Read, Plan, Write

Overview

Students practise approaching a CAA writing question. They will read the instructions carefully, identify the purpose, audience and required content, then create a clear plan for a 150–250 word response. The lesson builds confidence before students attempt a full written answer in a later lesson.

Learning intentions

• WALT read exam instructions carefully and identify what a task requires.
• WALT explain the purpose and audience of a writing task.
• WALT select and organise ideas before writing.
• WALT use a planning process that will help make our writing clear and coherent.

Success criteria

• I can highlight the important instructions in a writing question.
• I can identify the purpose, audience, topic and required content.
• I can create a plan with a clear beginning, middle and ending.
• I can check that my plan will help me write 150–250 words using accurate language.

Curriculum links

• Crafting Texts — Audience and purpose: applying and adapting language, structural and stylistic features to engage an audience and achieve a purpose.
• Crafting Texts — Audience and purpose: selecting and adapting planning strategies to improve clarity and coherence.
• Crafting Texts — Discursive texts: refining planning through detailed outlines that improve coherence and depth.
• Crafting Texts — Visual and digital texts: developing detailed planning for coherent and purposeful texts.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook: what is the task really asking? Teacher displays the CAA-style question: “Your school or community group has developed a website for people who are new to the area. Write a description of ONE place or experience you think new community members would enjoy. Write between 150 and 250 words.” Open with the question hook slide and ask students to silently write one thing they notice. Students compare observations with a partner, focusing on words that seem important.

2. 5–12 min · Read like an examiner. Teacher models reading the question twice: first for the general meaning, then for the details. On the instruction-reading slides, demonstrate circling the word “ONE”, underlining “new community members”, and boxing “150–250 words”. Explain that students should not begin writing until they know the task, purpose, audience, content and length. Students annotate their own copy on the CAA task-reading worksheet and answer: What are you writing? Who will read it? Why are you writing it? What must you include?

3. 12–18 min · Unpack the assessment focus. Teacher reveals the task requirements: identify the place or experience, describe who might enjoy it, and explain why it is recommended. Discuss how the response will be judged for ideas, structure, language choices and accuracy. Use the success-and-marking slides to show a simple checklist. Students sort the requirements into “must do”, “good to do” and “check before finishing”, then justify one choice to a partner.

4. 18–28 min · Build a detailed plan. Teacher models a possible choice, such as a local beach, library, skate park or cultural event, without writing the full answer. Think aloud while recording a clear opening, descriptive details, suitable visitors, reasons for recommending it, and a closing sentence. Distribute the Essay Structure Planning Grid for students to use as an organiser. Students complete a plan for their own place or experience, including specific details and examples rather than isolated adjectives. Circulate and ask: “How does this detail help a new community member?”

5. 28–36 min · Improve for audience and purpose. Teacher pauses the class for a planning check using the planning-check slides. Model changing a general idea such as “It is fun” into a more useful detail for the audience, such as “The sheltered picnic area makes it a good choice for families.” Students exchange plans and use the worksheet checklist to give one warm comment and one practical suggestion. They revise at least one idea, add a missing requirement, and check that their response could reach 150 words without repeating itself.

6. 36–40 min · Exit check and next step. Teacher asks students to complete the final section of the CAA task-reading worksheet before packing up. Students write: “The purpose is…”, “The audience is…”, “My three main points are…”, and “The first sentence of my answer could be…”. Invite two students to share useful planning choices. Explain that the next step is turning the plan into a 150–250 word response while continuing to check structure, language and accuracy.

Resources

• the CAA instruction and planning slide deck
• the CAA task-reading worksheet
• the Essay Structure Planning Grid
• Projector or interactive display
• Student pens, highlighters and exercise books
• A timer visible to the class
• Copies of the CAA-style writing question

Assessment

• Listen to partner discussions and check whether students can identify the purpose, audience, topic and word limit.
• Review annotated questions and planning grids during the main activity; conference briefly with students whose plans lack detail or do not address all requirements.
• Use the exit check to identify who is ready to draft and who needs further support with unpacking instructions or organising ideas.

Differentiation

• Provide a reduced-text version of the question with the key words already bolded for students who need reading support. Read the instructions aloud, pause between sentences, and allow students to replay a recorded reading if available.
• Give students sentence starters such as “This place would suit…”, “Visitors could…”, and “I recommend it because…”. Offer a choice of familiar places or experiences for students who find generating ideas difficult.
• For dyslexic students, use a clear sans-serif font, generous spacing, tinted paper if preferred, and allow speech-to-text or a scribe for discussion and planning. Do not penalise spelling during the planning stage.
• Support students with ADHD through the short timed stages, visible checklist, movement to collect the organiser, and teacher check-ins. Challenge confident writers to plan a response that creates a strong impression of the place without exceeding the word limit.