Any Year 5 teachers about?

[roaringwater]

I'm really hoping someone could help to inspire me with regard to my literacy planning :-)

Have you decided on a literacy unit to start with when you go back in September? I have pretty much free choice what I do as it's a single form entry school, so no other year group colleagues with whom to confer. However, I really am devoid of all ideas. Typically, we start with a non-fiction unit so it probably needs to be recount, instructions or persuasive writing.

Our class topic is the Tudors, if that helps.

I've taught Year 5 before but picked them up half way through a year so a great many of these decisions had been made for me.

Any inspiration would be gratefully received!

Hi, I'm starting with a fiction unit on Frank Cottrell Boyce. Tried it last year and it worked well so hopefully this next group will enjoy it too.
To link with the Tudors I used to get the children to write instructions for building a timber framed Tudor house - we did lots of role play and they seemed to enjoy it. Or something linking to persuasion - imagining life as one of Henry's wives and asking not to be beheaded!
I'm sure there are more exciting things that someone else will come up with!

Blend history, art and literacy and look at sources about Henry, pictures of Henry, and then draw him at various stages of his life, and write a persuasive text from the older, fatter, Henry, to his new prospective wife ( Anne of Cleves or the naughty one thereafter.)

If it's a boy-heavy class, a poetic battle recount or description of the Field of the Cloth of Gold.

Or make tudor tiles in class, and then write an instructional text.

I think it's also worthwhile looking at some of the imagery of the tudor poets or even Shakespeare. You'd be surprised by how much they enjoy "decoding" it, and it gets the tricky older literature bit done with early on. My class loved re-enacting and modernising Shakespeare, and they were a tough class!

Nickswife- did you know Frank Cottrell Boyce has written one of the episodes in the new series of Doctor Who? It's episode 10, so should be on around the beginning of November.

Thank you RussTDavisBear. I didn't know that, that'll be a great link for the children!

Thank you for your imaginative suggestions - sorry for not responding sooner but we were away for a few days. These certainly give me something to go on, thanks again.

I did Henry with year 5 and we did it from a hero or villain angle so we could have lots of discussion and a look at how he changed and perception of him changed. Ended with really good class debate.