Structuring paragraphs effectively in creative writing
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can plan and write a piece of creative writing with effective paragraphing.
Key learning points
- Paragraphs are the building blocks of creative writing, allowing our writing to take on an interesting structure.
- We should plan an interesting paragraph structure before we begin creative writing to engage the reader.
- We can begin with a wide perspective, narrow into a scene and end with a moment of tension.
- Prepositional phrases help us transition from one paragraph to another.
Keywords
Alluring - powerfully or mysteriously attractive.
Devour - eat or consume eagerly.
Intricate - very complex or detailed.
Common misconception
Planning each paragraph to describe a different aspect of the scene will always create an engaging description.
Describing something different in each paragraph does not necessarily lead to an interesting description - it is the way in which the paragraphs link and build curiosity and tension that can make it more engaging.
Teacher tip
You could revisit the opening of 'After Dark' by Haruki Murakami to give students some inspiration for their writing in this lesson.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When should we start a new paragraph in our writing?
Q2.To improve the structure of our writing what can we do?
Q3.What does 'devour' mean?
Q4.Which of these sentences uses the word 'alluring' correctly?
Q5.What should you do first when asked to write a piece of creative writing?
Q6.What might be the most thorough and effective way to plan a piece of creative writing?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Starting with the first, put the points to create an engaging paragraph structure in the correct order.
Q2.If we use a wide perspective to describe what are we most likely to write about?
Q3.If we use a zoomed in perspective what are we most likely to do?
Q4.If we want to build tension in a narrative, which of these can we do?
Q5.Complete the sentence: paragraphs are the blocks of a piece of writing.
Q6.To help us transition from paragraph to paragraph when describing a scene, it is helpful to use ...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Structuring paragraphs effectively in creative writing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Structuring paragraphs effectively in creative writing, 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 4 English lessons from the Fiction: read around the world unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.