Lesson video

Hi, I'm Mr. Buckingham, and I'm so glad you've decided to join me for today's lesson.

Now today's lesson is exciting because it's our chance to really show off our writing by publishing and illustrating a version of our report.

Let's make a start.

Today's lesson is called publishing a non-chronological report about pandas, and it comes from my unit called pandas or Antarctic animals non-chronological report.

By the end of today's lesson, we'll be able to publish a non-chronological report about pandas with an accompanying illustration.

Now in today's lesson, we're going to be publishing our whole report, so you need to have with you your completed draught, maybe with some editing and improving made as well.

And you might want have some drawing materials and pieces of plain paper as well for our illustrations.

So by the end of this lesson, hopefully we'll have produced a beautifully presented piece of work that is ready to present to your audience to read.

Here are our key words for today's lesson.

My turn, your turn.

Publishing, audience, layout, visual aid, and caption.

Well done.

So publishing is the process of producing written content available for an audience, and the audience is the person who reads our work.

The layout of a text refers to the way information is organised on the page, and a visual aid is a graph, chart, image, or diagram that enhances or improves our understanding in non-fiction texts.

And a caption is a brief description accompanying an image that gives extra context to that image.

So here's our lesson outline for today.

We're going to start off by creating some illustrations for our report, and then we'll publish the whole report.

So when we've edited our non-chronological report, we are ready to publish it.

So this is where we produce a final, best version of our writing for our audience to see, whoever that may be.

And a published non-chronological report will include the following: a layout that helps the audience find the information easily, visual aids, like diagrams, that make the information easier to understand and help the reader visualise in their mind the subject in their head, and our very best neat, joined handwriting so that our work is easy for the audience to read and attractive to look at.

So all of those things will produce a piece of work that our audience will be delighted to read.

So this is an example of the layout for the start of a non-chronological report.

And you can see I've used thick lines to show the titles and subheadings and then thin lines to show the normal text.

So we'd start off with the title of our report and then the first subheading, which will be introduction for us.

So then we've got the text of the introduction, then our second subheading, which will be the first specific section, and then our first section.

And then we've also got a box here for a visual aid, maybe a diagram, and then a caption underneath.

So that visual aid and caption might look like this.

I've just got a picture of pandas in captivity and over it, in a caption, which says, "Pandas in captivity still feed on bamboo." So I've given some extra context to that picture.

So can you match each of the features of our layout to its purpose? Pause the video and have a try.

Well done, good effort.

So a diagram is to help the reader form a mental image of the subject or of something in the report, a caption is to add extra information to that image, a subheading is to tell the reader what a section is about, and a title is to tell the reader the subject of the whole report.

So it should be really easy for the reader to see when they look at our finished report where can I find particular information and what is this report all about anyway.

So it will really help our reader to understand what they're reading.

Really well done for matching those up correctly.

So we can create diagrams of pandas and bamboo as visual aids to place in our report.

So if I take this image of a panda, I could create a diagram that looked like this.

And I've tried to include in my diagram as many as possible of the features that we had in our report.

So we want it to be as accurate as possible, and include the features we've talked about in our report.

So here's a photograph of some bamboo.

I could make that into a diagram that looks like this.

And I've tried to show the woody stems there, as well as those green leaves.

So we've tried to convert a photograph into a diagram that could be used in our report.

So when we finish that diagram, we can label the features with subject-specific vocabulary, and we'll use a ruler, of course, for our labels.

So here's my picture of my panda again as a diagram form.

And I could label up the unique eye markings, the wide, smooth molars.

We can't see them, but we can point to where they are in the body.

I could label the powerful jaw muscles, the strong legs, the black fur for shade camouflage, and the white fur for snow camouflage.

So that's why it's important that my picture is as accurate as possible because that diagram can then be labelled with all those features we've talked about in our report.

And that will help our reader to understand oh, when he was talking about the white fur, this is where it is on the panda's body.

So these labels can be very helpful to help our reader understand what's going on in our report.

So then we can write a full sentence caption.

So it won't be a note, it'll be a complete sentence.

And this should tell us something that's not obvious in the picture itself.

So let's look at a bad caption.

