After a fantastic training session with Pie Corbett I became obsessed with creating a dragon themed topic. After much reading and watching weird ‘Youtube’ videos I came up with loads of useful materials which the kids in KS1 and 2 loved. It all begins with a brilliant documentary I found produced by The Animal Channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-wqrbBB5Xo

I focused on visual texts to support EAL learners and to allow all children to access it at some level.  Some of the books that worked brilliantly are…

George and the dragon – Chris Wormell

The Dragon Snatcher – M.P. Robertson

The Snow Dragon -Vivian French

The Egg – M.P. Robertson

Ignis – Gina Wilson

The Dragon Machine – Helen Ward

The Great Dragon Rescue – M.P. Robertson

Another fantasically useful website is ‘Love Reading 4 Kids’

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

If you register with them (which is free) you can download extracts from hundreds of books. It also guides you as to age / interest suitability and links you to the cheapest place to purchase them.

These books are fantastic to use as model texts for non-fiction (the Pie Corbett idea of using fantasy in non-fiction). I did a really easy but effective ‘How to trap a dragon’ using ‘Talk for Writing’ approaches (information on this can still be found on the old Primary Framework site –  easy to read and understand – have look!) which eventually the children used as a template for real life instructions.