Explanatory writing – why Torquay began to grow as a resort

Start by asking pupils to explore Bonaparte in Torquay, This Sequested Spot and Royals in Torquay in order to get some early ideas about why Torquay developed as a resort. Some pupils might be directed to the theme War.

Generate ideas together as a class. The key points are:

• The influence of war with France and how this brought naval officers’ wives to Torquay to be near their husbands, as the Channel Fleet was stationed in Torbay.
• The temporary imprisonment of Napoleon on a ship in Torbay
• The natural attractions of the area becoming better known
• Visits from the Royal Family promoting popularity among the wealthy

Invite pupils to construct a flow chart to show how these developments linked to explain Torquay’s growth. Some could be asked to do this from scratch. Others might need a framework such as the one below as a start and be asked to add some details. A good starting point might be to provide the boxes below as cards and ask pupils to arrange them on a large piece of paper to try to make links between the different factors. There will need to be discussion of the various causal connectives that they might need to use. This could be linked with work on explanatory texts in Literacy if appropriate.

Pupils could then complete either a written account on paper or word process their explanation. They could then paste in extracts from written sources and pictorial material to support their writing.