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Describing A Setting.199189871

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153 views12 pages

Describing A Setting.199189871

Uploaded by

eddie zhou
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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KS3 Descriptive Writing

Describing a Setting
Learning Objective
• To understand the importance of describing a setting.

Success Criteria
• To understand the terms ‘setting’ and ‘atmosphere’.
• To use descriptive techniques to describe a setting.
• To be able to identify a range of descriptive techniques in a
setting description.
What Does ‘Setting’ Mean?
Every story has a ‘setting’.

Pause for Thought


What do you think
this means?

Every good story creates ‘atmosphere’.

Pause for Thought


What do you think Key Terms
this means? setting - where a story
takes place
atmosphere - the tone or
mood created
Why Is the Setting Important?
Just like when you describe a character, the reader has to visualise where
the story is taking place.
We all want readers to engage with and enjoy Key Terms
our writing. A descriptive setting in narrative genre – the style or
writing helps the reader to do this. category of a novel

Create a table like the one below:

Book Title/Genre Setting Atmosphere


Holes, adventure Middle of desert Lonely/isolated/difficult conditions

Complete the table with at least three


more examples from books you have read.
Take a Closer Look
With a partner, highlight where the setting is described and where
atmosphere is created.

The boys moved off and disappeared in the gloom. Before long, they were wading
through the tall grass of the ghastly graveyard. It was a graveyard of the old-
fashioned western kind; a large crypt surrounded by smaller graves on a hill just
beyond the village. It had a crazy board fence around it, which leaned inwards in
places, and outwards in others. ‘Sacred to the memory of So-and-So’ had been
painted onto or etched into the tired faces of each of the tombstones once, but it
could no longer be read on the most of them, even in the light of day.

A faint wind moaned through the trees, and Tom feared it might be the spirits of
the dead complaining at being disturbed. The boys talked little, and only under
their breath when they did. It seemed appropriate.

Finally, they found the place they were seeking. Then, they waited in silence for
what seemed like an hour. Tom’s reflections grew oppressive. He had to speak out to
break the tension: “Hucky, do you believe the dead people like it for us to be here?”
Take a Closer Look
With a partner, highlight where the setting is described and where
atmosphere is created.

The boys moved off and disappeared in the gloom. Before long, they were wading
through the tall grass of the ghastly graveyard. It was a graveyard of the old-
fashioned western kind; a large crypt surrounded by smaller graves on a hill just
beyond the village. It had a crazy board fence around it, which leaned inwards in
places, and outwards in others. ‘Sacred to the memory of So-and-So’ had been
painted onto or etched into the tired faces of each of the tombstones once, but it
could no longer be read on the most of them, even in the light of day.

A faint wind moaned through the trees, and Tom feared it might be the spirits
of the dead complaining at being disturbed. The boys talked little, and only under
their breath when they did. It seemed appropriate.

Finally, they found the place they were seeking. Then, they waited in silence for
what seemed like an hour. Tom’s reflections grew oppressive. He had to speak out to
break the tension: “Hucky, do you believe the dead people like it for us to be here?”
Further Investigation
It is likely that you found that the two were linked together.
This is because effective description of a setting also helps to create
atmosphere for the reader.

Join with another pair to do some more annotation of the extract.


Can you find any of the following? You may colour code if you wish:

1. adjectives/noun phrases
2. powerful verb choices Pause for Thought
Why might it be difficult to
3. metaphors/personification
spot individual techniques?
4. pathetic fallacy The best writers
combine techniques.
5. alliteration

Challenge: Are there any other word classes


or literary techniques you can spot?
Further Investigation
The boys moved off and disappeared in the
gloom. Before long, they were wading through 1. adjectives/noun
the tall grass of the ghastly graveyard. It was phrases
a graveyard of the old-fashioned western 2. powerful verb
kind; a large crypt surrounded by smaller choices
graves on a hill just beyond the village. It had 3. metaphors/pers
a crazy board fence around it, which leaned onification
inwards in places, and outwards in others. 4. pathetic fallacy
‘Sacred to the memory of So-and-So’ had been 5. alliteration
painted onto or etched into the tired faces of
each of the tombstones once, but it could no
longer be read on the most of them, even in
the light of day.
A faint wind moaned through the trees, and
Tom feared it might be the spirits of the dead
complaining at being disturbed. The boys
You may also notice
talked little, and only under their breath
some adverbial phrases.
when they did. It seemed appropriate.
Consider the Image
Consider the two images below:
In your pair, pick out as many interesting details as possible that you think
could be described about one of the settings.

Details to Type of
Make a list of words to describe the type Describe Atmosphere
of atmosphere you would want to
create when describing this setting.

Create a table, like the one shown:

Photo © George Rankin (cc-by-sa/2.0)


Time to Get Creative
Choose one of the images below: it does not have to be the image you
worked on in your pair.

Task: write a Challenge:


piece of description, focusing on the
Can you
setting and creating use pathetic
atmosphere forfallacy?
the reader.

Aim to use:
Alliteration
Adjectives/Noun phrases
Personification
Metaphors
Powerful verb choices/adverbs
Similes
Photo © George Rankin (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Plenary
Swap pieces of writing with your partner:

• Can you identify which image they used?

• Can you identify any descriptive


techniques they have used?

• Can you highlight any specific areas


where they have described the setting?

• Can you discuss with them the type of


atmosphere you feel they have created?
Photo courtesy of (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution

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