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Year 5

Planning and writing the section about Harriet Tubman's early life

I can use my research and understanding of Harriet Tubman’s early life to plan and write a section of a biography.

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New
New
Year 5

Planning and writing the section about Harriet Tubman's early life

I can use my research and understanding of Harriet Tubman’s early life to plan and write a section of a biography.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In the sections, writers share detailed, specific information about an aspect of the person's life with the reader.
  2. Section paragraphs include a topic sentence, specific information and a linking sentence.
  3. When planning, we should record ideas in concise, bullet-pointed notes.
  4. When writing, we should use a plan and success criteria to guide us.
  5. Text cohesion is achieved through use of subject-specific vocabulary, fronted adverbials and relative complex sentences.

Common misconception

Pupils may refer to Tubman's activism and later life experiences in this section.

Explicit re-exposure to the information learned about Tubman's early life occurs in Learning Cycle 1 to keep pupils focused on this aspect of her life.

Keywords

  • Specific information - clear, exact and particular information

  • Subject-specific vocabulary - words and phrases associated with a topic

  • Relative complex sentence - a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause

  • Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma

  • Text cohesion - how a text flows to maintain the reader’s interest and achieve purpose

During shared writing, consistently referencing the plan and success criteria effectively models the writing process to pupils.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The introduction of a biography includes __________ information.
Correct answer: general
specific
vague
Q2.
The main sections of a biography include __________ information.
general
Correct answer: specific
vague
Q3.
Select the correct definition of a fronted adverbial.
vocabulary associated with a particular subject
Correct answer: a sentence starter followed by a comma
a group of sentences grouped together by theme
a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause
Q4.
Select the definition of a relative complex sentence.
vocabulary associated with a particular subject
a sentence starter followed by a comma
a group of sentences grouped together by theme
Correct answer: a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause
Q5.
Select the facts that are appropriate to include in the 'early life' section of a biography about Harriet Tubman.
Correct answer: Harriet Tubman was born in 1820.
Harriet Tubman was a conductor on the 'Underground Railroad'.
Correct answer: Harriet Tubman was born into enslavement.
Harriet Tubman worked in the US Military.
Correct answer: Harriet Tubman lived and worked on a plantation.
Q6.
Put these events from Harriet Tubman's early life in the correct order.
1 - born into enslavement on a plantation in 1820 in Maryland, USA
2 - worked as a house servant
3 - worked in the fields
4 - protected another enslaved person from being attacked by an overseer
5 - sustained lifelong injuries, including headaches and narcolepsy

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:specific information,clear, exact and particular information

clear, exact and particular information

Correct Answer:subject-specific vocabulary,words and phrases associated with a topic

words and phrases associated with a topic

Correct Answer:relative complex sentence,a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause

a sentence formed of a main clause and a relative subordinate clause

Correct Answer:fronted adverbial,a sentence starter followed by a comma

a sentence starter followed by a comma

Correct Answer:text cohesion,how text flows to maintain the reader’s interest and achieve purpose

how text flows to maintain the reader’s interest and achieve purpose

Q2.
The __________ contain paragraphs of information that are related to a particular aspect of the person’s life.
introduction
Correct answer: sections
conclusion
Q3.
Which of these should the 'early life' section of a biography about Harriet Tubman do?
give the reader specific information about Harriet Tubman’s activism
Correct answer: engage the reader
Correct answer: give the reader specific information about Harriet Tubman’s early life
give the reader general information about Harriet Tubman’s early life
Q4.
Put these parts of the 'early life' paragraph in the correct order.
1 - introductory sentence
2 - specific information
3 - linking sentence
Q5.
Match these parts of the 'early life' paragraph to their functions.
Correct Answer:introductory sentence,introduces what the paragraph will be about

introduces what the paragraph will be about

Correct Answer:specific information,gives detailed information about this aspect of the person’s life

gives detailed information about this aspect of the person’s life

Correct Answer:linking sentence,links on to the next section

links on to the next section

Q6.
Match the subject-specific vocabulary to their definitions.
Correct Answer:plantation,a large farm that specialises in growing one type of crop

a large farm that specialises in growing one type of crop

Correct Answer:enslaved person,someone held in slavery

someone held in slavery

Correct Answer:slave owner,someone who has control or ownership over another human being

someone who has control or ownership over another human being