"Pandas have black and white colouring." Well that's obvious to me from looking at the picture.

I don't need a caption underneath that tells me they have black and white colouring.

I can see that.

So that's not a good caption.

Instead, I could do a caption like this.

"Pandas have very strong legs to help them forage." So I can see the legs in the picture, but I can't tell from the picture that they're strong.

So adding this caption, which is a complete sentence, is a good way of adding some extra context to this image.

Here's another good one.

I've got my bamboo picture.

Well I could say, "Pandas eat every part of the bamboo plant." That's not obvious in the picture, but it gives me some extra context, extra background information, that makes this a good caption.

Notice how in each case, the caption is a complete sentence that's giving extra detail I can't see in the image itself.

Now let's work together to draw, label, and caption an illustration of a giant panda.

Okay, so I'm gonna have a go at drawing my diagram of a panda.

Now I'm no artist, but that's okay 'cause we're just gonna do our best to try and get the general shape right, trying to include as many of the features as possible that we've mentioned in our report.

So I'm going to start from the nose over there, and I'm going to draw a curve going up to the ear here.

I can draw the second ear there.

And then I'm gonna go back, and I'm going to do the curve up the panda's neck here.

And then it will have kind of a gentle loop down, or curve down, and then along the back here.

Okay, then I'm gonna go back around to his chin over here and flesh out the head a little bit.

I'm only using gentle strokes.

I can always fill it in a bit more later.

And then I'm gonna do the legs.

So I'm going to start off with a foreleg here and just do some claws there.

And then we're gonna have the second foot here coming in and just going up to here.

And again, some claws.

And there we go.

So now I've got to try and do the tummy down here.

So I'm going to do a slight curve down here, keeping an eye on where I was up here, and I've got to think where should my back leg go? And I think I'll put it here.

Now don't worry, I'm just gonna do one leg to start with, and then I'll do the second coming in behind.

So there's the back leg.

And that lines up quite nicely over here.

And then I'm gonna do the other leg coming down at the back here.

It's smaller 'cause it's further away.

And just gonna add the claws on there.

Okay, well that's not a bad shape.

So now I need to think about some of those markings.

I know it's got a little black nose up here.

I'm going to mark or shade the ears in black as well.

Now you'll be able to spend a bit more time than me on those.

And of course we need our eye with its black markings around it.

So I'm gonna fill those in.

I'm only doing one eye because the other one will be around the back.

And then the most important part really is showing the shading on the shoulders here, isn't it? So I'm going to go and draw a line about here and about here.

And I won't shade mine, but you could easily shade that in black, couldn't you? And then this leg and this back leg will also be shaded in black.

So we can shade all those parts in black if we want to.

Now I'm just going to show you how you could label it up now.

So I'm just gonna add a couple of labels.

So for instance, for this leg here, I'm gonna use my ruler, and I'm going to write, "strong legs." You could use a pencil or a pen for this depending what you do in your school when you draw.

So I'm going to put "strong legs" there.

And I think I'll just add one more for illustration.

I'm going to add a label for the panda's jaw muscles.

Remember those jaw muscles are very powerful because they chew bamboo for long, long periods of time.

So I'm going to line up there.

and I'm going to write, "powerful jaw muscles." I'm still trying to use my joined handwriting even though I'm drawing because it's important that our reader knows what's going on.

And then I can put a caption under here.

So I might write for mine, it's got to be something that is additional to the image, isn't it? So I could say, "The giant panda's colouring is used for camouflage." That's a useful caption because our reader will be able to see the different colours on the picture.

But we are telling them here something extra that it's being used for camouflage.

So now it's your turn.

You can add many more labels and maybe an even longer caption than I've done.

And of course, you'll want to shade in these parts as well.

Have a go.

So let's do our first task for this lesson.

I'd like to draw diagrams of a panda and bamboo on small pieces of plain paper.

By doing them on small pieces of paper, we can move them around in our report to wherever they need to be.

So we need to draw the diagrams, first of all, and you can use these photos to help you if you like, or you could choose photos you found yourself.

Then label up the features.

Now there won't be so many features for bamboo, but there's lots of features to label on the panda's body.

