Starting a mystery. Year 7 writing task. Pupil booklet. Assessing pupils progress in English at Key Stage 3

Transcription

1 Starting a mystery Year 7 writing task Pupil booklet Assessing pupils progress in English at Key Stage 3

2 Task Write an opening for a mystery story that would entertain children of your age Features of narrative writing Checklist: Features Example Descriptive language, to create effect/atmosphere Vivid vocabulary Sentence structure varied for effect Information withheld to affect the reader Engaging bridge to next paragraph 2 Secondary National Strategy Assessing pupils progress in Crown copyright 2006 English at Key Stage 3 DfES CDO-EN

3 Narrative openings Example 1 Hello, who is it? I did not like the silence. A pause, then a rattle. Who s there? Is that you Matt? If it were, I would kill him. Granddad s house was spooky at the best of times, but in the dark, on Halloween, in the cellar, it felt like the worst scary film set ever. This time, a scraping. Stop it, Matt. I ll tell Mum. Quietly, two children laughed. Another whispered. I dropped the box I was about to carry up the steps and ran. I ran faster than I had ever run in my life. I slammed the cellar door and leaned on it for a moment to catch my breath, shutting it firmly. While I leaned there, Matt came down the stairs from the bathroom. Seen a ghost?, he asked. Crown copyright 2006 Secondary National Strategy Assessing pupils progress in DfES CDO-EN English at Key Stage 3 3

4 Narrative openings Example 2 The dark was absolute. The boy looked around him. There was nothing but blackness: no shadows, no chinks of light, nothing. As far as he knew, his nose could have been millimetres from a wall. He was used to the city, where everything was bathed in an orange glow: traffic, sirens, radios, TVs and noisy teenagers battled the peace. Carefully he extended his arms. He turned slowly round in a full circle. Nothing was near him. Tentatively, he stepped forwards and stared until his eyes hurt. Out of the void, emerged a shape. Like in a dream, the silhouette came into focus, blurred, then appeared, until it loomed over him to the extent where he could count the blackheads in its skin. The head was shiny and round, covered in a fine layer of bristle. Its eyes were black and piercing, separated by a narrow furrow of skin and large nose. Its top lip was curled, attempting to cover blackened teeth with a welcoming snarl. Where s your bag? Ma s cooked supper. Come on. Example 3 When detention had finished, Katie, on leaving the hall, realised that she had left her bus pass in her locker. Everyone turned towards the main doors, as she ran along the corridor, in the opposite direction, towards the Year 7 block. It was in the old part of the school: the stone floors and high ceilings carried her fast footsteps echoing up the stairwells and down the hallways. She pulled open the heavy doors and slipped through. The cleaners had finished, so the lights were out. Noisily, the door slammed behind her. Ahead, she could just make out the bright green lockers. With only a few steps to go, a gust of air whisked past her ears; something brushed her cheek. When she turned round, she caught a glimpse of a girl disappearing round towards the medical room. Her skin had been almost grey, her hair thin and lank. She did not recognise the girl and so instead of using her name, she shouted Hello?. 4 Secondary National Strategy Assessing pupils progress in Crown copyright 2006 English at Key Stage 3 DfES CDO-EN

5 Features of narrative writing Checklist: Features Example Descriptive language, to create effect/atmosphere Vivid vocabulary Sentence structure varied for effect Information withheld to affect the reader Engaging bridge to next paragraph Crown copyright 2006 Secondary National Strategy Assessing pupils progress in DfES CDO-EN English at Key Stage 3 5

6 Please write your opening for a mystery story here 6 Secondary National Strategy Assessing pupils progress in Crown copyright 2006 English at Key Stage 3 DfES CDO-EN