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Year 3

Writing a section on Portia spiders' hunting for a non-chronological report

I can use my plan to write a detailed section about the hunting strategies of the Portia spider.

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Year 3

Writing a section on Portia spiders' hunting for a non-chronological report

I can use my plan to write a detailed section about the hunting strategies of the Portia spider.

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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 subheading signals to the reader what the section is about.
  2. A section about one feature of the report's subject contains specific facts and information to keep the reader engaged.
  3. Writers choose varied fronted adverbials and different sentence types to ensure the text flows for the reader.
  4. A section can be composed of one paragraph.
  5. Sentences should be said aloud before writing to ensure they make sense and read back once written to check for errors.

Keywords

  • Text flow - how a text is written to keep the reader engaged

  • Subheading - a word, phrase or sentence used to introduce part of a text

  • Compound sentence - a sentence formed of two main clauses and a co-ordinating conjunction

  • Complex sentence - a sentence formed of at least one main clause and a subordinate clause

  • Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma

Common misconception

Pupils may write their facts in an incoherent order.

Ensure pupils are following the order of the facts on their plans when writing full sentences.


To help you plan your year 3 english lesson on: Writing a section on Portia spiders' hunting for a non-chronological report, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use the accompanying Year 3 Grammar lessons to explain and teach the range of sentence types appropriate at Year 3 level.
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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).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the definition of a main clause?
a group of words that does not contain a verb.
Correct answer: a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense by itself
a group of words that contains a verb and does not make complete sense by itself
Q2.
Which of these is true about the Portia spider?
It only hunts other spiders by abseiling down its web.
Correct answer: It has different hunting strategies.
It cannot hunt other spiders.
Q3.
Finish this sentence. The Portia spider eats ....
Correct Answer: spiders and insects, other spiders, other insects, spiders
Q4.
Match the verb to the reason the Portia spider uses it.
Correct Answer:abseiling,to drop down behind its prey to surprise attack
tick

to drop down behind its prey to surprise attack

Correct Answer:plucking its web,to imitate a trapped spider to lure its prey
tick

to imitate a trapped spider to lure its prey

Q5.
Match the main and subordinate clauses to the examples.
Correct Answer:main ,the Portia spider abseils behind its prey
tick

the Portia spider abseils behind its prey

Correct Answer:subordinate,so it can trick the other spider
tick

so it can trick the other spider

Q6.
Which formal fronted adverbial could work in this pair of sentences? The Portia spider hunts other spiders. _________, it cannot hunt humans.
Correct Answer: However,, However

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Select two things we always try to do when we write.
Only write two sentences.
Write sentences without saying them first.
Only showcase one sentence type.
Correct answer: Plan and say each sentence before we write it.
Correct answer: Showcase each sentence type we know.
Q2.
Which of these sentences is relevant to a section about the Portia spider's hunting?
The Portia spider has brown fur.
Correct answer: The predator imitates a trapped spider to lure its prey towards it.
The Portia spider has eight eyes.
Q3.
What is the definition of a subheading?
Correct answer: A subheading is a word, phrase or sentence used to introduce part of a text.
A subheading is the main body of the text.
A subheading is a word, phrase or sentence used to describe an action.
A subheading is a word, phrase or sentence used to label a picture.
Q4.
Which of these is a subordinate clause?
the spider plucks the web
Correct answer: because the prey is tricked
the predator imitates a trapped spider
Q5.
Which main clause coherently follows this main clause to make a complete compound sentence? 'The Portia spider is a skilled hunter'
because it has different hunting strategies.
and predator.
Correct answer: , but it cannot hunt humans.
Q6.
Which sentence could coherently follow this sentence? 'The Portia spider abseils down behind its unsuspecting prey.'
Interestingly, it can see the world in 3D.
Also, it can eat spiders up to three times its size.
Correct answer: Then, it attacks its prey with its poisonous fangs.