Ban the Boring – Seven Steps Writing

Home / English / Ban the Boring – Seven Steps Writing

This week 3C joined other classes on Padlet to improve a boring paragraph about a fire. We know that authors ban the boring bits (a seven steps writing skill) and get to the action. We worked in pairs and the results were impressive. This is our classroom display.

fire2

This is our Padlet wall.

The Great Tightening Tension Challenge

Home / Writing / The Great Tightening Tension Challenge

Today 3C participated in an online writing activity with classes from 4 other schools in Queensland and South Australia (6 classes). As we write in real time, our work is published on a wall using Padlet. We use the Seven Steps to Writing Success program to help improve our writing.

We used a picture prompt to help us write a paragraph which was exciting and full of tension. One way of doing this is to use our senses and write what we see, hear touch, feel, taste and smell. We worked with partners to brainstorm our  ‘sense’  words. Then we wrote a paragraph using these words, trying to make the reader want to carry on reading. 

Here are some of our fantastic paragraphs. You can also visit our wall and see what all the other students wrote.

shark

Maizey and Max B

Bang! Bang! Three Great White sharks hit the boat. and gave us a huge fright. We tipped over in the boat, the sharks were getting closer and closer. The sharks opened their jaws. We were petrified.

Ryland and Shanayd

Smash smash! The huge sharks are attacking. I was crying. My heart was thumping. The shark attacked the bottom of the boat. I can see their massive jaws. I feel very afraid and the motor for the boat won’t start.

Brock and Llogan

Boof! I fell over. What hit the boat? I need to get to shore before this fearsome storm catches me. Bang! What was happening. Half of the oar was bitten off.  Suddenly I saw 3 massive Great White sharks circling our boat. I was petrified.  I was sweating, my heart was pounding. Now water was coming into the boat and we were sinking. What are we going to do?

Coral and Ben

Clump, clump. What was that? Oh no the engine has gone! I can hear thunder and lightening and now our boat is sinking. Suddenly i see three enormous sharks surrounding us. I taste sweat because I am so afraid.

Sajith and Jai

Thump THUMP went the boat! Lots of sharks were surrounding us. There were massive dark stormy clouds and there was thunder. The wavers were crashing all around us. I could taste the salt water. We were all scared. AAAHHH!

Cameron and Bobby

CLUNK! CLUNK! What was that? Oh no our motor had fallen off into the deep black ocean. Fierce hungry sharks were surrounding us. That is not any shark, that is 5 Great White sharks! We were petrified and nervous. Our hearts were hammering. 2 sharks were charging right at us. Would we live?

Show don’t Tell.

Home / Writing / Show don’t Tell.

After learning how to write sizzling starts, we have been trying to develop the middle part of our stories. One of the ways we do this is through “show don’t tell”. We need to show actions that give us a visual image of how the character is feeling. We started by choosing an emotion, brainstorm words that show, with words, how a character is feeling. Then we write about the emotion. We practised writing about many different emotions. We also used dynamic dialogue to make our characters more interesting.

scared

ryland

This week we put all our skills together to write about the character Bill from the book ‘Matty Forever’. Bill has a secret he doesn’t want to tell Matty. However,  Matty has told Bill her secret so he feels he has to let her know his. The author has not told us what Bill’s secret is yet, so we made up our own.

Bill's secret

Show not Tell

Home / Writing / Show not Tell

In story writing we are learning to ‘show and not tell’ how our characters are feeling. We have to use great vocabulary to show their feeling and actions.

We used as many of these demand words as we could to write our paragraph.

scared

Scared by Ben

One day at home I was scared and petrified. I went and jumped in bed. I went under my blanket. I poked my head out of the blanket. It was Casper the ghost. My knees were knocking, my palms were sweating. My teeth were chattering and my heart was thumping.

 

Scared by Brock

I think my house is haunted because every night I hear a screeeeeeeam!!! I see ghosts. Tonight is so so scary. I see things. My knees were shaking, my teeth were chattering and my heart was thumping.

 

Scared by Jye

I was petrified. My knees were knocking and my heart was thumping so so fast. My chattering teeth and my sweating palms were shivering. My boat was sinking!

 

Scared by Ryland

On Saturday I was scared because someone was trying to break into our house. My knees were knocking and my palms were sweating. My teeth were chattering and my heart was pounding. I was petrified.

 

100 Word Challenge

Home / Writing / 100 Word Challenge

This term, to help us improve our story writing skills, we are joining the 100 word challenge.

Each week we will receive a picture or words to write 100 words about. These are posted and shared on our class blog. Others participating in the challenge from around the world, can then comment on our writing. How exciting is that!