Year 5 - English
Understanding the context of 'Front Desk'
'Front Desk': persuasive letter writing
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils take inspiration from a scene in the text 'Front Desk' to write a persuasive letter to elected councillors. They build up persuasive writing skills, including flattery, presumption, evidence and veiled threat. Pupils apply a variety of conventions of formal letter writing.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to develop your understanding of the authorial context, plot and themes of 'Front Desk'.
Key Notes
- Understanding where and when a story is set enhances our understanding of characters and events.
- Understanding the authorial context enhances our understanding of why authorial choices are made.
- 'Front Desk' is a fictional story, but the plot of the narrative is based on real events from the author's childhood.
- Kelly Yang is the author of 'Front Desk'.
- 'Front Desk' was published in 2018 and it has won many book awards.
Vocabulary To Learn
- protagonist: the main character in a story
- immigrant: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country
- motel: a hotel designed mainly for motorists; they usually have rooms with parking directly outside
- plot: the series of events that make up a story
- theme: a central idea that the author intends the audience to engage deeply with
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may confuse the author's life experience with those of the protagonist.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Understanding where and when a story is set enhances our understanding of characters and events. Understanding the authorial context enhances our understanding of why authorial choices are made.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'protagonist'
the main character in a story.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may confuse the author's life experience with those of the protagonist. Correction: Learning cycle 1 draws explicit comparisons and discussion around the similarities between the two.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Editing the main body of a persuasive letter, inspired by a text Study Guide
- Identifying linguistic features and persuasive techniques Study Guide
- Planning and writing the conclusion of a persuasive letter, inspired by a text Study Guide
- Planning part one of the main body of a persuasive letter Study Guide
- Planning part two of the main body of a persuasive letter Study Guide
- Planning the introduction of a persuasive letter, using inspiration from a text Study Guide
- Reading aloud a persuasive letter, inspired by a text Study Guide
- Understanding the purpose, layout and features of a persuasive letter Study Guide
- Writing part one of the main body of a persuasive letter, inspired by a text Study Guide
- Writing part two of the main body of a persuasive letter, inspired by a text Study Guide
- Writing the introduction of a persuasive letter, using inspiration from a text Study Guide
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