And then write a caption for each diagram that gives some extra detail.

Here's a little word bank you might want to use for the pandas, and here's a few words you could use to describe the bamboo in your labels and maybe in your caption as well.

So pause the video, and let's complete these diagrams and label and caption them.

Have a go.

Okay, here's an example of what one of your diagrams might look like.

So I've got my panda drawing, my panda diagram, and I've added all my labels around the edge.

And underneath, I've added a caption, which is a complete sentence.

I've said, "The giant panda has the second longest tail in the bear family (not seen here)".

So that's some extra detail.

We can't actually see that tail in the picture, but it is there, hidden around the corner.

So adding this caption tells my reader something they can't see just from looking at the picture.

So I've got a diagram, I've got my labels, and I've got my caption.

Hopefully you've managed to do the same.

So we've illustrated our report.

Now we're ready to publish it.

Now that we've got two diagrams prepared, we're ready to publish.

So we might use a layout that looks like this.

Can you see? I've now got a layout for a complete report with a title, and then I've got six subheadings for different sections.

So don't stick in your diagrams, I would advise you, until you reach the section they refer to.

So when you get to, maybe, your appearance section, then you might stick down your panda image, and then you can make your writing go around that picture so that it fits correctly like you can see in the diagram.

And we'll underline each subheading, and we'll indent each new paragraph.

And you can see that in the diagram, how the first line of each new section is indented, slightly pushed in from the side.

And we'll leave a line after each paragraph before starting each new section.

Why? Because that makes it easier for our reader to see the separate sections, and that will make it easier for them to find the information that they need.

So think about the layout of your own report.

What titles and subheadings do you have in each of the positions shown on the diagram, each of these dark lines? And where will your diagrams be placed? Which section will each diagram go in? So just pause the video and have a think.

What will be your subheadings and titles, and where are your pictures going to go? Have a think.

Well done, good thinking.

Hopefully that will really help you when you come to publish.

Maybe you thought ah, I'm gonna call it "The Giant Panda." Then I have my introduction to my first subheading, panda's appearance is the second one, and panda's adaptations is the next one.

I've then got my diagram next to panda's appearance to show what the panda looks like.

And then maybe this diagram is a diagram of the bamboo next to the section about panda's diet.

So we've got all our different subheadings thought through, and we've thought about where our picture should be placed, but I wouldn't advise you to stick those pictures down until you've got to the section you're writing.

Really well done for thinking that through so carefully.

So before we start publishing our own, let's just spot some common publishing mistakes.

I've written this piece of writing here from my report.

What publishing mistakes can you spot in my example? Pause the video and have a think.

Well done, good thinking.

I bet you spotted that I haven't underlined my subheading.

I also haven't indented the paragraph, have I? Haven't pushed that word panda in from the side.

I've not joined my handwriting all the way through.

I've got some words towards the end there which are not joined.

And I've got some words floating off the line here as well.

We want to make sure all our letters start on the line.

So hopefully we can try and avoid some of those mistakes in our own publishing.

Now publishing also gives us the final chance to check any spellings we're unsure of as we write.

So if you're unsure about spelling, we could follow these steps.

Now you might have your own special steps you follow in your school, but these are some ideas you could use.

You could start off by counting the syllables in the word and checking you've written each syllable with all the sounds inside that syllable.

So if I'm trying to spell the tricky word appearance, I could split that into three syllables: app, ear, ance.

So that would look like this.

And then I've got to think oh, I've got all the sounds in app and all the sounds in ear, and all the sounds in ance at the end of that word.

So that's a good starting point.

You might also, on scrap paper outside your main work, try two or three different versions of the word and decide which looks right.

So for appearance, you might write these three versions and then you think hmm, those first two don't look right to me, but the third one does.

I remember seeing it spelled in that way.

And maybe you can look in a dictionary using the first three or four letters of the word.

So for appearance, you might know that it starts with A-P-P or A-P-P-E, and then you could find it in the dictionary and find the correct spelling there.

So remember, this is your last chance to impress your reader, so it's a great idea to try and check any spelling you're not sure of as you publish.

So when we publish our report, we'll want to follow some success criteria to make sure it goes well.

