This week we will be taking part in a discussion. We will give our opinion listen to other people’s opinions and be able to give reasons for our choices.

Monday- Recognise and use coordinating conjunctions

Explain that today we are going to be learning how to use coordinating conjunctions we are going to learn what they are and how we can use them. S

Show your child the words and, but, and or. Explain that these are often seen in the middle of a sentence and that is because they join two ideas together to make one big sentence.

Go through the Powerpoint explain how the words and, or and but are used.

Or is when we compare two different ideas such as would you like a cat or a dog?

Look at the word but-  Give an example I want to go to the Zoo but I don’t have any money. Can your child think of any examples?

Look at and. We use and when we are adding two ideas together- give an example I love to go swimming and I love to go to the beach

Coordinating conjunction detectives- Look out from the conjunctions in the sentences. Using the PowerPoint.

Show some examples where the conjunction is missing offer your child a choice to help them decide, try each one so they can hear if it makes sense – Ask them to share and explain their choices keep reinforcing how these words are used.

For today’s task help your child to complete the conjunctions activity

Tuesday- Join in discussion

Ask your child if they know what a discussion is? Explain that it is when there are two different sides one agreeing one disagreeing. They are talking about the same thing but saying different things about it

Explain the words for and against- For meaning agreeing and against meaning disagreeing.

You can use teddies to support your explanation- Explain that one is always going to agree and one is always going to disagree

Model using Jack and the beanstalk as a discussion point giving reasons for and against if jack should have gone up the beanstalk. One saying no it was not safe, the other saying yes he got a golden egg which helped him.

Explain that the discussion this week is should animals be kept in zoos or not?

Explain that there is no wrong or right answer; there will be different opinions for or against this. Explain what a Zoo if your child has never been. Discuss where the animals live, how they are fed and why we have zoos.

Explain 3 reasons why people are against zoos using the teddies and 3 reasons why people are for zoos. Use pictures to record ideas help them to remember

Ask your child what they think? Do they agree with any of the reasons that the teddies gave? Do they have any reasons of their own?

Ask your child to decide if they are for or against zoos can they explain why?

Wednesday- To identify features of a discussion

Remind your child of what you were discussing yesterday?  Did the teddies both have the same opinions about Zoos? Recall the words for and against. What do those words mean?

Ask your child to help you to remember 3 reasons that people were for zoos and three reasons people were against them.

Today we are going to create a story map which will show what our discussing is about. As next week we are going to write our discussion for others to read. The first thing we will need to do is write the discussion question at the top of our page

Should animals be kept in a zoo? Ask your child to do this.

Explain that we need to start our maps by explaining to our audience what our discussion is about- Today I am going to discuss an important question. Should animals be kept in zoos? Yes? Or No? Ask your child to help you create pictures to show this. There is an example to support you.

This is a tricky question with no right or wrong answer.  Keep drawing your pictures to show this.

Different people have different opinions about it. Some think it’s right. Some think it’s wrong

Explain that we then need to explain what a zoo is just in case people do not know what a zoo is.

A zoo is a place where animals are kept in cages or behind fences for people to come and look at them. Ask how can we show this?

Some people think the zoos should be closed draw an arrow down for this on one half of the page some people think they should stay open Draw another arrow on the other side to show this

Draw 3 reasons against

The animals are locked away and want to be free

The animals want to hunt and not be fed by humans because it makes them lazy and sad

The animals suffer just to make people happy

3 reasons for

Many animals are in danger of dying out. Explain the word extinct add it to the map- The zoos help to keep the animal alive

When people see the animals they begin to care more about animals and nature

Going to the Zoo makes people happy

The last part is our conclusion- We will not write this today we will be writing this another day but we can still think about it. What have you decided?

I think Zoos are OK because....... but they should be run well so that animals are happy.

Thursday- Write reasons for and against

Remind your child of what a discussion is. Today we are going to think about the reasons for and against zoos. It is very important that we use full sentences when we are speaking and writing so that everyone understands what we are saying.

Look at the PowerPoint. Read the slide and ask the children to think about if they agree or if they disagree- Children to show thumbs up or down to share if they agree or disagree.

Look at some questions to help your child form an opinion about the zoo.

You can use your own experience too to help them decide.

Look at the important words cruel and free- Do they agree that the animals are unhappy or do they think they have lots of space and are looked after? Do they think they should be released? Will the animals be able to look after themselves without the Zoo Keeper?

Work your way through the PP discussing these points with your child.

Today you are going to write three reasons why you think Zoos should stay open and three reasons why you think Zoos should close.