Varjak Descriptions

Overview

Lesson 6 builds on earlier exploration of Varjak Paw by sharpening students’ writing with descriptive language. They will practise choosing effective adjectives and adverbs and linking ideas so sentences flow clearly, ready for longer scene writing later in the unit.

Learning intentions

• WALT use adjectives and adverbs to create vivid descriptions of Varjak’s journey.
• WALT choose cohesive links to connect ideas within and across sentences.
• WALT improve sentence clarity by selecting precise vocabulary and avoiding repetition.
• WALT identify whether writing uses active description (not just “telling”) by checking word choices.

Success criteria

• I can write descriptive sentences about Varjak that include at least 3 strong adjectives and 2 adverbs.
• I can use adverbs to explain how, when, or where something happens in my sentence.
• I can add a cohesive device (for example, repetition of a key word or an adverbial like “as a consequence” / “on the other hand”) to link my ideas.
• I can revise my writing to make it more precise and interesting.

Curriculum links

• Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation — Year 6: detail of content to be introduced: linking ideas across paragraphs using repetition and grammatical connections (for example, adverbials such as “as a consequence” or “on the other hand”), and ellipsis.
• Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation — Year 6: detail of content to be introduced: active and passive.
• Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation — Year 6: detail of content to be introduced: subject and object.
• Vocabulary: synonyms and antonyms to support precise word choice.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval and hook. Teacher shows 2 short sentences on the board: one bland (“Varjak walked through the alley.”) and one improved (“Varjak padded cautiously through the shadowy alley, ears twitching.”); students vote which is more descriptive and why. Students quickly justify their choice using one word class term they remember (adjective/adverb) or a vivid word they notice.

2. 5–15 min · Direct teach: adjectives and adverbs. Teacher models how to upgrade a sentence by swapping in better word choices, highlighting:

• Adjectives (describing nouns): shadowy alley, determined Varjak, creaking steps.
• Adverbs (modifying verbs/adjectives): cautiously, silently, suddenly, just before. Teacher also models one cohesive link choice: repeating a key image word (for example, “shadow”) or using an adverbial like “as a consequence” to show cause/effect within a sentence pair. Students complete a quick “match and label” task: underline adjectives in one sample sentence and circle adverbs.

3. 15–25 min · Guided practice: sentence surgery. Teacher provides a “before” sentence strip from the Varjak journey (kept generic enough for all learners), and a word bank is projected/printed with adjectives and adverbs. Teacher performs “surgery”:

• Add 2–3 adjectives to strengthen nouns.
• Add 1–2 adverbs to strengthen verbs (how/when/where).
• Add a cohesive link between two sentences (for example, “Then…”, “As a consequence…”, or repeating “shadow” once more). Students revise their own sentence on mini-whiteboards using the sentence frame:
• “Varjak (adjective) (verb) (adverb) through the (adjective) (noun), (adverbial).”

4. 25–40 min · Independent write: descriptive sentences (Varjak). Students write 4 descriptive sentences about Varjak’s journey in one location (choose from a class list: alley, courtyard, tunnel, rooftop). Remind them to include both adjectives and adverbs and to vary sentence openings for clarity. Students use a checklist on their page and a word bank (differentiation). Teacher circulates, offering targeted prompts such as: “Can you make the verb stronger?” “Where is Varjak?” “How did he move?”

5. 40–50 min · Share and refine (cohesion check). Teacher selects 2–3 student examples (anonymous if needed) and asks:

• Which word is repeated to create a cohesive link?
• Which adverbial helps ideas connect (contrast/cause/time)? Students use a peer feedback sentence stem: “I like how you used ___ because ___.” and one improvement: “Could you add an adverb to show how/when?”

6. 50–58 min · Quick assessment: teacher conference + rapid edit. Students do a short self-edit: underline their adjectives in one colour and circle their adverbs in another; then they improve one sentence by replacing one weak word with a stronger one from synonyms/antonyms they have. Teacher completes a 1-minute checklist for each student: adjectives included, adverbs included, and at least one cohesion choice.

7. 58–60 min · Exit ticket. Students answer: “Write one revised sentence using at least one adverbial link (e.g., as a consequence / on the other hand / as soon as).” Teacher collects for immediate next lesson grouping.

Resources

• Printed or projected sentence frames and word bank (adjectives + adverbs).
• Adjective/adverb colour coding pens or highlighters.
• Mini-whiteboards and pens (or paper if preferred).
• Example “before/after” sentences for modelling.
• Checklist for 4-sentence writing task.
• Timer for guided practice and share.
• Optional: highlighter strips labelled “adjective” and “adverb”.

Assessment

• Formative checks: board labels in the match activity; teacher circulation during sentence surgery and independent writing.
• Teacher conference checklist: adjectives/adverbs present and one cohesive link.
• Exit ticket sentence uses an adverbial link and includes at least one adverb.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence frames with word bank categories (place, how, when, feeling) and pre-highlight strong adjective/adverb options; offer word-starts (e.g., “cau-”, “shad-”) to reduce spelling load.
• Support for EAL/SEN: allow oral planning with a partner (“He walked… how? where?”) and provide visual cue cards for how/when/where; accept approximations while focusing on structure and meaning.
• Core challenge: students must vary sentence openings and include at least one cohesive device (repetition or an adverbial).
• Extension (advanced learners): write 6–8 sentences and ensure at least two different cohesive devices are used (one repetition of a key image word and one grammatical connection such as “as a consequence” or “on the other hand”). Add deliberate ellipsis in one place (omit a word where meaning is clear) to make style more sophisticated.

Extension (optional)

• Write a descriptive paragraph about a scene from Varjak’s journey using 4–6 sentences, ensuring: at least 6 adjectives, 4 adverbs, and cohesive links between every pair of sentences.