Use your senses
Senses can be a very important part of storytelling. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Look at these pictures below and remember ‘who, what, where, why, when and how.’ Think of all the different ways you could use senses to help describe the scenes. Now, write a short paragraph about one or more of the pictures.
Picture One: Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
So, how did you go? Here are some ideas. How hot is it? Is it windy? What temperature is the water? What does sand blown onto your face feel like? What happens when some sunscreen drips into your mouth? How does it taste? Can you hear music? Or are people arguing? Or maybe you hear the ringing of pushbike bells? Go on, let your mind go and see what you can find.
Example
It was such a hot day, and I was sweating so much. Drip, drip, drip down my face and into my mouth. Yuk, it was an awful salty taste that was mixed in with the sunscreen that Lou had painted on me. Lou is my older brother. He had run off somewhere with his friends to play beach soccer. I don’t where they would find any space. It was so crowded. There were people everywhere. And umbrellas and shelters and bicycles and …lots and lots of things. Red, yellows, blues, and greens. The people on the chairs next to me were playing Samba music as loud as they could, and an ice-cream seller was ringing a bell as he walked up and down, up and down on the sand.
Picture Two: El Chaco, Paraguay
So, what did you ask about this picture? Is the wind blowing? If it is, what sort of sound would the windmill be making? Is is creaking? Or is the grass rustling or whispering? Can you hear birds singing? Or cows mooing? Or is everything so quiet you can hear your heart beating? How hot is it? Can you taste dust in your mouth?
Example
The bushfire had come and gone. It raced through the paddocks and burnt grass, trees, and fences. Thankfully all the farmers had time to get their cows and sheep to safety. Smoke hung low in the air and was making people cough. Dad had helped to fight the fire, and he wore a handkerchief over his nose and mouth. I barely recognised him when he came home. His bright orange overalls weren’t bright anymore. They were black as the night, covered in soot, ash, and dust. He was tired. And he wasn’t the only one; the windmill outside our house near the water trough looked weary too. There was not a breath of wind to move it. I felt sorry for it, standing alone in the heat of a summer’s evening that had changed lives forever.
Picture Three: Sahara Desert, Morocco
The poor goalposts. They look lonely, don’t they? If you were to use your senses to describe this picture, what would you say? Again, what is the weather like? What do you think the rocks and goalposts would feel like to touch? Imagine if it was a scorching hot day, and you rested your hand against a goalpost: would it sting? What sounds can you hear? Perhaps the sound of a busload of kids signing on the way to this field? Remember, use your imagination. What would it sound like if someone ran across this field?
Example
It was nearly impossible to believe that there was a soccer field way out here in the desert. The nearest village was at least an hour’s walk away. Here, it only rained a couple of times a year. For the rest of the time the sun beat down and cooked the ground. If you didn’t wear shoes, the heat of the stones could burn your feet, and when the wind whistled hard, little pebbles flew and stung the skin of anyone who wore shorts and T-shirts. Why would a soccer field be way out here? The answer was simple. Hamid wanted one. Hamid loved playing soccer, and he wanted everyone to feel the same joy he did every single time he kicked a ball.
Summary
So, how did you go? The important thing is to keep exploring and experimenting.
Tag:#Primary, #Secondary
