Giraffe Class Writing

Term 6 Week 1 Activities

Descriptive writing

Use of the senses

Figurative language

Interesting vocabulary

(Wow words)

Introduction

• This week, children, you’re going to visit Loompaland (without even leaving your house)! The Oompa-Loompas come from a land of thick jungle, infested with dangerous creatures.

• Jungles are very beautiful places, filled with thick trees and exotic plants, rivers and waterfalls, and lots and lots of wildlife.

• You are going to imagine you are in the jungle, and you are going to create a piece of descriptive writing, focusing on using the senses.

• I would also like you to include some figurative language (simile, metaphor, and personification), as well as using interesting vocabulary (lots of wow words – adjectives, adverbs, and verbs!).

Task 1: Revise Figurative Language (20 minutes)

Watch this short video about metaphors and similes, and do the check activity and quiz:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zfkk7ty/articles/z9tkxfr

Task 1: Revise Figurative Language

What is a metaphor?

• A metaphor is a word or a phrase used to describe something as if it were something else:

For example:

• A wave of terror washed over him. – The terror isn't actually a wave, but a wave is a good

way of describing the feeling.

• Jess is dynamite. – She's not made of dynamite, but it's a way to explain

how exciting she is.

Task 1: Revise Figurative Language

What is a simile? • A simile describes something by comparing it to

something else, using like or as. • For example:

– The snake moved like a ripple on a pond. – It was as slippery as an eel. – Jess is as graceful as a gazelle.

• Try using metaphors and similes to make your own poetry or other writing more descriptive and interesting.

Task 1: Revise Figurative Language

Watch this short video about personification:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zfkk7ty/articles/zw9p8mn

Task 1: Revise Figurative Language

What is personification?

• Describing objects as if they are people is a way of making sentences more exciting. This is called personification.

• For example:

• Jess's heart is racing at 100 miles per hour. – A heart can’t literally race, but it helps us to feel

more involved in the story.

• Try using personification in your own writing.

Task 2: Practising figurative language! (20-30 minutes)

• Let’s practise writing some similes, metaphors, and personification!

• Can you complete the sentences on the next page to make them either a simile, metaphor, or using personification?

• Extension: make up some more of your own! (try to write two similes, two metaphors, and two pieces of personification).

Task 2: Practising figurative language!

1. The chillies were as hot as _____________.

2. My mouth was on ___________________!

3. I drank water like ____________________.

4. My tongue _______________ with horror.

5. Meanwhile, Dad looked as cool as ________, while he chewed away happily!

Task 2: Practising figurative language!

6. I ran as fast as ________________________.

7. My feet ___________ to move quick enough!

8. My brother laughed like ________________.

9. He was a ____________________________!

10.Compared to him, I was a _______________!

Task 3: Improving vocabulary!

• I’d like you to use an online thesaurus to help you to improve the following words.

• https://www.thesaurus.com/ • When you write, think carefully about each word you use –

could it be more interesting? • This activity will help you find some interesting words to

use in your extended writing!

1. Blue 2. Tall 3. Clear 4. Wave 5. Run

6. Wind 7. Drop 8. Dawdle 9. Rock 10. Pool

Task 4: Using the senses! (20 minutes)

The five senses are (Remember S, S, S, T, T): • Sight (what we can see) • Sound (what we can hear) • Smell (what we can smell) • Taste (what we can taste) • Touch (what we can feel) It is very important to use the senses when we write creatively or descriptively, so we can really help the reader to imagine that they are in the place we are describing, experiencing it for themselves!

Task 4: Using the senses!

• Think about where you are right now. Are you in your house? What can you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch/feel?

• Write five sentences, describing what you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch/feel. Here are mine below to help you. Try not to use the actual words ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘smell’, ‘taste’ or ‘touch’/’feel’!

1. See: The sunlight is casting interesting shadows on the fence

across the road. 2. Hear: My dog is barking at the neighbours, who are talking loudly

in their garden. 3. Smell: The scent of barbecuing is sneaking in through the

doorway. 4. Taste: My tongue recoils at the bitterness of lemon in my tea. 5. Touch/Feel: I shiver, as the evening air begins to cool.

