Cover lesson · Languages, Literacy and Communication · Year 2 · Intermediate
DCF: Interacting and collaborating → Communication
What this practises: talking about different ways to send a message (letter, email, text message, video call) and which ones use the internet, then writing a short email on a pretend screen. Pupils fix capital letters and full stops in an invented email and use them in their own, which is real literacy evidence of punctuating sentences.
Print: page 2 (the activity sheet), one per pupil. Print the stimulus sheet “Four ways to send Nain a message” once to show the class. No computers are needed: the email screens are on paper.
Run: 5 min hello and Nain · 10 min Parts 1 and 2 · 5 min talk partners · 10 min Part 3 · 15 min Part 4 · 5 min Part 5 · 5 min share. Total 55 minutes.
Collect: the activity sheet. For literacy, look at Part 3 (8 capital letters and 3 full stops added) and Part 4 (the pupil’s own email). Quick checks: Part 1 video call 4, letter 1, text message 3, email 2; Part 2 the internet ones are email, text message and video call.
Read the words after Say aloud.
Say: “Bore da! Many children in Wales call their grandma Nain. In some places she is called Mamgu. Osian’s Nain lives in Llandudno, a long way from his house. How could Osian tell Nain his news?”
Show: the four cards on the stimulus sheet one at a time and read what each one says.
Say: “Write the number of each picture next to its name. Then tick the ones that use the internet.”
Ask: “Which one is fastest? Which one is slowest? Which one lets you see Nain’s face? Which one could Nain keep on her fridge?”
Answers: video call 4, letter 1, text message 3, email 2. Email, text message and video call use the internet. You see Nain’s face on a video call. The letter comes through the letterbox.
Say: “Tell your partner: which way would you choose to tell Nain your news? Why?” Take 3 answers. Any choice with a reason is a good answer.
Say: “We only send messages to people we know, and always with a grown-up.”
Say: “Osian typed an email to Nain, but he forgot his capital letters and full stops. Sentences start with a capital letter and end with a full stop. Names start with a capital letter too.”
Model: read the email aloud with no pauses, then again with pauses. “Where did I stop for a breath? That is where a full stop goes.”
Answers: Dear Nain / I went to the park with Mam. We saw a big dog. It was fun. / Love Osian. That is 8 capital letters and 3 full stops.
Say: “Now write your own email to Nain, or to anyone special. Tell them 2 or 3 things. Use the word box. Say each sentence out loud before you write it.”
Model: say a sentence aloud, then write it on the board, pointing to the capital letter and the full stop.
Say: “Read your email to your partner. Did every sentence start with a capital letter and end with a full stop? Tick the boxes.”
Do: ask 3 pupils to read their email aloud. Everyone presses the pretend Send button together: “1, 2, 3, Send!”
Ask: “How long will it take Nain to get an email? How long would a letter take?”
Say: “Da iawn! Hwyl fawr!”
Name: Class: Date:
Write the number of the picture next to its name.
1
2
3
4
Tick the ones that use the internet.
Circle the one where you can see Nain’s face.
Circle the one that comes through the letterbox.
Osian forgot his capital letters and full stops. Write his email again, correctly.
dear nain
i went to the park with mam we saw a big dog it was fun
love osian
How many capital letters did you add? How many full stops?
Tell Nain your news. Write 2 or 3 sentences.
Dear Nain
Love ______________
Each sentence starts with a capital letter.
Each sentence ends with a full stop.
Names start with a capital letter.