Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

My name is Mr. Brown, and I am your teacher for today's English lesson, and it's a planning lesson.

We're going to be planning the opening of "The Viewer" by Gary Crew.

So for this lesson, you will need a copy of that text.

Pause the video and go and get your copy of "The Viewer" by Gary Crew now.

And welcome back.

Now that you have your copy, I can see you are ready to start planning the opening.

Let's get started.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can plan the opening of "The Viewer." The keywords we'll use are planning, figurative language, and metaphor.

Let's say those together.

My turn and then your turn.

Planning.

Figurative language.

Metaphor.

Absolutely perfect.

Well done.

So let's look at the definitions.

Planning involves using a framework that writers create before they write a section or whole text.

Figurative language is the use of metaphor, simile, and personification to paint vivid pictures for the reader.

A metaphor is a type of figurative language that involves making a comparison between two things by stating that one thing is another, creating vivid imagery and deeper layers of meaning.

Our lesson outline.

We'll start by preparing to plan and then move on to writing the plan.

In today's lesson, we'll be planning to write the opening section of "The Viewer." "The Viewer" is a narrative fiction text written by Gary Crew and illustrated by Shaun Tan.

A narrative story can be structured like this.

We can have the opening, the build-up, the climax, and the resolution.

And today we are focusing on the opening.

We are planning the opening in this lesson.

The purpose of the opening is to provide the reader with a detailed description of the main characters and the setting.

Let's check your understanding.

The purpose of the opening is to provide the reader with a detailed description of the main characters, the problem, or the setting.

a, b, or c.

Could be more than one answer.

Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back.

Let's see if you managed to find the correct answers.

There are two.

So if you only have one, you can pause the video again to find that other correct answer, but we are going to move on.

So the correct answers were a, the main characters.

The purpose of the opening is to provide the reader with a detailed description of the main characters and the setting, that's c, not the problem.

That will come up in the build-up.

A descriptive opening should enable the reader to picture the setting and characters in their mind.

We can achieve this through precise descriptions and by using ambitious vocabulary to paint a vivid picture.

Our descriptive opening should also hook the reader in and build a suitable atmosphere.

For "The Viewer," this is an eerie, mysterious, and tense atmosphere.

So lots to do in the opening.

We are trying to create an eerie, mysterious, and tense atmosphere.

We are wanting to hook the reader in, and we are wanting to, through our precise descriptions and ambitious vocabulary, paint a vivid picture in the reader's mind.

Throughout our descriptive opening, we will use a range of figurative language.

Literary devices that create figurative language include metaphors, personification, and similes.

We can also use literary devices such as alliteration and repetition to further create atmosphere in our writing.

So lots of literary devices that we can use.

Let's learn about metaphors and how to use them in our writing to create vivid and engaging descriptions.

A metaphor is a type of figurative language that involves making a comparison between two things by stating that one thing, and this is the important bit, one thing is another, creating vivid imagery and a deeper layer of meaning.

A metaphor is a type of comparison, but unlike similes, metaphors do not use the words like or as to compare.

Metaphors are usually used in fiction as part of a description.

Let's check our understanding.

What is the name for the literary technique where a writer compares two things by stating that one thing is another.

Is that a, personification, b, simile, or c, metaphor? Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back.

Okay, so simile uses like or as to compare two things.

It doesn't say that something is another.

That, as I'm sure you have already worked out, is a metaphor.

Well done if you said c, a metaphor.

Personification, simile, metaphor, these are all literary techniques that can be used to create figurative language, but metaphor is the one that compares two things by stating that one thing is another.

So well done if you said c.

Look at these examples of metaphors.

He was a shining star in the class assembly.

The playground is a beehive of activity.

Her friendship is a warm blanket to me.

In these examples, the writer says that something is or was something else.

The boy was a shining star.

The playground is a beehive.

The friendship is a warm blanket.

However, the boy isn't actually a star.

He's not a burning ball of gas millions of miles away.

The playground isn't actually a beehive.

It's not full of bees.

It's not the place where the bees live.

And the friendship, well, it isn't a warm blanket.

A warm blanket is a warm blanket.

A friendship is a friendship.

But they are metaphors because you are saying that one thing is another.

So let's generate comparisons that we can make by using metaphors in our opening of "The Viewer." So the dump, and I'll start you off here, the dump we can say is a treasure chest.

Now obviously it's not a treasure chest, it's a dump, but we can call it a treasure chest as a metaphor because a treasure chest is full of interesting and valuable things.

And to Tristan in "The Viewer," the dump is full of interesting and valuable things, so therefore it is a treasure chest.

A graveyard.

Now this is a very different atmosphere that we're creating here.

To Tristan, the dump is a treasure chest, but to someone else, it might be a graveyard because it's full of things that have had their life passed by, like a human would after they've finished their life, after they've died, be laid to rest in a graveyard.

And that's what this setting is a bit like for all these different objects.

They've finish their life.

They've had their purpose.

There's television sets that can't be used anymore because the screen is broken, so therefore they go to the dump, which is like a graveyard for them.

Then we've got supermarkets and playground, which are more playful metaphors.

