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Year 5

Writing the section about Harriet Tubman's activism

I can use my research and plan to write the activism section of a biography about Harriet Tubman.

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New
New
Year 5

Writing the section about Harriet Tubman's activism

I can use my research and plan to write the activism section of a biography about Harriet Tubman.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The main body of a biography is split into paragraphs, which are organised by theme.
  2. Using a range of cohesive devices can enhance text flow and achieve text purpose.
  3. A complex sentence includes a main clause and any type of subordinate clause.
  4. Adverbial complex, relative complex and non-finite complex sentences can all be used in biographies.
  5. In biographies, extra, factual information can be added to clauses using brackets.

Common misconception

Pupils may use a lot of subject-specific vocabulary without clearly explaining its meaning to the reader.

Pupils should be taught how to use parenthesis demarcated using brackets to add additional information to sentences. Brackets are a great tool with which to explain meaning of tricky vocabulary to the reader.

Keywords

  • Cohesive devices - linguistic structures that can enhance text flow

  • Adverbial complex sentence - a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause

  • Non-finite complex sentence - a sentence formed of a main clause and a non-finite subordinate clause

  • Parenthesis - extra information that can be added or removed from a sentence and it still makes sense

  • Brackets - punctuation marks that can be used to add additional information to a sentence

Ensure that pupils say each sentence aloud and read it back to ensure that writing makes sense and is cohesive.
Teacher tip

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.
Information in the activism section be ...
general.
Correct answer: specific.
vague.
Q2.
Select facts that are appropriate to use in the activism section.
Harriet Tubman had eight siblings.
Harriet Tubman was born on a cotton plantation.
Correct answer: Harriet Tubman escaped the plantation in 1849.
Correct answer: Harriet Tubman worked as a spy, scout and nurse for Lincoln's Army.
Correct answer: Civil war broke out due to tensions between Northern and Southern States.
Q3.
Fill in the gap in the following sentence: 'A __________ clause is a group of words containing a verb that makes sense on its own.'
Correct answer: main
complex
subordinate
simple
compound
Q4.
Fill in the gap in the following sentence: 'A __________ clause is a group of words containing a verb that does not make sense on its own.'
main
complex
Correct answer: subordinate
simple
compound
Q5.
Match the cohesive devices to their definitions.
Correct Answer:subject-specific vocabulary,words and phrases associated with a topic

words and phrases associated with a topic

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

a sentence starter followed by a comma

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

a sentence with a main clause and relative subordinate clause

Q6.
Match the cohesive devices to their examples.
Correct Answer:subject-specific vocabulary,Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad

Correct Answer:fronted adverbial,Years later,

Years later,

Correct Answer:relative complex sentence,Tubman, who worked as a conductor, helped many flee enslavement.

Tubman, who worked as a conductor, helped many flee enslavement.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:cohesive devices,linguistic structures that can enhance text flow

linguistic structures that can enhance text flow

Correct Answer:adverbial complex sentence,includes a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause

includes a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause

Correct Answer:non-finite complex sentence,includes a main clause and a non-finite subordinate clause

includes a main clause and a non-finite subordinate clause

Correct Answer:parenthesis,extra information that can be added or removed from a sentence

extra information that can be added or removed from a sentence

Correct Answer:brackets,punctuation marks used to add additional information to a sentence

punctuation marks used to add additional information to a sentence

Q2.
Match the cohesive devices to their definitions.
Correct Answer:parenthesis ,extra information that can be added to or removed from a sentence

extra information that can be added to or removed from a sentence

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

includes a main clause and a relative subordinate clause

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

words and phrases associated with a topic

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

a sentence starter followed by a comma

Q3.
Match the cohesive devices to their examples.
Correct Answer:parenthesis ,(a state that prohibited enslavement)

(a state that prohibited enslavement)

Correct Answer:adverbial complex sentence,After escaping enslavement, Tubman worked at the Underground Railroad.

After escaping enslavement, Tubman worked at the Underground Railroad.

Correct Answer:non-finite complex sentence,Working as a conductor, she led many fugitive slaves to freedom.

Working as a conductor, she led many fugitive slaves to freedom.

Correct Answer:fronted adverbial,Furthermore,

Furthermore,

Correct Answer:subject-specific vocabulary,civil war

civil war

Correct Answer:relative complex sentence,Pennsylvania, which was 90 miles north, was a 'free' state.

Pennsylvania, which was 90 miles north, was a 'free' state.

Q4.
Select the subordinating conjunctions we can use in adverbial complex sentences.
who
Correct answer: although
which
Correct answer: before
Correct answer: because
Q5.
Fill in the gap in the following sentence: 'A non-finite subordinate clause can begin with a verb in the __________ tense.'
present
Correct answer: progressive
past
perfect
Q6.
Fill in the gap in the following sentence: 'A relative clause starts with a __________.'
subordinating conjunction
Correct answer: relative pronoun
progressive verb