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Year 7

Creating atmosphere in dystopian descriptions

I can use personification to create an unsettling atmosphere.

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New
New
Year 7

Creating atmosphere in dystopian descriptions

I can use personification to create an unsettling atmosphere.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Atmosphere is the tone or mood of a situation
  2. Dystopias could have unsettling, bleak and oppressive atmospheres
  3. Personification is a useful technique for creating a hostile atmosphere
  4. Make careful verb choices alongside personification

Common misconception

Pupils think that using any verb that is associated with people makes good quality personification.

Provide pupils with a choices of verbs, including incongruous ones, to allow them to identify high quality personification.

Keywords

  • Atmosphere - Atmosphere is the feeling that exists in a place or situation.

  • Unsettling - If a place or experience leaves you feeling anxious it can be described as being unsettling.

  • Bleak - If a situation is bleak there is little or no hope for the future.

  • Oppressive - Oppressive feelings are feelings that leave you feeling worried and uncomfortable.

  • Hostile - A place that is unfriendly and unwelcoming may be described as being hostile.

Prepare to share texts that students may have read that have bleak and oppressive atmospheres. Ask students to identify how the writers created these atmospheres.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

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).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a subordinate clause?
A clause that makes sense on its own
Correct answer: A clause that does not make sense on its own
A simple sentence
Q2.
Which clause below is a main clause?
Because she rebelled
Until you clean up
Correct answer: She skipped through the meadow
Q3.
Which of the below is a subordinate clause?
She took the book off of the shelf
She hid behind the wall
Correct answer: Whilst the bell rang
Q4.
What is a complex sentence?
A sentence that contains two simple sentences joined by a conjunction
A sentence with one verb and one subject
Correct answer: A sentence with a main clause and subordinate clause
Q5.
What is a declarative sentence?
A sentence that expresses emotions with an exclamation.
Correct answer: A sentence that conveys information or facts or explanation.
A sentence that poses a question.
Q6.
Which of the following is an exclamatory sentence?
What do you want for dinner?
I had chicken and rice for dinner.
Correct answer: My dinner was delicious!

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is atmosphere?
The place the story is set.
Correct answer: A feeling that exists in a place or situation.
The weather in a place.
Q2.
What is an oppressive place?
Correct answer: A place that leaves you feeling worried and uncomfortable.
A place that leaves you feeling settled.
A place that leaves you feeling calm.
Q3.
Which phrase creates an oppressive atmosphere?
Correct answer: Dark clouds loomed creating a suffocating shadow.
A gentle breeze whispered through the trees.
The city's bustling streets hummed with energy.
Q4.
Which word might help you create a bleak setting?
busy
calm
Correct answer: desolate
Q5.
Which verb is the most unsettling?
strolled
walked
ambled
Correct answer: crept
Q6.
Which sentence successfully uses personification to create an oppressive atmosphere?
Correct answer: The relentless rain hammered on the windowpane.
The delicate rain tapped the windowpane.
The heavy rain fell on the windowpane.