(Did you spot the personification in numbers 3 and 4?!)

Task 5: Looking at an example. (20-30 minutes)

• On the next page is a piece of descriptive writing that uses the following techniques: – Simile – Metaphor – Personification – Use of the senses

• Read it carefully. Can you spot where the writer uses figurative language, and which of the senses are being used?

• Write down some phrases or sentences from the extract that show these techniques being used (or highlight/label the text if you’ve printed it out).

• I have highlighted (in bold font) an example of personification, and underlined an example of where the writer uses the sense of sound, to get you started.

The creepers had woven a great mat that hung at the side of an open space in the jungle; for here a patch of rock came close to the surface and would not allow more than little plants and ferns to grow. The whole space was walled with dark aromatic bushes, and was a bowl of heat and light. A great tree, fallen across one corner, leaned against the trees that still stood and a rapid climber flaunted red and yellow sprays right to the top. Nothing moved but a pair of gaudy butterflies that danced round each other in the hot air. Evening was advancing toward the island; the sounds of the bright fantastic birds, the bee-sounds, even the crying of the gulls that were returning to their roosts among the square rocks, were fainter. The deep sea breaking miles away on the reef made an undertone. The slope of the bars of honey-coloured sunlight decreased; they slid up the bushes, passed over the green candle-like buds, moved up toward the canopy, and darkness thickened under the trees. With the fading of the light the riotous colours died and the heat and urgency cooled away. The candle-buds stirred. Their green sepals drew back a little and the white tips of the flowers rose delicately to meet the open air. Now the sunlight had lifted clear of the open space and withdrawn from the sky. Darkness poured out, submerging the ways between the trees till they were dim and strange as the bottom of the sea. The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the first stars. Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island.

Task 6: Extended writing (One hour, approximately – please split this time up as you see fit.)

• On the next page is a picture of a beautiful jungle clearing, with a waterfall, just like you might find in Loompaland.

• I’d like you to write a description of it, thinking really carefully about using the senses.

• Think about not only what you can see in the picture, but what you might be able to hear, and touch/feel (taste and smell could also be included, if you can find a way, but focus on sight, sound, and touch/feel).

• Don’t forget to include figurative language, as well as interesting vocabulary (wow words – adjectives, adverbs, and verbs).

• Here are some words to get you started: (you could also use some you like from the example extract).

• turquoise, emerald, meandering, scattered, flowing, shallow, echoing, calling, shimmering, reflecting, tinkling.

Task 6: Extended writing: Planning

• Here is my video showing you how to plan to use the senses in your writing, and make a mind-map:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prU8gF2OilI • Here is another video, with sounds to help you plan your

writing (don’t watch all of it, it’s very long – maybe let it play for a short time while you make your mind-map?):

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPrO2jlay40&t=1857s

Miss Pickup’s Example: Similes = Green, Metaphor = Red, Personification = Blue,

Can you spot where I’ve used sight, sound, and touch/feel?

The raucous calls of the birds were obscured by the roaring of running, crashing water, as the river clambered over the rocks, and raced into the clearing. There was a sudden burst of light and heat as the sun broke through the gap in the dense tree canopy, casting emerald shadows that danced delightfully. A turquoise pool of swirling water pushed busily at its sandy edges, constantly fidgeting, like a bored child forced to sit still for too long. The trees were giants here, surrounding the water like sentries. They were larger and healthier than their relatives, who lurked further back from the river in the deep, cool jungle shadows, like shy people at a party. Their bark was free from moss and vines, and smoother, some as smooth as baby’s cheeks. Below their shade, the fish moved lazily in the warm, clear water, while the hidden crickets and brightly coloured frogs formed a jungle choir, melodic and constant.

Task 7: Send it to us! (5-10 minutes)

• Mrs Callaway and I are really missing reading and seeing all of your work, so it would be amazing if you could get your parents to take photographs of your Task 5 extended writing, along with your maths and other learning and email them to us as attachments via the class email account!

• giraffes@bratton.wilts.sch.uk