Group Teaching Session: Adjectives and Persuasive Language

Learning Objectives: revise use of adjectives and persuasive language (as covered in previous reading sessions) and use this to model a piece of group writing (Estate Agents' "For Sale" ad) in preparation for future individual writing. ( See the individual project work from a following session for further objectives)

To recognise the different purposes of text - focusing on descriptive and persuasive texts. Rt/E3.2  Rt/L1.2

Use illustrations and captions to locate information. Rt/E2.4

Understand the difference between fact and opinion. Rt/L2.2

Plan, draft, edit writing. Wt/L1.1 Wt/E3.1

To understand the term "adjective" and use adjectives in writing. Ws/E2.2

To look at word order in sentences, particularly the position of adjectives in relation to nouns. Rs/E2.2 Rs/E3.2 Rs/L1.1

To look at positive, negative and passive adjectives. Ws/E2.2

Understand "suffix". Use knowledge of suffixes and compound words as one possible spelling strategy. Rw/E3.5  Ww/E3.2

Other spelling strategies - such as two pairs of double letters in "accommodation".  Ww/L1.1

Comments about this lesson from other tutors and students

IT Objectives

 Related Resources

1) Local papers, property pages. 2) Our shared PDF text (house ads and holiday cottages)  3) "Non-fiction descriptive texts" 5 page PDF file with fact v opinion activity. 8/5/02  4) "Adjectives" 17 page PDF with information, games, activities and worksheets. 8/05/02  5) Individual "Estate Agent Ads" writing projects available on line. 6) Estate Agents' web pages (or find a local one from your area of the UK)

1) We started class with the picture above displayed on an overhead projector. Students had already spent the previous two sessions looking at house ads in the local paper (new 23/03/02 shared text available), picking out facts and opinions and thinking about adjectives. Students have also used the BBC Skillswise site (look under Adjectives in the "Words" section) to do focused work on adjectives at a variety of levels. Full lesson plans from previous classes will be appearing soon.

The OT also included pre-written descriptions (both positive and negative) composed in advance by the tutor - these were masked and not revealed until the end of the teaching session. (OT is available here as a  Word document updated 27/1/02).

2) We began by deciding on some facts and opinions about the house. We only had the picture to go by - so even the facts were made up! This was achieved by making two lists on the college whiteboard - reproduced below. Note: - don't go looking in your atlas for Chomwell Green, that's made-up too!

5 bedrooms   extended   detached   master bedroom with en suite bathroom

downstairs cloakroom   fitted kitchen  

separate dining room

(family) bathroom

Chomwell Green     walled garden

sitting room    utility room

near shops and schools

large house

fully fitted kitchen

much sought after

private        well stocked

delightful     peaceful

3) When we had got down a few ideas there was much discussion about the order that they should be presented. Our shared text (25/03/02 now available as PDF), from the previous two sessions, was used for ideas (an A3 enlarged copy of local house ads and a holiday cottage description given to each student). We came up with this plan: Location, whole house details, downstairs, upstairs, garden / garage, availability.

4) Finally, after much discussion (and rubbing out!), we came up with the following description on the whiteboard:

A delightful, sympathetically extended, detached five bedroom house situated in a peaceful cul de sac in much sought after Chomwell Green. Convenient for shops and schools.

Accommodation comprises master bedroom ensuite and large family bathroom, plus downstairs cloakroom, fully fitted kitchen with separate utility room, two spacious reception rooms overlooking private well-stocked gardens. Early viewing recommended to avoid disappointment.

Thanks to following contributors: Ross, Andrew, Liz, Luisa (students), Linda (volunteer tutor - thanks for taking the notes!) and Maggie (tutor).

5) Students were then asked to start writing their own house ads - some chose to describe their own homes, other made up descriptions of their dream home.

6) When the class was happy with the text we went through and underlined all the adjectives. This involved some discussion about the differences between adjectives and adverbs.

7) Next Monday students are going to finish their planning \ drafting and then write up their pieces on the computer. (Some are now available)

Tutor's conclusion: "... the group could see how the use of different adjectives can dramatically alter both the meaning and purpose of a text.

It also demonstrated how removing adjectives from a text can make it very bland or boring. I think (hope!) that all students now know what an adjective is.

Writing the text together also emphasised the point that almost all writing requires forethought and planning.

Overall, we decided that the class group effort was better than the tutor's (read tutor's version and see for yourself!). A student volunteered to read out the negative description (unmasked at the end of the session - available on the OT) and it caused some merriment!

One student did some research on the web afterwards and tracked down some local estate agents' web sites. We plan to visit the BBC Skillswise site again soon as they now have a new adjectives game directly related to writing ads."

Possible changes: "If I did this again I might ask a student to scribe for me.

I'm lucky to have an excellent volunteer who took notes from the whiteboard (enabling me to put all this on line!). Alternatively, a confident student could do this task. Some students took their own notes as I was talking/scribing. I could have encouraged this further...

Ran out of time for discussing spelling strategies, suffixes, etc.

However, a selection of suffixes, compound words and tricky words have been highlighted in the text (this could be done "real time" by the tutor highlighting words on an OT), to show how the class discussion could have developed...

Entry Level students could look for examples of -ed or compound words

A delightful, sympathetically extended, detached five bedroom house situated in a peaceful cul de sac in much sought after Chomwell Green. Convenient for shops and schools.
Accommodation comprises master bedroom ensuite and large family bathroom, plus downstairs cloakroom, fully fitted kitchen with separate utility room, two spacious reception rooms overlooking private well-stocked gardens. Early viewing recommended to avoid disappointment.

Useful Links: BBC Skillswise site has some good worksheets and interactive games and quizzes about adjectives (start at the Words Section)

BBC Schools - GCSE Bitesize Revision English, Reading Non-Fiction has some excellent notes and on line tests on Fact and Opinion.

Message from Maggie to students: when you have finished typing up your house descriptions visit this site Andrews Online - Search by Branch. Select the Abingdon branch and then scroll through the photos and descriptions until you find a suitable picture to add to your work. When you have found a picture:

• Right click on the picture and select "copy".

• Minimise the web page (third button in, on the top right-hand corner).

• Right click in your house document where you want to paste the picture.

• Select "paste" and hey presto your picture should appear!

• Don't forget to save your document.

• If you want your work put on the web site please copy it on to my floppy disk - thanks!

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