Illustrating Our Letters

Overview

Subject: English
Year Group: Year 2
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 30 students
Unit: Exploring Habitats and Conservation (Lesson 15 of 20)

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Learning Objectives (National Curriculum links)

WALT: Create illustrations for our letters to the Prime Minister about habitats and conservation.

This lesson supports the following National Curriculum goals for Year 2 English:

• Writing:
  • Use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify (NC English KS1, Writing, Year 2)
  • Write for different purposes (including letters) (NC English KS1, Writing, Year 2)
• Reading:
  • Develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding through exposure to various texts, including environmental and conservation themes (NC English KS1, Reading, Year 2)
• Speaking and Listening:
  • Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events (NC English KS1, Speaking and Listening, Year 2)

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Success Criteria

• I can design an illustration that connects clearly to the content of my letter.
• I can use colours, shapes, and images that relate to habitats or conservation.
• I can explain my illustration and how it supports my letter.
• (Extension) I can write a short caption explaining my illustration.

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Resources

• Sample letters written in previous lessons
• Plain and coloured paper
• Pencils, colouring pencils, crayons, felt tips
• Watercolour paints and brushes (optional)
• Whiteboards and markers for quick sketch planning
• Visual aids showing examples of habitats and conservation-related images
• Caption writing sheets (differentiated by writing level)
• Word banks with habitat and conservation vocabulary

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Differentiation

• For SEND and working towards: Provide templates with outlines of habitats or simple imagery to colour; offer one-to-one support or paired work with peers to scaffold ideas.
• For on-track learners: Support them to create their own detailed illustrations with some independent choice; encourage use of expanded noun phrases to think about what to draw.
• For greater depth learners: Challenge with mixed media techniques (e.g., combining drawing and painting) and encourage them to compose a descriptive caption for their illustration using adventurous vocabulary.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

WALT: Recall key points from our letters about habitats and conservation.

• Begin with a brief interactive discussion reviewing letters students wrote to the Prime Minister earlier in the unit.
• Use whiteboards for students to jot down key words or images they remember (e.g., trees, animals, pollution).
• Show a few examples of simple illustrations related to letters (could be from past students or teacher-created) to spark ideas.

Assessment: Use questioning to assess understanding of letter content and link to visuals.

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2. Main Activity (35 minutes)

WALT: Create an illustration that represents the ideas in my letter.

Step 1 – Planning (5 minutes):

• Students sketch quick thumbnails or outlines on a whiteboard or scrap paper of what they want to illustrate.
• Encourage thinking about habitats (woods, rivers, fields) and conservation themes (reducing litter, planting trees).
• For support, provide word/image banks and sentence starters like “I will draw… because…”

Step 2 – Illustrating (25 minutes):

• Students create their final illustration using a choice of art supplies.
• Circulate to provide prompts: "How does your picture match your letter?", "Can you add more detail or colour to show your ideas?"
• Use small group or one-to-one support for those needing extra help.

Step 3 – Sharing & Caption Writing (Extension 5 minutes):

• Invite children who are ready to write a caption explaining their picture, using the caption sheets.
• For greater depth, they can also say their caption aloud or write a sentence using expanded noun phrases (e.g., “The big green tree is full of nesting birds.”).

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3. Plenary (15 minutes)

WALT: Explain how my illustration supports my letter.

• Organise a gallery walk where children display their illustrations around the room.
• Each child shares with a partner or small group what their illustration shows and why they chose these images.
• Encourage use of full sentences and relevant vocabulary from the unit.
• Teacher models positive feedback, emphasising connections between writing and illustrating.

Assessment: Informal observation of explanations; note those who meet or exceed success criteria.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Monitor sketches and final illustrations for relevance to letter content.
• Evaluate usage of vocabulary and expanded noun phrases in captions or during oral sharing.
• Note ability to explain the illustration’s link to their argument/letter.

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Additional Notes

• Emphasise respect for conservation messages through art to support cross-curricular learning (English and Science).
• Encourage creativity while reinforcing the purpose: illustrations are a tool to make writing more powerful.
• Use positive reinforcement to motivate learners of all abilities.

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By intentionally integrating English writing and speaking skills with art, this lesson promotes creativity, purposeful communication, and conservation awareness. It supports various learner needs while remaining firmly grounded in the National Curriculum’s expectations for Year 2.