Zeelie's Fire Diary

Name:

Date:

📚 Part 1: Understanding Zeelie's Perspective

Success Criteria — Tick when complete:

I can write a diary entry in Zeelie's voice with a clear date and tone.

I include vivid sensory details (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).

I organise my entry with first-person perspective and emotional language.

I can explain a partner's feedback and use it to improve my writing.

Differentiation strategies — support and challenge:

Support: sentence starters, sensory word bank, and a partially completed opening sentence.

Challenge: include a simile or metaphor and extend the entry with reflective thoughts after the fire.

1. Which emotion is Zeelie MOST LIKELY to feel during the fire?

Frightened and anxious

Excited and playful

Indifferent and bored

Confused about dates

2. Which sentence is the best example of a smell detail?

The sky was a bright orange blanket.

My throat burned as the smoke made its way into my lungs.

I could hear the timber crack and fall.

My shoes stuck in the mud.

3. Check all the techniques that help show emotion in a diary entry:

First-person voice (I, me)

Vivid sensory details (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Long statistical tables

Short, emotive sentences

4. Match each sense to the best example from Zeelie's perspective:

A. Sight

B. Sound

C. Smell

D. Touch

E. Taste

1. My skin prickled from the heat

2. The smoke stung, sharp and choking

3. Flames swallowed the horizon in orange

4. Ash crackled under my boots

5. The salty tang of tears mixed with dust

✏️ Part 2: Writing, Peer Review & Extension

5. Diary heading and opening (write as Zeelie). Include the date in DD/MM/YYYY format and one opening line that sets the tone.

6. In two sentences, give three sensory details Zeelie experiences during the fire (mention sight, sound and smell).

7. Self-edit checklist — tick the boxes for the criteria you meet and add one quick note for improvement:

I used first-person voice throughout.

I included at least three different senses.

My tone matches Zeelie's emotions (e.g. scared, brave, sad).

I checked spelling and punctuation on a device.

Note for improvement:

8. Peer review: After reading a partner’s entry, write one short piece of feedback about how well the entry shows Zeelie's feelings. Use evidence from their writing.

9. Extension for advanced learners: Write one extra paragraph (3–5 lines) including either a simile or a metaphor that deepens Zeelie's emotional response to the fire.

10. Support option: Use this starter to help you begin your diary if you need it — complete the sentence: "I could smell ______, I heard ______, and I felt ______."

Extension activities (choose one):

- Write a follow-up diary entry imagining Zeelie's reflections three days after the fire, focusing on resilience and recovery.

- Create a multimodal entry: add an image or sound file that represents one strong sensory moment and write a short caption explaining its emotional meaning.