Characters and Settings

Overview

This lesson begins students’ short story for the unit Engaging Texts and Expressions. Students will use targeted language features and imagery to create a character and a setting, then draft the opening scene with an intentional tone.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• plan a short story opening by selecting a character and setting that fit their purpose
• experiment with language features (sentence patterns, descriptive vocabulary) to create mood and tone
• create a narrative beginning that includes purposeful character detail and setting imagery
• revise choices in their draft to improve clarity and effect

Success criteria

I can:

• describe my character’s appearance, feelings, and motivation using vivid, specific word choices
• create a setting using imagery that helps the reader feel “where and when”
• use sentence patterns (e.g., varied length, simple vs complex) to match my intended tone
• revise my first paragraph by improving word choice and imagery for a stronger effect

Curriculum links

• AC9E8LE06: create and edit literary texts by experimenting with language features and literary devices for particular purposes and effects
• AC9E8LE05: analyse how language features and literary devices create meaning and effect (especially tone)
• AC9E8LY06: plan, create and edit a written text by selecting structures, language features, and literary devices for purpose and audience
• AC9E8LA03: recognise and apply how narratives are structured and how language features vary depending on purpose

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Launch and example

• Teacher shows a short, teacher-made opening (about 5–6 sentences) with clear character + setting imagery and a noticeable tone (e.g., uneasy, hopeful).
• Students identify: “What do you notice first?” and “How does the writer make you feel?”

2. 4–10 min · Mini-teach: tone through description

• Teacher briefly models how writers use sentence patterns and descriptive vocabulary to shape tone (e.g., short sentences for tension; varied clauses for reflection; active verbs for urgency).
• Students complete a quick prompt: choose one tone word (e.g., ominous, excited, calm) and rewrite two phrases to match it (teacher listens and checks accuracy).

3. 10–18 min · Plan your character and setting

• Teacher gives a planning scaffold:
• Character: name, age, one fear, one goal, one habit (how they act)
• Setting: place, time, one sensory detail (sight/sound/smell) and one “object detail” (something meaningful)
• Connection: how the character feels in this setting (one sentence)
• Students fill the scaffold for their own story opening. Teacher prompts them to include specific details (not general ones).

4. 18–25 min · Draft: write an opening paragraph

• Teacher sets a clear target: draft 6–9 sentences that introduce character action/inner feeling and embed at least 2 pieces of setting imagery.
• Students write independently. Teacher uses quick check-ins:
• “Where is your reader standing?”
• “What sentence makes the tone clear?”

5. 25–29 min · Edit for effect

• Teacher provides two editing moves:
• Replace one vague word with a more precise word (e.g., bad → stale, scared → panicked)
• Change one sentence pattern to sharpen tone (make one sentence shorter or add a clause)
• Students revise 1–2 sentences in their paragraph to strengthen imagery and tone.

6. 29–30 min · Exit check

• Teacher collects each student’s revised opening paragraph or has them read out their favourite revised sentence.
• Students answer one question: “What tone did I aim for, and what word or sentence proves it?”

Resources

• Teacher-made example opening (print or displayed)
• Student planning scaffold (character + setting chart)
• Writing paper or digital document
• Tone word bank (calm, tense, cheerful, ominous, reflective, frantic)
• Coloured pens or highlighters for sensory detail (1 colour per sense, if available)
• Timer for drafting and editing
• Exit ticket slip or quick response space

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observation during planning and drafting (checks specificity of character, inclusion of setting imagery, and tone choice)
• Formative: “two edits” task—identify whether students improved word choice and/or sentence pattern
• Exit ticket: brief response linking tone to a specific word or sentence

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters (e.g., “In the quiet of…”, “They told themselves…”, “But the air smelled…”), plus a model character detail you can adapt
• Support: give a checklist on the desk: character introduced, setting clear, at least 2 sensory images, tone signalled by at least 1 sentence choice
• Extension: students add a brief metaphor or simile to deepen imagery and meaning, or include dialogue for character motivation in one sentence
• EAL/SEN considerations: allow oral rehearsal before writing; permit sentence stems and a reduced word goal (e.g., 5–7 sentences) while maintaining sensory detail and tone