Writing a gothic description
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can write a multi-sensory and thrilling Gothic description.
Key learning points
- In descriptions, you can focus on how the scene smells, feels, sounds and tastes, as well as just what it looks like.
- Multi-sensory descriptions make the scene more vivid for your reader.
- You can use figurative language to create vivid imagery for the reader.
- Fronted adverbials can build tension by elongating the sentence and delaying the action.
- To build tension, try describing small details quite comprehensively.
Keywords
Imagery - words used to create a clear image in the reader’s head
Vivid - producing strong or clear images in the reader’s mind
Multi-sensory - involving more than one sense
To congeal - to begin to change from a liquid state to a more solid state
Timid - showing a lack of courage or confidence
Common misconception
In descriptive writing, students often just describe what their protagonist can see. They often neglect the other senses.
To create the most vivid description possible, students should focus their description on the five sense, subtly moving between exploring how the scene feels, smells, looks, tastes and sounds.
Teacher tip
Print the Gothic description of blood from learning cycle 1 so that students can annotate it as they progress through the first learning cycle. They can also pinch words and phrases from it to use in their own descriptions.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the five sense is missing from this list: touch, taste, smell, feel and ....?
Q2.A field is a group of words that all share meaning.
Q3.Which of the following colours are considered Gothic?
Q4.Which of the following would make the best Gothic setting?
Q5.Which of the following animals are considered Gothic?
Q6.Which methods do we see in this quotation: "The windows were like vacant eyes, blinking in the pale light of the moon."?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is multi-sensory language?
Q2.Which of the following are shades of red?
Q3.Gothic writers often Gothic colours to reflect the battle between good and evil that many Gothic texts explore.
Q4.Which of the following words means 'to lack courage or confidence'?
Q5.Why might you not reveal the object you are describing until the end of the description?
Q6.Which of the following sentences uses the word 'congealed' correctly?
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Writing a gothic description, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Writing a gothic description, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the A monster within: reading and writing Gothic fiction unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.