A supermarket because it's full of lots of different things that you might want to take away with you, and that's how Tristan feels about the dump.

And a playground because a playground is somewhere that you will go to have fun, and this is the place that Tristan goes to have fun.

So these are metaphors that all have a slightly different angle about them, but all create vivid imagery.

How about factories? Well, the factories could be called monsters, dragons, machines, and mountains, and that's because of the size of them.

Now, monsters and dragons because they are threatening.

These huge factories that loom over the dump, they are a bit like monsters and dragons because dragons breathe out fire and these factories are breathing out the smoke, exactly.

Monsters are dangerous.

These factories are dangerous because they're polluting the atmosphere.

And we have machines and mountains.

Okay, how about smoke? Hmm? Why don't you pause the video now and see if you can come up with anything for smoke and for Tristan.

I'll give you a moment to come up with some metaphors for smoke and for Tristan.

Pause the video and have a go now.

Welcome back.

How did you get on? Okay, let's have a look at some of my ideas and see if you came up with any of the same.

Smoke.

Blankets, ribbons, curtain, ink and lava.

So blankets in terms of the way that you could pull a blanket over you or over a bed, and that is a bit like the smoke is being pulled over the sky.

Ribbons.

The way that ribbons twirl around is a bit like the way that the smoke comes out of the chimneys of the factory and twirls into the sky.

A curtain.

Again, because a curtain is drawn to provide darkness, and that's what the smoke would be doing to the sky.

Ink because ink is black, and if you were to spill some ink, it would dribble out in different directions a bit like the smoke.

And lava because of the way that lava creates very negative images of something that is destructive and toxic and can't be stopped.

And that's a bit what the smoke is like as well.

Okay, how about Tristan? So Tristan, he's an explorer, a pirate, a ghost, a key, a lantern, a compass.

So these are really exploratory interesting metaphors.

He's an explorer.

That's an easy one.

He's exploring the dump.

A pirate.

Pirates go around trying to take treasure, don't they? Trying to take valuable things.

Well, that's what Tristan is doing.

A ghost because he's hardly there.

Nobody else knows he's there.

He's so silent that he's a bit like a ghost.

A key.

Well, he's the key to unlocking the potential of lots of those objects.

Everybody else has discarded them, doesn't want them, but Tristan is the key to finding a new purpose for them.

He might take them home and be able to use them for a different purpose.

A lantern because he is shining a light on these objects.

When everybody else is not interested, he's the one that's shining light on them and bringing them to life.

And the compass because a compass provides direction, and that's what he's doing for these objects.

He's providing new direction for them.

So lots of very interesting metaphors.

Now we take the comparison and we use it in a creatively descriptive metaphor.

So let's look at these comparisons again for the dump.

We've got treasure chest, graveyard, supermarket, and playground.

They are the comparisons.

They are not real.

The dump is not actually a graveyard.

And now we use it in a metaphor.

So the dump was a graveyard of broken discarded objects, or the dump was a playground of possibilities to Tristan, or the dump was a treasure chest filled with wonders to be explored.

And these are the metaphors.

So we make the comparison and then we put them into a metaphor.

Which of these is not a metaphor? Is it a, the factories were monsters growling continuously, b, the factories were shadowy mountains looming around the dump, or c, the factories were as wild as dragons breathing out smoke? Which of these is not a metaphor? Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Let's see if you were right.

Now, I will give you one clue.

The one that's not a metaphor is because it's a simile, so if you need to pause the video one more time to find that simile, you can do now.

But we are ready to move on, so let's find the correct answer.

a, the factories were monsters growling continuously is a metaphor.

They are not actually monsters growling continuously, but it is a metaphor.

The factories were shadowy mountains looming around the dump is also a metaphor.

But c, the factories were, and this is the word that changes it, as wild as dragons breathing out smoke.

That as changes this into a simile because we know similes use like and as, so c is the correct answer.

Well done if you said c.

Time for a task.

Use the table to write two examples of metaphors that could be used in the opening.

Number one, describing the smoke coming from the factories.

And number two, describing Tristan in the dump.

So you've got the table of comparisons.

Your job is to take those and put them into metaphors that could be used in the opening, one for the smoke, and two for Tristan.

Pause the video and write your metaphors now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Let's see how you got on.

So let's look at one for smoke.

Thick, black ribbons of smoke twirled into the evening air.

Is there actually ribbons of smoke? No.

Is the smoke actually a ribbon? No, that's why it's a metaphor.

But I've described those ribbons as thick and black.

Thick, black ribbons of smoke twirled into the evening air.

I like that I've used twirled as well because that's a verb that you would associate with ribbons.

Okay, let look at number two for Tristan.

Tristan was the key to unlocking the potential of these abandoned objects.

Is he actually a key? No, that's why it's a metaphor.

Okay, well done.

Let's move on to writing the plan.

If we want to include a range of figurative language in our descriptive opening, we should plan this.

Figurative language we have learned about includes all of these: metaphors, similes, and personification.

We can also use linguistic devices such as alliteration and repetition to create further atmosphere in our writing.

Let's just do a quick check.

I'd like you to match the figurative language and linguistic devices to their definitions.

