Literacy

The Alchemist

George’s Marvellous Medicine

Sequence of work developed

from

This week we are writing descriptions.

• At the end of the unit of work, you will write a description of your dream

place in a bottle.

TASK:

• Look carefully at the picture and work out what is inside the bottles.

• Talk about the contents of the bottles with your adult.

• Answer the questions on the slide in your book.

On the next slide, there is a picture from Pobble365 called the Alchemist.

What can

you see in

the bottles?

What is

happening

at the top of

the bottles?

Now collect

words and

phrases to

describe what is

in each bottle.

There is another

picture on the

next slide.

Two are already

completed for

you to show

effective word

choices in

expanded noun

phrases:

Day 2 – WALT read aloud, think aloud

Today we are reading

a part of George’s

Marvellous Medicine

by Roald Dahl.

Read the text extract on the

next slide.

Now re-read the text extract but this time annotate the text with the good things that you can see.

• Remember to look out for:

• Effective verb choices such as “scooped.”

• Powerful adjectives, such as “solemn.”

• Effective similes comparing something to something else, e.g. “He painted them as white as

snow.”

• Interesting nouns (names of objects) for example: mountain

• Examples of repetition and capital letters for have been highlighted already to remind

you what is expected.

EXTENSION TASKS

• Re-read the text and using another copy of the text, highlight all the different things that the author has done to make his text interesting for the reader.

• RED group - Write a paragraph in complete sentences to explain what you liked or disliked about the text.

• YELLOW and BLUE groups - Explain what makes this a good story text and explain why. Use evidence from the text

to back up your ideas.

• GREEN and WHITE:

• Re-read the text and annotate the reasons why the author has used specific features or language choices or sentence

styles in the text.

• White/Green Groups – Explain what effect those choices have on the reader. (How does it make them feel?

Day 3 – WALT build our descriptive vocabulary

• Create your own dream place in a jar.

• There is an outline on the next page.

• If you wish to make the task more practical, find a non-breakable container

and make your own dream place inside it.

Now you need to create the good vocabulary choices to go with your dream place.

• Make a mind-map of all the words that you can think of to describe your

place.

• Remember to use expanded noun phrases (steep, jagged volcano)

• Remember adverbs can add information for the reader (smoothly, flowing

water)

Now add your word choices to the table on the following slide. Below is an example to help you.

• Watch the following video clip, which explains how to use prepositions.

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zwwp8mn/articles/zw38srd

Day 4 – WALT write sentences using prepositions

• Prepositions include:

on top of next to underneath

Make a list of as many prepositions as you can think of .

You will be able to use some of them in your writing.

TASK:

Talk about the scene in your bottle/container with an adult.

What does it look like?

Which part of the scene is best? Why?

TASK: Write some sentences to describe what is in your dream place. Remember to use some of the good word choices and expanded noun phrases that you chose yesterday and some prepositions.

Here are some examples:

• The clear, cloudless sky stretched high above the mountain tops.

• The miniature, delicate daisies clung precariously to the sheer, rocky cliff

face.

RED group – Remember to use expanded noun phrases and prepositions.

YELLOW and BLUE groups – Remember to use expanded noun phrases and prepositions and vary your

sentence starts and types.

GREEN and WHITE groups - Remember to use expanded noun phrases and prepositions and vary your

sentence starts and types. Make sure you write precisely and concisely.

Day 5 - WALT apply good word choices and prepositions to our descriptive writing

Today you are going to use your prepositions and good word choices to write a description of the dream place in your jar/container.

• If possible, take a photo of your dream place for your writing (or draw and

colour a picture of it).

• Write a paragraph to describe what is in your dream jar.

• I have modelled my paragraph on slide 24.

• The success criteria are on slide 25.

Modelled Descriptive Paragraph

Moss-covered rocks proudly stand guard near the narrow entrance to the softly-

flowing river, as it feeds into the extensive lake. An ancient, brick bridge creates

a clear pathway from one side of the landscape to the other. Behind it, the still,

smooth waters gently ripple in the soft, summer breeze. Surrounded on all

sides by steep, low mountains, the lake lies patiently. Next to its banks, tall,

trees proudly listen. Underneath them, live millions of rare creatures, which

mankind has never noticed. In the distance, a narrow plume of pure, white

smoke gradually rises up into the cloudy sky. Silence reigns.

You might be able to see other

things in the jar, but this is

what I think is there.

•RED group – Remember to use expanded noun phrases and

prepositions.

• YELLOW and BLUE groups – Remember to use expanded noun phrases

and prepositions and vary your sentence starts and types.

•GREEN and WHITE groups - Remember to use expanded noun phrases

and prepositions and vary your sentence starts and types. Make sure you write

precisely and concisely.

Now re-read your work aloud to check that it says what you want it to say.

Ask an adult to read it to you. Listen to hear if you need to make any changes.

Make any changes that you feel are needed.

Read the description backwards so that you can check the spellings.

We would really like to read your descriptions and see the picture/photo of your dream place, so please send them to us by your class email.