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My Tūrangawaewae Descriptive Writing

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My Tūrangawaewae Descriptive Writing

Tūrangawaewae is often translated as “a place to stand”. It can describe a place where you feel you belong and have a connection. Your tūrangawaewae may be a place that matters to you or your whānau. You can choose what you feel comfortable sharing; you do not need to name a private place.

Notice and practise

Read each prompt carefully. Use specific details, not just general words such as nice, good or pretty.

1.In your own words, explain what tūrangawaewae can mean. Include the idea of belonging or connection.

2.Which statement best describes a tūrangawaewae?

It must be a famous place that everyone knows.
It can be a place that holds meaning and connection for a person or whānau.
It can only be somewhere a person visits once.
It has to be the same place for every person.

3.Match each descriptive technique to its example. Simile; metaphor; personification. Examples: “The wind combed the grass”; “The tide was a silver road”; “The rocks were as dark as charcoal.”

Simile
Metaphor
Personification

The tide was a silver road.
The wind combed the grass.
The rocks were as dark as charcoal.

4.Read this description: “A garden path crosses a sunny lawn. Birds call from the trees.” Write one detail you can see and one sound you might hear in this place.

5.Improve this sentence by replacing the vague word “nice” with a more exact description: “The beach was nice.”

6.Choose or imagine a place that matters to you. Write an original simile about one detail from that place. Use “like” or “as” to make a clear comparison.

7.Choose a place that matters to you, or invent one. Record one specific detail for each sense: sight, sound, smell and touch. You may leave out any sense that does not fit.

Plan a short description of a place where you feel a sense of belonging or connection. It can be real or imagined. Keep private details private.

Place and reason it matters: What makes this place meaningful?

Details to include: Choose precise sights, sounds, smells or textures.

Feeling and ending: What feeling should your reader be left with?

8.Write an opening sentence that introduces your chosen place and creates a clear mood. Use at least one precise detail.

9.Write a descriptive paragraph about your chosen place. Include at least three specific details, use one simile or personification, and show why the place matters to you. Use your plan, and choose what you are comfortable sharing.

10.Reread your paragraph. Choose one vague word or repeated word and replace it with a more precise choice. Write the original word and your improved word or phrase.