You've got metaphor, simile, personification, repetition, and alliteration, and you've got some definitions.

Let me read those to you.

One of these things compares two things by stating that one thing is another.

Something else assigns human characteristics to non-human objects.

Then we have many words begin with the same letter.

Next compares two things using like or as.

And finally the repeating of key words and phrases.

Your job is to match the figurative language and linguistic devices to their definitions.

Pause the video and have a go now.

Welcome back.

Let's see if you found the correct answers.

So a metaphor compares two things by stating that one thing is another.

As simile compares two things using like or as.

Personification assigns human characteristics to non-human objects.

Repetition is the repeating of key words and phrases.

And alliteration, well, that's when many words begin with the same letter.

Well done.

When writing an opening, we'll be focused on describing the setting and main character.

An effective way to do this is to describe the setting from the top down.

This ensures that you won't miss anything and gives you a bit of structure to your description.

So we start with the sky above.

That's when we'll look at the sky, the clouds, the smoke, the birds in our particular setting.

We then move down to the landscape, and that's the chimneys and the factories.

We then go down to ground level, and that's the dump and all the different objects that are in the dump.

And finally, Tristan.

Now when we plan, we use notes.

Notes are concise and capture key vocabulary and information.

The purpose of notes is to help the writer to organise information easily for future use.

We use bullet points when note taking, and they look like this.

And you can see it's like a thick full stop that's floating on the line and then we write next to it.

Now here is the planning format we will use to describe the setting.

We have a section for the sky, then the landscape, then the ground level, then Tristan.

Exactly like we said about starting at the top and getting lower and lower, working your way down.

We will now make notes to record any ambitious and figurative language that we would like to use in our opening.

So again, this is where we are going to include our metaphors, similes, personification, expanded noun phrases, verbs, and adverbs.

Everything that you would like to use in this part of your opening, particularly when you're focusing on the sky.

So I've gone for amber, cloud-scattered sky gazing down.

So I've got an expanded noun phrase.

Amber, cloud-scattered sky.

And then I've got verbs and verbs, gazing down.

Hot, evening sun.

Ominous, grey clouds hovered like drones.

You'll notice this is in the past tense.

Blankets of thick, dark smoke, so there's my metaphor, marched relentlessly, that's personification.

They're not actually marching relentlessly.

That's something that a human would do.

March relentlessly into the air.

And large black birds constantly patrolled the skies above.

I would like you now to make notes for this part of your plan to record any ambitious and figurative language you will use.

That's metaphors, similes, personification, expanded noun phrases, verbs, and adverbs.

And we are focusing on the sky and the landscape.

So it's over to you now.

Pause the video and make notes for this part of your plan now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Let's see how you got on.

So we've looked previously at the sky and we said that there were amber, cloud-scattered sky gazing down, the amber, cloud-scattered sky, hot evening sun, ominous grey clouds, blankets of thick dark smoke were in there, and large, black birds I used as well.

So let's focus on the landscape.

Tall, thin chimneys reaching for the sky with their skeletal black fingers.

Wow, okay, so tall, thin chimneys.

That's an expanded noun phrase.

Now I'm using personification saying they're reaching for the sky, and then I'm creating the atmosphere with their skeletal, black fingers.

Creates a very negative ominous atmosphere describing them as having skeletal fingers.

Towering chimneys coughing up clouds of poisonous smoke.

So again, using that personification saying they are coughing.

Shadowy factories are monsters growling continuously.

There's a metaphor.

Factories looming imposingly over the ground below.

Lovely.

Okay, let's move on to another practise task.

And this time you're going to do the same thing, but it will be for the ground level, so the dump with all the objects in it and Tristan.

You know what to do.

Pause the video and make notes for this part of your plan now.

Welcome back, everyone.

I am so interested to see how you got on.

Okay, let's have a look at some examples.

The dump.

A graveyard of broken, discarded objects.

A playground of possibilities, chaotic.

So you can see I'm throwing ideas out here, and this is exactly what notes are for.

I may use only one of graveyard of broken and discarded objects or playground of possibilities, but I'm putting them out there, and I will decide when it comes to writing.

Chaotic, description for it.

Crumpled, twisted car slept wearily, that's a nice example of personification, like an old, that's a simile straightaway, like an old, tired dog because of simile.

Rusted, faulty machinery buried itself within the debris.

Really nice.

Debris is a word that means when there's lots of different scattered objects around.

Okay, how about Tristan? Tristan examined like a police investigator at a crime scene.

Floated around the dump like a silent ghost searching for life.

A couple of lovely similes there.

Wide curious eyes, unbrushed dark hair.

Lots of expanded noun phrases.

Scrawny, tall body.

Creased, unclean clothes.

Filthy, torn shoes.

Lots to use in my description.

Okay, let's summarise our lesson today.

The purpose of the opening is to provide the reader with a detailed description of the setting and main character.

Literary devices that create figurative language include metaphors, similes, and personification.

A metaphor is a type of figurative language that helps the writer build up a picture in the reader's mind by describing something as though it actually is something else.

Well done.

Brilliant work today, excellent planning.

That has prepared you to be able to write the opening in the future.

Well done.

I will see you again very soon.