Descriptive Writing Fun

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Curriculum Links

Australian Curriculum – English | Year 2

Strand: Language / Literature / Literacy
Sub-strands:

• Language for interaction (ACELA1462): Understand that language varies when people take on different roles in social and classroom interactions and how the use of key words can influence an audience.
• Expressing and developing ideas (ACELA1469): Identify visual and multimodal elements in texts, including design features and illustrations, and explain how these contribute to meaning.
• Creating texts (ACELY1671): Create short imaginative, informative and persuasive texts using growing knowledge of text structures and language features for familiar and some less familiar audiences.
• Responding to literature (ACELT1587): Discuss how depictions of characters and settings in texts are influenced by the illustrations and language used.

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Identify and discuss vivid describing words and sensory language in a text.
• Understand how descriptive language helps the reader visualise characters and settings.
• Write descriptive sentences about Edward the Emu and the zoo using sensory and emotional detail.

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: ✅ Highlight and identify at least 3 descriptive words or sensory phrases from Edward the Emu.
✅ Explain how specific words help create visual or emotional pictures in the reader’s mind.
✅ Draft a descriptive paragraph or 3–5 sentences using adjectives and sensory detail focused on Edward and/or the zoo.

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Duration

🕒 40 minutes
👥 Year 2
👧👦 22 students

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Materials and Resources

• Hard copy of Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles
• Whiteboard & whiteboard markers
• Adjective word bank cards (laminated and colour-coded)
• Printed Descriptive Writing Graphic Organisers (1 per student)
• Sensory vocabulary posters/word wall (hearing, sight, smell, touch, taste)
• Highlighters (enough for table groups)
• Optional: Zoo images (laminated or displayed digitally as visual aids)

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Teaching and Learning Activities

👩‍🏫 Introduction (10 mins) – Revisit & Activate Prior Knowledge

Setup: Students seated on the mat with the teacher at the front.

1. Revise: Ask recall questions from yesterday’s reading:
   • “What happened in Edward’s story?”
   • “Why didn’t Edward enjoy being an emu?”
2. WALT Introduction (on board):
   “Today we’re going to look at the describing words the author uses to help us picture Edward the Emu’s world and feelings!”
3. Build Vocabulary Knowledge:
   Draw up two columns on the board:
   • ‘Adjectives’ (e.g. lonely, twitchy, sad, grumpy)
   • ‘Sensory Words’ (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).
     Use a quick text scan to brainstorm what the class remembers.
     Sample sensory phrases to include:
   • Hearing: Roaring lions
   • Sight: Striped zebras
   • Smell: Stinky straw
   • Touch: Scratchy feathers

🧠 Focus Question: "How do these words help us imagine what the zoo felt like for Edward?"

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✍️ Main Activity (25 mins)

1. Text Spotlight & Discussion (7 mins)

• Re-read key sections of Edward the Emu, pausing to highlight vivid descriptions. Example lines that show emotion or sensory detail.
• When encountering words like gloomy, grumbling, or hot sand, highlight and label them in a different colour on the board.
• Use think-aloud strategies. “When I hear the word ‘gloomy’, I picture a dark, grey day. It makes me feel a little sad too.”

💬 Prompt Thinking with Questions:

• “What does Edward hear that makes him want to change?”
• “What do you imagine when you hear these words?”
• “Can anyone think of a better word than ‘nice’ when describing the parrots?”

2. Modelling Writing as a Class (7 mins)

• Model writing a descriptive paragraph:

Edward waddled slowly across the sandy zoo path. He sniffed the strong smell of eucalyptus leaves floating in the hot air. Above his head, noisy parrots squawked and flapped their wings loudly. Edward felt restless and alone in his dusty enclosure.

• Highlight adjective uses (e.g. lonely, sandy, hot) and sensory effects (what Edward sees, smells, hears).

3. Student Writing with Support (Guided Writing) (10 mins)

• Distribute Descriptive Writing Graphic Organiser. Students fill out:
  • 🐦 Edward: What he looks like, feels, does
  • 🦁 Zoo: What they can hear, see, smell
• Encourage use of word cards and posters.
• Students write 3–5 descriptive sentences on Edward or the zoo.

👀 Teacher circulates and guides:

• “Can you find one more smell?”
• “Can we use a simile to describe how Edward walked?”
• “Let’s change ‘good’ to a more colourful describing word.”

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💬 Conclusion (5 mins)

1. Pair-share favourite sentence with a shoulder partner.
2. Invite 2–3 students to the front to read out their most descriptive sentence.
3. Add standout vocabulary to the class word wall (digital board or whiteboard corner).
4. Class reflection:
   • “How did these description words help you imagine Edward better?”
   • “What details made your sentence stronger?”

📘 Next Lesson Teaser: “Get ready for tomorrow – we'll help Edward solve one of his problems. We’re going to invent some silly animal problems!”

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Differentiation Strategies

🔤 EAL Learners

• Pre-teach base adjectives using matching images (e.g. smelly = rubbish bin).

• Use sentence frames:

  “Edward is ___ because he ___.”
  “At the zoo, I can hear ___ and see ___.”

• Provide bilingual dictionaries or picture dictionaries.

✍️ Students Needing Additional Support

• Work in pairs or group brainstorm before writing.

• Use sentence scaffolds:

  • “Edward feels ___ when ___.”
  • “The zoo sounds like ___. It smells like ___."

• Tyrone: Teacher to act as scribe, allowing verbal input only. Use picture prompts to help select adjectives.

🌟 Extension for Advanced Learners

• Mirim: Encourage use of similes and figurative language.
  • “Edward sulked like a forgotten sock in the bottom of the laundry basket.”
• Support peers by helping them find stronger adjectives.
• Choose a new zoo animal from the story and write a short poem or a detailed paragraph using all 5 senses.

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Extension Activities – Independent or Early Finishers

1. Descriptive Animal Challenge: Choose a different animal from the book and write detailed sensory descriptions. Must include at least one word from each sense (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).

2. EMU Acrostic Poem:

   • E — Edward explores...
   • M — Moves through muddy paths...
   • U — Under shady trees...

Encourage strong adjectives and at least one simile per line.

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Notes for Teacher Use

• Leave writing model and vocabulary list visible for future reference.
• Preserve student descriptive samples in a writing folder or display to revisit during Week 4 narrative writing.
• Incorporate feedback opportunities regularly using checklists and peer comments.

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Impress with Innovation 💡

• Create a “Sensory Zoo Tunnel” around the classroom: tape up sensory words with animal images in sections for hearing, seeing, smelling, etc. Allow soft background zoo noise during writing.
• Use emotion-tone music (soft-sad for gloomy scenes, chirpy for parrots) to immerse students while brainstorming.

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This detailed, scaffolded lesson aligns with the achievement standards from the Australian Curriculum – English – Year 2, ensuring students engage meaningfully with texts and begin to craft rich, descriptive personal writing. Perfect for inspiring early narrative voices!