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Year 6

Preparing to write an essay

I can orally rehearse a logical argument and I can practise using a range of linguistic features and punctuation to connect ideas.

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Year 6

Preparing to write an essay

I can orally rehearse a logical argument and I can practise using a range of linguistic features and punctuation to connect ideas.

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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A logical argument should run through an essay, leading towards a conclusion.
  2. We should be confident in setting out this logical argument in its entirety before we begin to write.
  3. Within an essay, a range of linguistic features and punctuation will be used to connect ideas.
  4. These linguistic features can be used to show cause and effect, contrast and 'adding on'.
  5. Often, different linguistic features can be used to connect the same ideas.

Keywords

  • Logical argument - an argument that follows a series of steps that lead clearly towards a conclusion

  • Conclusion - the outcome of a series of ideas or the end-point of a piece of reasoning

  • Linguistic features - language structures that are used within a text in order to connect ideas together

  • Punctuation - the marks used in writing to connect ideas, demarcate parts of a sentence and clarify meaning

Common misconception

Pupils may try to include the full details from their research notes in their oral rehearsal.

Emphasise that the purpose of the first task is to practise giving a summary of the whole argument, not to give all the evidence that supports it.


To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Preparing to write an essay, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Complete lessons on the full range of linguistic features can be found in our Year 6 Grammar curriculum if more input is needed.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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.
Put the smaller questions that need to be addressed in order to answer the essay question 'What makes the polar regions important and why should we do more to protect them?' in a logical order.
1 - What are polar regions?
2 - Why are they important?
3 - What do they need protecting from?
4 - How are they currently being protected and what more could we do?
Q2.
What is the main threat facing the polar regions?
Correct answer: climate change leading to ice melting
mining for metal
over-fishing
too much permafrost
Q3.
Which of the following are consequences of polar ice melting?
more reflection of heat into space
Correct answer: sea-levels rising
Correct answer: less reflection of heat into space
Correct answer: fewer habitats for polar bears
Q4.
Which of these statements are true?
Correct answer: The polar regions have warmed more than other areas.
Earth is cooler now than it's been in 100,000 years.
Polar sea ice is increasing by 10% every 10 years.
Correct answer: Historically, the Arctic Ocean has been frozen all year.
Q5.
Match each organisation or agreement to what it does to help protect the polar regions.
Correct Answer:Antarctic Treaty,made countries agree not to own Antarctica
tick

made countries agree not to own Antarctica

Correct Answer:Arctic Council,brings together Arctic countries
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brings together Arctic countries

Correct Answer:Greenpeace,campaigns for a ban on oil drilling in the Arctic
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campaigns for a ban on oil drilling in the Arctic

Correct Answer:World Wildlife Fund (WWF),campaigned for a ban on hunting polar bears
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campaigned for a ban on hunting polar bears

Q6.
Which of the following actions could individuals take to reduce emissions?
Correct answer: voting for parties that will take action
Correct answer: eating less meat
increasing the use of disposable items
Correct answer: increasing the use of public transport

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each smaller essay question to its simple answer.
Correct Answer:What are polar regions?,Antarctica and the Arctic
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Antarctica and the Arctic

Correct Answer:How are they important?,they help regulate the climate
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they help regulate the climate

Correct Answer:What do they need protecting from?,climate change leading to ice melting
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climate change leading to ice melting

Correct Answer:How are they currently protected?,some government agreements
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some government agreements

Correct Answer:What more could be done?,quicker action to tackle climate change
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quicker action to tackle climate change

Q2.
Which of the following points are we likely to make in an essay addressing the question 'What makes the polar regions important and why should we do more to protect them?'?
Correct answer: The polar regions are very unique.
Correct answer: The polar regions help to keep the climate under control.
The polar regions are my favourite part of the world.
Correct answer: The polar regions are threatened by climate change.
Correct answer: Not enough is being done to protect the polar regions.
Q3.
Which of these ideas would likely come first in our logical argument addressing the question 'What makes the polar regions important and why should we do more to protect them?'?
The polar regions help regulate the world’s climate.
Correct answer: The polar regions are Antarctica and the Arctic.
Not enough progress to tackle climate change is being made.
The polar regions are threatened by climate change.
Q4.
Which linguistic features are being used here? 'As a consequence of this, Britain’s woodlands are vital: if they were not present, Britain’s animal and plant life would be gravely threatened.'
Correct answer: fronted adverbial of cause
formal fronted adverbial
Correct answer: adverbial complex sentence
Correct answer: colon to introduce an explanation
Q5.
Which punctuation might be missing from the following sentence? 'Sherwood Forest an area of woodland in the East Midlands is linked to the legend of Robin Hood.'
Correct answer: commas
a semi-colon
a colon
Correct answer: brackets
Q6.
What type of connection has been made between the ideas in the following passage? 'Governments have agreed to reduce emissions; however, more action is needed.'
Correct answer: contrast
'adding on'
cause and effect

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