Considering sensory language in Bilan's 'Asha and the Spirit Bird'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can make inferences about an unfamiliar place through textural and sensory descriptions.
Key learning points
- Bilan arguably foreshadows something negative happening to Asha and Jeevan in Zandapur.
- Textural description can be used to influence the reader’s perception of a place or object.
- Arguably, Bilan uses textures to imply that Zandapur is unsafe and not a worthwhile place.
- We might infer from Bilan’s use of smells that Zandapur is an unpleasant place.
Keywords
Inference - a guess that you make or an opinion that you form based on the information that you have
Unfamiliar - to not have any knowledge or experience of something
Symbolise - to represent something
Imply - to communicate an idea or feeling without saying it directly
Texture - the feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or substance
Common misconception
That textures aren't an important detail in descriptive writing.
The textures that writers choose to use can help us to make inferences about the nature of the object or place.
Teacher tip
You could develop the explanation of textures by looking at more examples e.g. difference between mahogany and pine wood.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the Chicken House Books edition of ‘Asha and the Spirit Bird’ by Jasbinder Bilan.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a city?
Q2.Which word do we stereotypically associate with a city?
Q3.Which of the following descriptions evokes the sense of smell?
Q4.What does rotten mean?
Q5.Which of the following materials is most expensive?
Q6.What might the sudden blowing of a 'cold breeze' indicate about a place?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Unfamilar means...
Q2.In Bilan's 'Asha and the Spirit Bird', when Asha enters the city the light is described as...
Q3.The feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or substance is the .
Q4.Describing something as "paper" implies...
Q5.To communicate an idea or feeling without saying it directly means to something.
Q6.The description of a smell as "oily" could suggest...
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Considering sensory language in Bilan's 'Asha and the Spirit Bird', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Considering sensory language in Bilan's 'Asha and the Spirit Bird', 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 Step into the unknown: fiction reading and creative writing unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.