Writing a full descriptive piece: ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' as stimulus
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can write a well-structured and developed piece of descriptive writing inspired by the painting, ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’.
Key learning points
- In descriptive writing, sometimes developing the description of small details can be very engaging.
- To structure your piece, you could link the concluding sentence of paragraphs to the next topic sentence.
- To structure your piece, your first and final paragraph could repeat selected ideas or images.
Keywords
Third person omniscient - the narrator isn't a character in the story and presents the feelings and experiences of multiple characters using pronouns like 'she', 'he', 'they', 'it'
Sumptuous - expensive looking, luxurious, rich
Ensnared - caught in, usually some sort of trap
Suppress - of an emotion, to keep it hidden or bottled up
Common misconception
Once you have used an image or idea in a piece of writing, you can't reuse it in the same piece.
Sometimes repeating an idea or image throughout a piece can help give it a sense of structure. You might change certain details, but you can repeat them.
Teacher tip
Consider how long your pupils will need for each writing practice task and work out the rest of the timings of the lesson from there. For Learning Cycle 1 they may have already completed their planning and so can review their plan before writing for Task A instead of planning again.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', we look at a painting called 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey'. Who is in this painting?
Q2.Match each section of the single paragraph outline to its function ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
first sentence of your paragraph stating its main focus
notes vocabulary, techniques and ideas you will include
completes your ideas and leads onto the next paragraph
Q3.Lady Jane Grey was executed in 1553 after days, making her the shortest reigning monarch in English history ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q4.A omniscient narrator is when the narrator isn't a character in the story and presents the feelings and experiences of multiple characters using pronouns like 'she', 'he', 'they', 'it'.
Q5.Which sentences, all inspired by 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire'), use the word sumptuous (or a form of it) correctly?
Q6.Which sentences, all inspired by 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire'), use the word suppress (or a form of it) correctly?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What might you do in your final paragraph of a piece of descriptive writing? (Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q2.A is the first sentence of a paragraph and states the paragraph's main focus ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q3.Which sentences, all inspired by ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire'), are written using the third person?
Q4.Which sentences, all inspired by 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire'), use the word 'ensnared' (or a form of it) correctly?
Q5.The word means expensive looking, luxurious and rich and is often used to describe fabric ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
Q6.When talking about an emotion, the word means to bottle this emotion up, or to conceal it ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Writing a full descriptive piece: ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' as stimulus, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Writing a full descriptive piece: ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' as stimulus, 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 Myths, legends and stories that inspire unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.