WRITING planner:
GENRE: DESCRIPTIVE
Big ideas from AUS VELS/Continuum:
Students understand how language features and language patterns can be used for emphasis. They explain how their choices of language features and
images are used. They create detailed texts elaborating upon key ideas for a range of purposes and audiences. They demonstrate understanding of
grammar and make considered choices from an expanding vocabulary.
Preparation before lessons
A5 exercise book
Print passports
Print boarding passes
Install Google earth
World map printable
Suitcase printable
‘Pack your bags’ PowerPoint
Lesson 1
Lesson 3
Journal Entry #2:
Journal Entry #3:
Focus: ~ Show not tell
Focus: ~ The 5 senses
Focus: ~ Figurative language: ALLITERATION
PRE-FLIGHT
Students describe their feelings (via showing, not
just telling) before the jet set away.
AIRPORT
First watch a variety of clips showing the insides of
an airport.
Use a 5 senses organiser to think pair share what
you’d see, hear, smell, feel and taste at an airport
RESORT
Student’s Google search a resort that can be found
at their destination. Students select some different
resort features to create alliteration sentences
about. Eg. The pool at the hotel – I saw the
picturesque pool, pleasing and perfect.
Class time will be needed to fill out passports,
locate continents and complete the suitcase
activity.
Lesson 4
Lesson 2
Journal Entry #1:
Students describe the airport whilst waiting for
their plane.
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Lesson 7
Journal Entry #4:
Journal Entry #5:
Journal Entry #6:
Journal Entry #7:
Focus: ~ Revision of ‘show not tell’, the 5 senses
and alliteration
Focus: ~ Figurative language: PERSONIFICATION
Focus: ~ Figurative language: ONOMATOPOEIA
Focus: ~ Figurative language: SIMILIES
TOURIST ATTRACTION
Provide students with a ticket stub to a tourist
attraction at their destination. E.g.: The Golden Gate
Bridge bike ride if visiting San Fran.
Students will research their destination online to see
some features of it. They will then create some
personification sentences within their descriptive
paragraphs about their trip to the tourist attraction.
LAND FEATURES
Students identify whether their destination is near
beach, city, jungle, mountain etc.
Students write a descriptive piece as though they
are spending a day amongst their landform using
many different examples of onomatopoeia
NATIVE ANIMALS
Provide students with 4 polaroid templates.
Students research 4 animals native to their country
and create similes about that animal.
I found it useful to teach similes by choosing two
unlike objects (one being the animal) and linking
them with something they have in common.
Eg. A giraffe from Africa
The giraffe was as tall as a skyscraper
Students then do a journal entry about their trip
to the zoo, including their 4 similes.
CLIMATE
What is the weather like today at your
destination?
The weather affects the types of activities you
can do outdoors. What kinds of activities were
you able to do outside today because of your
countries weather?
Students complete this in the form of a
postcard to a family member
Lesson 8
Lesson 9
Lesson 10
Lesson 11
Journal Entry #8:
Journal Entry #9:
Journal Entry #10:
Journal Entry #11:
Focus: ~ Figurative language: HYPOBOLES
http://www.ducksters.com/geography/
Focus: ~ Figurative language: IDIOMS
Focus: ~ Figurative language: ONOMATOPPOEIA
Focus: ~ Figurative language: METAPHORS
SIGHT SEEING the CITY
Students will take a trip around their town using
public transport. Students will have a tour guide
accompanying them, who uses idioms throughout
their tour explanations.
FREE WRITE JOURNAL ENTRY
After brainstorming as many onomatopoeia words
as possible, students will pick one that they plan
on using within todays writing.
PEOPLE
Watch the BrainPop on metaphors and determine
the difference between similes and metaphors..
HISTORY
Students use the above website to find the
relevant page on their country. They need to
scroll down and copy and paste the ‘brief
history’ section of their country.
Students use this brief history text to write a
journal entry on their visit to the local
museum. Students need to insert hyperboles
as many times as possible.
E.g.
Christopher Columbus landed at Cuba in1492
and claimed the land for Spain.
His smile was a mile wide
Students are given a list of 10 idioms that their tour
guide uses.
Task 1: Work with a buddy to try and identify what
the idiom means
Task 2: Students write a journal entry describing
their trip (what they saw, did, ate etc..) including
when and how the tour guide used the idioms.
(Students should try to be as factual as possible with
their trip so may need to research their city’s points
of interest)
Lesson 12
NOT A TRAVEL JOURNAL ENTRY 
Determine the difference between
mood and tone:
Use the mood and tone posters to refer to.
Put simply,
Tone = the authors attitude
Mood = the readers feelings
Watch the mood and tone brainpop to
assist with student understanding.
Students prepare themselves to listen to
10 snippets of music. Play each song one
at a time; students draw a picture to match
their thoughts when listening to each
composition with one or more words that
they feel when listening.
Lesson 13
Students first need to create their artwork on A5
paper. E.g.
Students free write about any part of their travels
ensuring they incorporate their onomatopoeia
word throughout.
Lesson 14
Journal Entry #12:
Journal Entry #13:
Focus: ~ Figurative language: MOOD
Focus: ~ Figurative language: TONE
Before beginning, complete the ‘mood:
feelings and colour’ activity sheet and the
‘creating mood using weather’ powerpoint.
Show the two examples of you tube clips
that clearly show the difference with creating
tone.
1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWf9fP
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2.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0A
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Discuss the tone in both.
FLIGHT HOME
Students sit back, relax and enjoy their flight
home.
Using weather description (as they look out
their window) and colour words, students
portray their trip home on the plane.
Students put their earphones in and program
their iPod to play 3 songs that complement
their mood throughout their trip.
TRIP REFLECTION
Provide students with words describing tone. Such
as boring, sarcastic, cheerful etc. (See list if you
are unsure of tone words) Students select one that
they will try to portray in their journal. They will
reflect on their whole trip whilst trying to
portray their chosen tone.
Model metaphors using the learning group
teachers.
Students will be preparing to leave their country
and in doing so, create a metaphor for the following
people:
 Gift shop cashier
 Hotel manager
 Neighbour of room
 Friend they met at their resort
 Taxi driver
 Security guard at the airport
Students create a journal entry which involves the
above people, ensuring they have included
metaphors within their writing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5xAJG
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How did the composer create these
feelings? Through tone.
-
In music it’s created through instruments,
tempo and volume.
In movies it’s created through dialogue,
editing, music and lighting.
In writing it’s created through word
choice and vivid imagery.
Additional task:
Students choose one of the songs to use
as a source of inspiration which matches
the tone of their trip i.e. The music is the
soundtrack to their trip.