belong to the aye-ayes, and secondly, the survival belongs to these creatures.

Well done, everyone, this is such fantastic work.

Now, I would like you to pause the video while you check your writing and make any edits or improvements.

Then rewrite your sentences as a full diet section with a subheading.

Use your success criteria to help you.

Pause the video while you do that.

Well done, everyone.

Here is my example.

Let's read it through all together.

What do aye-ayes' diets consist of? Aye-ayes, comma, which are omnivorous, comma, eat a diet that features a mixture of plants and animals.

Aye-ayes primarily consume grubs, comma, nectar, comma, fruit and nuts.

Due to the fact that these lemurs are nocturnal, they usually feed at nighttime.

Fascinatingly, comma, aye-ayes' adaptations enable them to find and eat their food.

These adaptations are therefore vital to these creatures' survival.

I've written an introductory sentence which explains what the section is about.

I have included specific facts about aye-ayes' diets.

I have used an apostrophe for plural possession, and I have used a relative complex sentence.

I've decided to change aye-ayes in my second sentence and replace it with they.

This makes my writing more cohesive.

Well done, everyone.

I hope you're feeling so proud of the writing you've completed today.

Today we've been writing the diet section of a non-chronological report about aye-ayes, and here is a summary of what we've been learning about.

Fronted adverbials, subject specific vocabulary and relative complex sentences are all cohesive devices to improve text flow.

An introductory sentence followed by specific information and a linking sentence is an appropriate structure for a section paragraph.

Success criteria helps us identify what a successful piece of writing includes.

During the writing process, we plan, then draught, then edit, and rewrite our sentences.

Well done, everyone.

I'm looking forward to seeing you again very soon.