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.

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.

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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.

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

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.

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).

Lesson video

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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.

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