We are going to make sure we've underlined the title and subheadings, that our layout includes indents for new paragraphs, a new line after each paragraph, and diagrams, we're going to use neat, joined handwriting, and we'll have checked the spelling of our subject-specific vocabulary in particular.

So let's take a look at how we could publish the first section of our report together.

Okay, so let's have a look at how we could present and publish our final report.

I've stuck my success criteria in, and I'm going to imagine I'm using a full double-page spread here.

And I've already put my title over here, "The Giant Panda", and look how I've put it not right by the edge of the page here.

It's in the middle.

Then I'm going to miss a line, and I'm going to write my subheading, which will be introduction.

And the subheading I am doing over by the margin here.

And then I'm going to underline it.

So I've already met my first success criteria, which is to underline the title and the subheading.

Then I know that my layout's gonna include some diagrams, indents for new paragraphs, so there's gonna be a little space and a line after each paragraph, okay? So I'm just gonna imagine I'm writing a very short introduction.

I'm going to leave an indent here after missing a line.

And I'm just going to write, "The giant panda is a species of bear." Now your introduction is much longer than that.

And in your school you might, when you publish your work, still miss a line between each line.

But I'm going to say I'm not going to do that here.

It's up to you for what you do in your school.

Let's imagine that's my complete introduction.

I'm going to miss a line, and then I'm going to be ready for my first paragraph here, my first specific paragraph, which for me is going to be, "Panda's appearance." So I'm going to write that subheading over by the margin.

Again, I'm using neat, joined handwriting, and I'm going to underline that with a ruler.

Then I'm going to miss a line, do an indent, and I could say here the first sentence of my appearance paragraph, which might be, "Pandas are known for their black and white colouring." Okay, let's check off any more of our success criteria.

So we've got our indents here.

So we've met this first one here.

We've got a line space after our paragraph here.

So we've done that.

I would have a diagram here perhaps to show the panda's appearance if that's where I want it.

So I think I can tick this one off.

And I've definitely used neat, joined handwriting.

I'm going to check my subject-specific vocabulary.

I've got appearance here.

If I'm not sure, I could count the syllables, couldn't I? I could say app, ear, ance.

Well I think I've represented each of those syllables well there, so I'm happy with that spelling.

And if I'm not sure, I could always check in a dictionary.

So I'm going to say I've met this one too.

Now obviously I've shortened that a great deal there, but you can see how we would continue in this way, and we could fill up our whole double-page spread with space for our diagrams where we need them.

Now it's your turn.

Okay, now you've seen how we could publish the start of our report.

It's over to you for a big task now, which is to publish your report.

So using the layout we've decided upon, publish your report following the success criteria like we just did together.

Now this is gonna take you a long time, isn't it? So your teacher may give you special advice about how to do this and how long it should take you to do that.

So make sure that you follow that advice.

So pause the video and use the layout on the success criteria to help you to publish your report.

And don't forget, you can stick down your pictures when you're happy with them being in the right position in your report.

Good luck and enjoy it.

Well done, fantastic effort.

I hope you're really proud of the work that you've produced there.

Great effort.

So I've just shown a little example here of one paragraph of my report, which I hope meets the success criteria.

Let's check.

So have I underlined my subheading? Yes.

Have I got my indent and a line after the paragraph? Yes, I do.

Have I got neat, joined handwriting.

I do.

And I've checked my spellings are correct as well.

So hopefully your report looks even better than mine.

And I'm sure you've done something really impressive.

Well done.

Really well done for your fantastic effort in this lesson.

I hope that you're really proud of what you've produced.

Let's summarise our learning today.

We learned that publishing is the final stage of the writing process where we create the final, best version of our text for our audience to read.

We learned that non-fiction writing can often have a more complex layout than fiction writing, including visual aids and captions.

And we learned that we should ensure our handwriting and spelling are accurate in our published work so that the audience can focus fully on enjoying and learning from the text.

And I'm really confident that you'll have produced a piece of work that your audience is going to love, and are gonna learn so many interesting panda facts from.

I think they're going to really enjoy it.

Really well done, and I hope to see you again in a future lesson.

Goodbye.