Writing Unit:

Non-chronological report
Monday 8th March 2021
Learning Objective: To use similar writing as models
for my own writing.
Learning Outcome: I can identify the main features
of a non-chronological report.
 What is a non-chronological report?
A non-chronological report is a piece of text that isn't
written in time order. They tend to be non-fiction, and
they give information on subjects or events.
Features of a non-chronological report:

 title
 introductory paragraph
 information is organised into paragraphs
 each category has a sub-heading
 formal tone
 present tense (unless it is a historical report)
 factual or technical language

Higher level writing may also include:

 brackets
 semi-colons
 dash
 hyphenated words
Let’s see what features we can find in this non-chronological report:

CROCODILES

Found living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, America and Australia, crocodiles
are members of the order Crocodilia, which also includes caimans, gharials and
alligators. These fierce carnivores (meat-eating animals) have not changed much for
millions of years. Recent studies suggest that there are fourteen different types of
crocodile – many of these are endangered species and are protected by international
laws.

Appearance
Crocodiles have large, broad bodies with short legs and long, muscular tails. They
have thick, leathery skin with bony, plate-shaped scales. All crocodile teeth are pointed
and cone shaped; they are located on the outside of the jaws. There are many
different sizes of crocodile. The smallest crocodile is the dwarf crocodile which grows to
about 5.6 feet (1.7 metres) in length and weighs 13 to 15 pounds (6 to 7 kilograms).
Largest of the crocodile species is the saltwater crocodile. The largest one ever
discovered was 20.24 feet (6.17metres) long. They can weigh up to 2,000 pounds
(907 kg).
Diet
Crocodiles are carnivores which mean they eat only meat. In the wild, they feast on
a range of available foods: fish, birds, frogs and crustaceans. Crocodiles are very
fast swimmers, which helps them to catch their prey. They can swim up to speeds
of 20 miles per hour (32 kph) and can hold their breath underwater for around one
hour. Crocodiles will clamp down on their prey with their massive jaws, crush it
before swallowing their catch whole. They do not have the capability to chew or
break off small pieces of food like other animals. To help with digestion, crocodiles
swallow small stones that grind up the food in their stomachs. Thanks to their
slow metabolisms, crocodiles can survive for months without food.

Offspring
Crocodiles make much better parents than many other reptiles. Crocodiles usually
lay between ten and sixty eggs at a time. However, a female Nile crocodile lays up
to seventy-five eggs which she buries under the sand in the riverbank. Guarding
them for about three months until they hatch, the female will then carry them
gently in her mouth down to the water. She continues protecting them from
predators for another few weeks before leaving them to fight their own battles.
Depending on the species, young crocodiles are considered mature when they are
between four and fifteen years old.
Crocodiles are considered to be one of world’s most endangered species -
the Cuban crocodile has a population of only about four thousand.
Poaching is a constant threat to the crocodile species and world
authorities have worked together to make it illegal to hunt crocodiles for
their skins in order to protect this species for generations to come.
Tuesday 9th March 2021
Learning Objective: To explore advanced punctuation
Learning Outcome: I can use brackets to add technical,
statistical and scientific vocabulary
Brackets are often used to add factual, statistical or technical details
such as the number of eggs laid, the wingspan of a bird, the weight of
an animal.

Look at these examples.

A toucan’s call can be heard up to three miles (five kilometres) away.

The mass of the female golden eagle (between 3 and 7 kilograms) is

generally greater than that of the male (between 3 and 4 kilograms).

