Tornado Snapshot - By Opiesi

WALT write a vivid description.
SC: I can use my senses to create vivid sentences. I can use similes, metaphors and personifications in my writing.

Class: Room 16
Year: 5&6
Age: 9-10 year olds

Tornado Snapshot - By Riley

WALT write a vivid description.
SC: I can use my senses to create vivid sentences. I can use similes, metaphors and personifications in my writing.

Class: Room 16
Year: 5&6
Age: 9-10 year olds

Tornado Snapshot - By Nishita

WALT write a vivid description.
SC: I can use my senses to create vivid sentences. I can use similes, metaphors and personifications in my writing.

Class: Room 16
Year: 5&6
Age: 9-10 year olds

Dark Alley - R16 Collaborative Snapshot

WALT write a vivid description.
SC: I can use my senses to create vivid sentences. I can use similes, metaphors and personifications in my writing.

Class: Room 16
Year: 5&6
Age: 9-10 year olds

My heart is pounding, trying to jump out of my chest. I could feel someone’s presence as I walked past the creepy house. Eyes stare into my soul, reading my secrets. Anxiety crawls up my neck, choking me. Empty streets surround me, screeching noises. Boom, crash! Boom, crash! Doors slam in the distance.  A man stands in the dark, watching. Waiting. My heart starts pounding. Broken bottles and used cigarettes litter the ground. Rats squirm around the already flooding street. Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. The noise from the broken drainpipes  gives me goosebumps. I reached out to touch it, but it wasn’t water. It was blood. The smell irritates me and I turn away. I hear fans whirling as the deafening screeches of cats fills the air. Police sirens go past, then a shadow appears and disappears into the dark night. I stand. Alone. My feet shake. My mouth is dry and I cannot speak. Fear creeps closer and closer. Something or someone was still watching me.

How to Write a Snapshot!

Recently, I have been lucky enough to be relieving in classrooms where the teachers want me to focus on descriptive writing. This activity allows even your reluctant writers to get excited, and to produce amazing sentences! Boys LOVE having the visual image, and seem to thrive with this type of activity. The quality and depth of work I am able to get from their students with this "Snapshot" activity always amazes them, so here is the process in case you would like to try it too!

1. Discuss language features - metaphors, similes, personification, onomatopoeia
2. Discuss senses - sight, hear, smell, feel, taste, touch
3. Introduce the image (some ideas are below)
4. One minute imaging time (silent!)
5. Brainstorm vocabulary as a class (this should be quick - one word or a short phrase)
6. Children have five minutes to write ideas under each sense in their own books
7. Volunteers to read their favourite aloud - children are allowed to be “inspired” by each other
8. Ideas into sentences - may join more than one idea
9. Ordering ideas into a logical sense - check that there is a hook at the beginning AND the end!
10. Celebrate!

• For a collaborative snapshot - children bring their favourite sentence to to mat to join together (I usually do this as they are reading around the circle)
• For an individual snapshot - continue as you would with normal classroom writing (eg. proof reading, teacher conferencing, publishing...)