The task this week will take you all week if you are going to do it properly.  We are going to produce a piece of creative writing GOOD ENOUGH TO GO IN YOUR WRITING ASSESSMENT FOLDERS!!!!!  That’s right, best writing at home!

Now to get to this best piece, we are going to learn different stages (like we would do in class).  Then it will be your job on Friday to put the pieces back together independently in one piece of writing.

I shall add the next step each day…

Monday:  Types of ending. 

The Lady of Shalott ends with the death of the eponymous Lady.  This type of ending is known as a tragedy. (A sad ending, where people die or do not get what they deserve.) It is also implicit (this means it doesn’t explain why or how the story really ends, you have to guess certain bits, like ‘Why was she cursed?’) This is a very unusual type of ending for a school text but very important to learn about, as sad and scary texts are very good at engaging us emotionally and involving us in the story.  Here are some other types of ending, can you apply them to our poem?  How would the story have turned out with these different types of ending?  (I’ve done one for you, can you give your own twist and explain the rest?  you can work with a grown-up)

Twist:  It turns out that Lancelot was the one who imprisoned her in the tower and reveals this when he sees her float down to Camelot!!!

Happy ending:

Explicit:  (You reveal all the details and explain everything)

The long view  (What are the characters’ lives like in years to come?)

The cliff-hanger!  (Something happens at the end that leaves us in suspense, the story ends with us dying to know what will happen next!)

So, come up with your own version of each and apply it to the Lady of Shalott.  Then, research (ask friends and family) and create a list of stories, books, films or poems which fit into each category.  these will help us structure the ending you choose to go for on Friday.

 

Here is a link to a video of the story in case you’ve forgotten the poem!

Plus a (very simple) storyboard

Tuesday

Today’s learning is all about figurative language.  As we know from reading the poem, Tennyson was amazing at using detailed description to paint a picture.  For example, instead of saying, ‘winter is coming, he tells us, “willows whiten, aspens quiver.”  He is getting us to understand what he is tellings us by giving us clues and painting a picture.  We can do the same trick…if I tell you:

“As I stepped out of the door, I shielded my eyes with my hand and squinted, trying to make out the shapes outside.  By the end of the street, I had already begun to perspire a little and my new flip flops were blistering my feet.

• What is the weather like?
• What time of year could it be?
• How can you tell?

Can you use the same trick to paint a picture of:

• a rainy day
• a scary situation
• riding a roller coaster
• opening an amazing birthday present

Remember, give clues, don’t tell us what you are doing.

Wednesday & Thursday

now I want us to work on a grammar skill that we have already visited in class.  We are going to use a subordinate clause to add extra information to a sentence.  We are going to separate the main clause from the subordinate clause with a comma.  like this…

 

                      Main clause                        ,             Subordinate clause

Mr Swallow forgot to post our challenge, he is getting very old and forgetful.

 

Subordinate clause  ,              Main clause

Due to the nice weather, I went for a game of football in the garden.

 

So the main clause is the important information and the subordinate clause adds extra detail.  We separate the two with a comma.  The subordinate clause can come at the beginning, the end or even in the middle:

 

            Main clause   ,     Subordinate clause   ,   Main clause 

I got in and immediately, because of the lockdown, washed my hands thoroughly.

 

 

Try out this skill with some sentences of your own.  Vary the position of the subordinate clause and remember to separate it from the main clause using a comma.

 

Writing time!  I would like you to write an alternative ending to the Lady of Shallot showcasing some of the skills you have worked on this week. Think about:

• the type of ending you would like to go for, use some other examples of texts with that type of ending as a model
• descriptive, figurative language, make us work hard, give clues not details
• can you use subordinate clause to add extra detail and vary where you use them

 

• also, think of other skills we have practised through the year, such as paragraphing or direct speech and the punctuation that goes with them.

most importantly, post up your writing so I can read it 😁