The huge number of eggs laid by a sea turtle (around 110) in each
nesting session is because so many eggs and young turtles are eaten by
predators.
Use these notes
BLUE MORPHO BUTTERFLY
about the Blue
Morpho butterfly
to write eight
sentences which
use brackets  part of the larger Nymphalididae family which has 29 varieties

including  many different species include brown green and the rare white
species
scientific,  females are not as bright in colour
 butterfly emits a strong odour from to repel predators
statistical or  in flight, the wings flash from blue to brown to make it difficult for

technical predators to track

 distinctive, slow, bouncy flight pattern due to the wing area being
vocabulary. enormous relative to the body size. Has a wingspan of 7cm to 20cm.
 Blue Morphos are found in tropical forests. Found living in
Group 2 capital Venezuela, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Colombia. in Central and
letters and full South America.
stops.  have a short life as they generally only live an average of 115 days.
Wednesday 10th March 2021
Learning Objective: To explore higher level punctuation
Learning Outcome: I can write sentences which use a
semicolon to separate two main clauses.
Let’s look again at how we can use semicolons to separate two main
clauses.

Look at these examples.

A toucan’s call can be heard up to three miles away: it is considered to

be one of the loudest birds in the rainforest.

Many eggs laid by the female sea turtle are eaten by predators; the female
sea turtle must lay many eggs to ensure the survival of the species.

The honey-bee has an incredible five eyes; two large compound eyes and
three smaller ocelli eyes are located in the centre of its head.
 Use these facts
about the
American
alligator and AMERICAN ALLIGATOR AMERICAN BISON

the American  official name alligator  herbivores feeding on

mississippiensi plain grasses, shrubs
bison to write  diet of fish, turtles, and twigs
birds and even other  can reach speeds of 40
eight sentences reptiles mph or 65 kmph
 5 million of the  heaviest land animal in
which include a creatures live in SE USA USA as adult males can
of which 1.25 million reach weights of up to
semicolon to are located in state in one tonne or 2200
Florida pounds
separate two  live in fresh water  males are called bulls
environments such as and females are called
main clauses. ponds, rivers and cows
swamps  estimated that wild
 mating season is April population has
through to middle of decreased from 20
May from which 25 – million in 1800s to
50 eggs are produced fewer than 5000 today
Group 2 commas
Thursday 11th March 2021
Learning Objective: To write an opening for a non-
chronological report.
Learning Outcome: I can write an opening about a
mythical creature.
 The Crocodile

Found living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia,

America and Australia, crocodiles are members of the
order Crocodilia, which also includes caimans, gharials
and alligators. These fierce carnivores (meat-eating
animals) have not changed much for millions of years.
Recent studies suggest that there are fourteen different
types of crocodile – many of these are endangered
species and are protected by international laws.
 The Butterfroguin

With its distinctive, piercing screech,

the butterfroguin is by far the loudest
creature of the Amazonian rainforest.
Its call can be heard up to three
miles (4.8 km) away. The butterfroguin
is the largest of the froguin family
(which includes those found in South,
North, and Central America) yet, it is
a docile creature which spends much
of its time sleeping in the dense
canopy of the Amazonian rainforest.
 The Liphanteagle

Discovered living in the dense shrubbery of the Amazon

rainforest, this large and unusual creature has been
classified as part of the phanteagle species. It is thought
that there are fewer than ten of the creatures in existence
in the world – all of which are believed to be residing in
the Colombian area (Pacific Coastal area) of the Amazon
rainforest. The creature is first believed to have been
spotted in 1988 by a young explorer named Matthew
Barron who, in his field documents, described seeing, “an
extremely strange creature which may have been a lion but
with wings and a trunk.” His claims were initially
dismissed; it is only in recent years that further sightings
led to confirmation of the animal’s existence and that
information about this animal has been collated and
documented.
You will probably have noticed that the butterfroguin
and the liphanteagle are not real creatures. They are
imaginary creatures!
Today, you are going to write an introductory
paragraph about one of these cute imaginary
creatures. Remember that you are only writing the
introduction.
Friday 12th March 2021
Learning Objective: To investigate spelling rules.
Learning Outcome: I can use suffixes to change the tense of
words.
Click on this picture and it will
take you to your spelling lesson
for this week. Group 1

Click on this picture and it will

take you to your spelling
lesson for this week. Group 2
When you have finished the video tasks, try this task. Write
each of these words as a rainbow word. Make each letter a
different colour.
When you have finished the video tasks, try this task. Write
each of these words as a rainbow word. Make each letter a
different colour.