New
New
Year 8

Effective sensory language using ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ as stimulus

I can employ the five senses in my descriptive writing to create a chosen effect.

New
New
Year 8

Effective sensory language using ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ as stimulus

I can employ the five senses in my descriptive writing to create a chosen effect.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Sensory language is writing that includes reference to some, or all, of the five senses.
  2. You don't need to write, 'They could see, feel, taste, touch, hear ...' when using sensory language.
  3. Instead, you can evoke the senses by starting with the noun you wish to describe.
  4. Adjectives should be chosen carefully so that they create particular effects.

Keywords

  • Sensory language - writing that includes reference to some, or all, of the five senses

  • Tender - caring, gentle

  • Stagnant - usually to describe water or air that smells bad because it is completely still and without movement

  • Suppress - of an emotion, to keep it hidden or bottled up

Common misconception

You should use an adjective to describe every noun.

Adjectives can help add interest and atmosphere to your writing. But not every noun needs an adjective. This can become overwhelming for the reader.

Consider if there are particular adjectives you have covered with your class in a different text that would be appropriate for this lesson. Consider how you could incorporate them into the models, or into your explanations, particularly in Learning Cycle 2.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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.
We call sight, sound, touch, taste and smell the five ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
Correct Answer: senses
Q2.
Match each of these word classes to their definitions ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
Correct Answer:noun,a naming word

a naming word

Correct Answer:adjective,a describing word

a describing word

Correct Answer:verb ,a doing or being word

a doing or being word

Correct Answer:pronoun,a word you can use as a substitute for a noun

a word you can use as a substitute for a noun

Q3.
The five senses are sight, sound, taste, touch and ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
Correct Answer: smell
Q4.
Identify the adjective in the following sentence: 'The pale straw was strewn on the floor carelessly.' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
Correct answer: pale
straw
strewn
floor
carelessly
Q5.
Identify the noun in the following sentence: 'The velvet cushion was green, bordered with gold.' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
velvet
Correct answer: cushion
green
bordered
gold
Q6.
Identify the verb in the following sentence: 'Her trembling hand reached out into the air.' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
trembling
hand
Correct answer: reached
out
air

6 Questions

Q1.
In 'Myths, Legends and stories that inspire', we look at a painting called 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey'. Who was Lady Jane Grey?
a mythical heroine
a legendary figure from Camelot
Correct answer: an English monarch
an English painter
Q2.
Starting with the first, order these significant moments in Lady Jane Grey's life ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
1 - Edward VI names Lady Jane Grey his heir.
2 - Lady Jane Grey takes the throne.
3 - Mary I deposes Lady Jane Grey.
4 - Mary I sentences Lady Jane Grey to death.
5 - Lady Jane Grey is executed at 17 years old.
Q3.
Match the sense to the sentence which employs it ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire').
Correct Answer:sight ,The pale straw glimmered in the candlelight.

The pale straw glimmered in the candlelight.

Correct Answer:sound,The gentle whimpering punctuated the silence in the room.

The gentle whimpering punctuated the silence in the room.

Correct Answer:taste,Her mouth was dry, with the occasional flavour of bile.

Her mouth was dry, with the occasional flavour of bile.

Correct Answer:touch,The soft satin scarf wrapped around her head was caressing and soft.

The soft satin scarf wrapped around her head was caressing and soft.

Correct Answer:smell,The stale air of the room penetrated her nostrils.

The stale air of the room penetrated her nostrils.

Q4.
Which sentence, all inspired by 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), uses the word tender accurately?
The man roughly moved her arm towards the tender block.
Correct answer: The man guided her arm tenderly towards the block.
The man's touch was aggressively tender, and jolted her towards the block.
The man was tenderous as he guided her towards the block.
Q5.
Which of these sentences, all inspired by 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), uses the word suppress (or a form of the word) accurately?
Lady Jane Grey was suppress.
The ladies-in-waiting were suppressingly sobbing.
Correct answer: She suppressed a sob, gulping it deep down.
She said nothing, and suppressed so everyone could hear.
Q6.
Which of these sentences, all inspired by 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' ('Myths, Legends and stories that inspire'), uses the word stagnant (or a form of it) accurately?
The people were stagnant, moving around the tiny room furtively.
Correct answer: The atmosphere was stagnant: no-one dared move and start the execution.
The ladies cried out stagnantly.
The man stagnantly guided Jane to the block.