1. What techniques make an effective piece of descriptive writing?
S O A P A I M S

2. Putting Muscle into your Writing
Descriptive Writing
Putting Muscle into your Writing
Learning Objective: To use varied and ambitious vocabulary in order to create powerful descriptions.

3. Learning Objective: To use varied and ambitious vocabulary in order to create powerful descriptions.
Describing weather
The following are words and phrases that we associate with the weather. Create a washing line on how effective you think they are as a description.
a sky dotted with wispy white clouds
dark, grey,
malevolent clouds
droplets of summer rain
a thick blanket of fog
a grey overcast sky, like milky porridge
a gentle breath of light breeze
a teeming
thunderstorm of
torrents of water
hailstones like tiny white bullets
Explain why you think the ones you have put first are most effective.
a strong, cold,
breeze
icy cold gusts of chilling wind
Can you add an even better example of your own to describe the sun?

4. Descriptive writing checklist
Use your imagination
Show don’t tell
Zoom in on areas
Use ambitious vocabulary
Vary sentence structures and openings
Use snippets of dialogue

5. Putting Muscle into your Writing
Learning Objective: To use varied and ambitious vocabulary in order to create powerful descriptions.
Putting Muscle into your Writing
Cold
White
Bright
Sharp
What synonyms can you use that are more powerful than these?

7. Write a description suggested by the picture
The park was full of people.
Screams of excitement echoed around as the park emerged through the emerald trees. Splashes of colour were everywhere as small children whizzed from one thing to another, only narrowly avoiding a collision.
OVERVIEW OF THE SCENE

8. Putting Muscle into your Writing
Learning Objective: To use varied and ambitious vocabulary in order to create powerful descriptions.
Putting Muscle into your Writing
Cold
White
Bright
Sharp
Write a description of a snow scene inspired by this picture.
Avoid using the words above.
Start by writing a general overview of the scene.

9. STOP! Check your work … Does it sound like this?
Learning Objective: To use varied and ambitious vocabulary in order to create powerful descriptions.
STOP!
Check your work …
Does it sound like this?
The snow was white and there was lots of it. The sky was blue and the sun shone on the snow. It was so cold that everything was frozen.

10. Learning Objective: To use varied and ambitious vocabulary in order to create powerful descriptions.
STOP!
Check your work …
Have you used any words on the ‘do not use list’? If so change them.
Have you used varied and ambitious vocabulary? If not alter some words.
Have you made the reader be able to picture the scene without seeing the picture? If not, add more imagery.
A thick blanket of pearlescent powder covered the ground. The clear azure sky allowed the sun’s rays to dance around creating glitter splatters.

11. Write a description suggested by this picture.
What is the climb to the top like? How is the chid feeling at the top of the slide? What sounds might you hear as they are on the slide?
How might the mum be feeling pushing all those children? What might she be thinking? How might the children contrast to her?
Could the children be arguing?
What could they be arguing over?
What might they say?

12. Zooming in on the slide
The slide took pride of place in the centre of the park, casting shadows over the other equipment as it soared into the air. Children hurriedly clambered up the steps to be first in line to experience the never ending cylinder of doom. One boy stared into the darkness of the underworld, calmly took his last breath before leaping into the blackhole. Silence filled the air before being overpowered by a blood curdling scream. He flew out of the end, worried faces surrounding him, “Wow, that was awesome!” He exploded with a gigantic grin on his face before rushing to the steps once more.

13. Learning Objective: To use varied and ambitious vocabulary in order to create powerful descriptions.
ZOOMING IN
Describe a key section – what's happening/facial expressions/actio ns/snippets of what you can hear

14. Peer Assess Have they used varied and ambitious vocabulary?
Learning Objective: To use varied and ambitious vocabulary in order to create powerful descriptions.
Peer Assess
Have they used varied and ambitious vocabulary?
Have they made you picture the scene?
Does they description interest and engage you?
Have they used a variety of techniques?
Have they used varied sentence structures?
WWW: I liked the way you ….
EBI: You tried to ….