Ākonga will learn to use observation skills and their imagination to create vivid, detailed poetry with figurative language.

Purpose statement

Margaret Mahy advised writers if they want to write fantasy to get a good pair of shoes, and the best writers have their feet on the ground, while their heads are in the clouds.

In this workshop young writers will sharpen their observational skills and discover how to apply their imagination to everyday experiences by creating poems full of rich detail that transforms reality into gold. Students learn how to write using figurative language, and how to draft and redraft their writing, by discovering something new in the world around them, while gaining confidence, and having fun.

Knowledge:

The facts, concepts, principles, and theories to teach.

• Figurative language is used to purposefully create vivid images and effects that engage the reader.
• A short, simple sentence can add impact and intensity.
• Expanding sentences improves writing by adding detail, clarifying meaning, and making it more precise and engaging.
• Imagery is descriptive language that helps the reader imagine what something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes like.

Practices

The skills, strategies, and applications to teach.

• Deliberately selecting and using a range of literary techniques, including imagery, personification, figurative language, similes, metaphors, and alliteration, to meet the purpose of the writing and engage the reader.