TOUCHING THE VOID Wednesday, 10 April 2019

Using descriptive detail in non-fiction writing: IMAGINE – EXPLORE-ENTERTAIN PERSUADE – ARGUE – ADVISE INFORM – EXPLAIN – DESCRIBE ANALYSE – COMMENT - REVIEW

Labradoran Inuit Sikko Tingenek Aput Pukak Mauja Tipvigut Massak Mangokpok Massalerauvok Akkilokipop = Ice = Bare Ice = Snow (in general) = Snow (like salt) = Soft Deep Snow = Snowdrift = Soft Snow = Watery Snow = Snow Filled with Water

STUDY THESE PICTURES…

…AND CONSIDER DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SNOW AND ICE…

Task: WORK IN PAIRS, WITH A THESAURUS, TO GENERATE DESCRIPTIVE VOCABULARY FOR THESE IMAGES. I WILL PUT THEM BACK ONTO THE BOARD. YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES

Now… USING THE VOCABULARY COLLECTED, WE WILL CREATE THREE OR FOUR WELL CRAFTED SENTENCES TO DESCRIBE ONE OF THE PICTURES. FIRST WE HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE…

DECISIONS BEFORE WRITING: ARE WE THERE? IS THIS 1ST, 2ND OR 3RD PERSON NARRATIVE? IS IT IN THE PAST OR PRESENT? ONCE DECIDED, REMEMBER TO TRY EVERYTHING TO CREATE YOUR MOOD – SENTENCE LENGTH, ADJECTIVES, STRONG VERBS… AND PLAY TO OUR SENSES – WHAT WOULD WE HEAR? OR SEE? OR SMELL?

EXAMPLE “Icicles. Thousands of icicles. Stiff, giant glass fingers. Some were forty or fifty foot in length and slowly but constantly dripped and dripped again into the crevasse below, the distant hollow sound echoing through the desolate mountainside. It was frighteningly cold.”

FINALLY: Work in your pairs to create three or four sentences; experiment with short and long sentences; try out sound effects (onomatopoeia) and try to create mood. We will hear one or two. HOMEWORK: extend your sentences into short paragraphs. This is DESCRIPTION only, there need not be any action! We will use the paragraphs next time.