TR&W Issue 20

“You can write lots of stories reusing your favourite character” The Book of Dragons by Pie and Mel Corbett is available from the Talk for Writing Bookshop. shop.talk4writing.com TEACHING NOTES Where did the story come from? It’s interesting being asked to write to order. We do this to children alI the time. I find that it can help to recycle previous characters, settings and plot patterns. In this case, I used Skater, a character who has appeared in quite a few of my stories. Over the years, I’ve got to know him well, which makes it easier when writing, because I don’t have to spend time developing his character. I know that he is independent, resilient, clever, brave and kindly. It’s worth letting children into this writing secret – you can write lots of stories reusing your favourite character, setting or create a ‘what happens next’ after the end of a previous story. I knew that I wanted to write a story that included a dragon. Partly because I have just completed a book about teaching using mythical creatures such as dragons, unicorns, ogres and elves, but also because I wanted to loiter on the description of the dragon. This story is based around the simple idea of a magical portal. In this case, I have used a mirror that can be ‘stepped through’. I also included a ‘time slip’ where the story shifts back to explain how Skater had found himself in this mythical world. Look at how the story moves back and forth in time. This can be shown on a timeline or flow chart. The way in which I’ve written the story lays open the possibility of much more. Who is Valjean-Krakanova? (The name was invented by Clover from John Moore Primary School.) What is the crystal room? The ending invites a new story to follow on from this episode. What happens if Skater steps back through the mirror? Pupils could write a prequel that explains how Krakanova captured Skater. Drama and writing Read the descriptions of the dragon at the start and towards the end of the story. Get the children to create a quick sketch of the dragon and label this with the phrases used. Then, working solo or in pairs, give children time to develop descriptive sentences for different parts of the dragon, using new ideas and images. These should start with the words, ‘I am’. Stand in a circle and, pair by pair, step into the ring and say aloud your ‘I am’ sentence to create a class list poem, e.g. I am the fiery eyes glittering inside the charred skull like ghastly lanterns. I am the jagged jaws, opening to reveal yellow-stained teeth. I am the gnarled claws, curved like scimitars. Reading as a reader • In the description of the dragon, how does the writer create the effect of something dangerous? • Explain ‘he had stepped out of the frying pan into a furnace’. • Explain ‘grim determination, incarceration and husbandry’. • When Skater and Safia climbed the mountain, how did they know they were safe? • What do you think ‘the unfortunate events in Pudding Lane’ might have been? • Discuss what Valjean-Krakanova means by ‘light fingers’. • What can you infer from the final paragraph? Preparing to write It’s worth spending time before writing a dragon story, developing the description of what type of dragon it will feature. In this model of a report about a snow dragon, you can see how the sentence starters and features can help the writer develop descriptive ideas. The details can then be drawn upon when writing the narrative. Would you be able to recognise a Snow Dragon if you saw one? In fact, they are very similar to the large majority of dragons. Like most dragons, they have a long horn, the body of a horse and excellent eyesight. Typically, they are an amazing white colour which glitters as their hair catches the sunlight. However, a few have been spotted which are a light green colour. This allows them to blend in amongst forest vegetation. Furthermore, they have amazing teeth made of diamonds and their tails consist of icy, silver hair. The main feature of the Snow Dragon is that it freezes anything that it touches. Amazingly, they scatter flakes of snow as they move along. T E ACH I NG T E CHN I QUE S www.teachwire.net | 45