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Year 4

Writing a setting description based on 'A Christmas Carol'

I can write a narrative setting description based on 'A Christmas Carol'.

New
New
Year 4

Writing a setting description based on 'A Christmas Carol'

I can write a narrative setting description based on 'A Christmas Carol'.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The purpose of a setting description is to provide rich detail that creates an atmosphere for the reader.
  2. Precise vocabulary, sensory details and personification support in creating a desired atmosphere.
  3. Prepositions help to describe the setting in a precise way by telling the reader where a noun is.
  4. Using a range of sentence types (simple, compound and complex) improves text flow for the reader.

Keywords

  • Atmosphere - the tone or mood created in a narrative

  • Sensory details - descriptions that include touch, sight, taste, sound and smell

  • Personification - a way of describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human

  • Preposition - a word or words that tell the reader where a noun is

  • Text flow - how a text is written to keep the reader engaged

Common misconception

Children may find it difficult to identify or develop appropriate prepositions to precisely describe details about nouns within the setting.

After revealing the prepositions 'beneath' and 'towards', brainstorm a range of helpful prepositions as a class and create a shared bank that the children can use.

Ensure children have their plan and the images of the setting with them to support them in their writing.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
How do you use a plan to support you when writing?
Copy it out word for word.
Correct answer: Use the key vocabulary to form full sentences.
Correct answer: Follow the order/structure of your plan.
Q2.
Put the following descriptive details in the correct order to show the 'top down' structure you should follow for a setting description.
1 - sky and snowflakes
2 - streets and decorations
3 - people and senses
Q3.
What is a simple sentence?
a sentence with a coordinating conjunction
Correct answer: a sentence about one idea that makes complete sense
a sentence containing rich vocabulary
Q4.
What is a compound sentence?
a sentence containing a subordinate clause and a main clause
a sentence with a fronted adverbial
Correct answer: a sentence formed of two main clauses and a coordinating conjunction
Q5.
What is a complex sentence?
Correct answer: a sentence formed of at least one main clause and a subordinate clause
a sentence formed of two main clauses
a sentence about one idea that makes complete sense
Q6.
Match the sentence types to their examples.
Correct Answer:simple sentence,The melodic sound of tuneful carollers echoed.

The melodic sound of tuneful carollers echoed.

Correct Answer:compound sentence,Children gazed into shop windows and they admired shiny new toys.

Children gazed into shop windows and they admired shiny new toys.

Correct Answer:adverbial complex sentence,The sound of tuneful carollers echoed as eager shoppers hustled.

The sound of tuneful carollers echoed as eager shoppers hustled.

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a preposition?
a word that describes a noun
Correct answer: a word or words that tell the reader where a noun is
a word that describes a noun's movements
Q2.
Which of the following are prepositions?
Correct answer: under
Correct answer: through
glistening
Correct answer: on
floated
Q3.
What is text flow?
the specific order a text is written in
Correct answer: how a text is written in order to keep the reader engaged
the tone or mood created in a narrative
Q4.
Match the sentence types to their definitions.
Correct Answer:simple sentence,a sentence made of just one main clause with just one idea

a sentence made of just one main clause with just one idea

Correct Answer:compound sentence,a sentence formed of two main clauses and a coordinating conjunction

a sentence formed of two main clauses and a coordinating conjunction

Correct Answer:adverbial complex sentence,a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause

a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause

Q5.
Which of the following are subordinating conjunctions you would use to form an adverbial complex sentence?
Correct answer: as
and
Correct answer: while
Correct answer: that
but
Q6.
Which piece of punctuation is used to separate adjectives in an expanded noun phrase?
full stop
exclamation mark
Correct answer: comma