DSE English | Paper 3 integrated skills lesson plan (for tutors)

DSE English | Paper 3 integrated skills lesson plan (for tutors) — four sources, three tasks

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Secondary English

Students hear the recording and copy quickly, yet the answer reads like collage. This lesson makes them sort four sources first, then rewrite in the register each task demands.

Objectives — Students can: (1) sort 4 sources by purpose and label each with a task number within 10 minutes; (2) state the format and register of each task; (3) write about 400 words in 75 minutes, roughly 5.3 words a minute; (4) run a checklist on length, format, register and copying before handing in.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Note taking	Copy verbs or whole sentences?	Key words and numbers only
Format	Report versus email?	Report has subheadings, email has greeting and sign-off
Register	Writing to a classmate versus a principal?	Different formality and address

02 Lesson flow (60 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0–10 min	Read the tasks	Read the three tasks first, circle format and audience	Write task numbers on the data file
10–30 min	Sort sources	Label each source by purpose, cross out duplicates	Complete a mapping table
30–42 min	Model one paragraph	Turn two leaflet sentences into report register	Write one sentence alongside
42–48 min	Task one practice	Opening plus two points under time	Write three sentences
48–52 min	Tasks two and three	Outline format frame and key points only	One paragraph each
52–60 min	Exit check	Run the checklist aloud	Name three of their own errors

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Read the tasks before the sources

Most marks are lost to sequence: reading source one to four takes half an hour, while the task needs only two of them. Spend the first 10 minutes on the tasks, circling audience, format and the number of points required. Then scan each source for thirty seconds against those three questions. Headings, charts and captions are hints, not decoration, so do not skip them.

Ask students to write one line per source naming the task it serves, in three minutes.

Scene 2: Rewriting means changing register, not swapping words

A leaflet may say: do not miss out, sign up now. In a report that becomes: registration closes on 20 October. Three conversions matter: person, tense and tone. Keep numbers and proper nouns exactly, because accuracy scores there. Copying a whole sentence is treated as no rewriting at all, so the sentence structure has to move even when the facts stay identical.

Ask how they would rewrite sign up now for an email to the principal.

Scene 3: Put the time budget on paper

400 words in 75 minutes is about 5.3 words a minute, but two minutes of planning come first. Suggested split: task one 25 minutes, task two 25, task three 20, five minutes for format and length. If two thirds of the time is gone and task two has not started, close task one and move on. Marks are awarded per task, so an empty task is a direct loss.

Ask students to write three clock times in the margin and tick each as it is finished.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Source mapping	Four sources into three tasks	Read tasks, then scan sources	One label per source
Rewriting	Leaflet line into report line	Person, tense, tone	Keep numbers and names
Format	Email, report, article	Audience decides heading and address	Wrong format loses marks
Timing	Budget across three tasks	25, 25 and 20 minutes	Every task finished

Sanity check (teach this): Check the arithmetic: 10 plus 20 plus 12 plus 6 plus 4 plus 8 equals 60 minutes. Writing speed is 400 words divided by 75 minutes, which is 5.3 words a minute. If a student measures half that speed, lower the target length rather than forcing the clock.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Minutes to sort 4 sources	Within ten	Were tasks read first
Words per minute for 400 in 75	5.3	Is the pace realistic
Main difference between report and email	Subheadings versus greeting	Audience decides

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Reading sources in order	Four sources read before the tasks	Read the tasks first; you need to know what you are hunting for.
Copying whole sentences	A leaflet sentence pasted into a report	Change the structure; copy only numbers and proper nouns.
Leaving the third task blank	Two tasks written, one empty	Every task carries marks, so keep each one short but complete.
Register slipping mid-text	A slang phrase inside a report	Hold one register from start to finish for one audience.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

English subject index — All chapters
Practice paper — Paper 3 practice: integrated task

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
First step	Read the tasks	Wrong: reteach act one
400 words over 75 minutes	5.3 words a minute	Recalculate if stuck
Three register conversions	Person, tense, tone	Two wrong: restart act two

09 Tutor FAQ

Must formats be memorised?

Learn the openings and closings of email, report and article; adjust the rest to the task.

How to reach the word count?

Add examples and figures, not repeated paraphrase of the same point.

What if part of the recording is missed?

Finish the other tasks, then infer the missing figure from context.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.