Monday 6th May 2024

LO: TO BE ABLE TO WRITE A SCIENCE FICTION

STORY (OPENING)

Starter
Create expanded noun phrases:
The spaceship
The alien
The robot
 NOW,
HOW DO
WE START
THE
STORY?

What do you think?

Putting a character in a setting
Carl sat at the edge of his bed, staring at the
• Introduce the setting photograph of his mother on his desk.
There was a small patch of sunlight on
• DASH – Describe: using 5 it amidst the dull grey that coloured the rest of
senses his room.
• Have a character interact with Outside the window, the pitter-patter sound of
rain upon glass formed a slow and gentle
your setting rhythm.
• Leave clues to make readers He sat up and straightened up his black suit in
front of his cracked mirror. The shoulders
question your setting slumped as he suddenly felt heavy, as though it
was very difficult for him to move.
He looked at the picture of his mother once
more, then turned to look outside his window.
It almost sounded like the sky was crying
today.
Introduce your main character
She stared at herself in the mirror, noticing
• Start with your character doing how fast she was brushing her teeth while
their daily routine wiping the soap from her face and arms.
Her wet hair continued to drip foam and
• What's their morning like? water as she tried to dry them with her
• Do they go to school/work? towel.
• Do they have friends they hang "Lena, are you done yet? We're going to be
out with? late!" Shouted a voice from downstairs.
• "How would you introduce your "5 minutes, mom!" She replied as her
character to a friend?" toothbrush suddenly jumped from her
hand to the sink, "Make that 6!"
• Descriptive – but not too much Outside her room, her school bag and
books were all over the floor and on her
messy bed.
Start with an action scene
The sound of thunder echoed through the air.
• Start in the middle of an action
Gunshots fired in every direction. Footsteps
scene! rushed up the stairs. There were frantic cries
• Are they running away from coming from behind the door.
something?
They were screaming for help.
• Is the spaceship making an emergency
landing on an alien planet? I held my back against the door, bracing for
impact. They cannot pass. They must not pass.
• DASH (Action) - short and long My breath were short. Fast. I could feel my
sentences heart in my chest, ready to leap out of my mouth
• Short sentences – quick and fast at any time. My legs, however, remained steady
scenes when I see the children cowering under their
blankets in this room.
• Long sentences – descriptive and
thoughtful I know my duty. I know what I must do.
I must defend this place.
Hooking with a shocking opening
• Start with something shocking! Clara gasped and fell to her knees as the robot
beeped its last life away. She watched as it
• Examining a crime scene tumbled down the stairs, clutching at its broken
• An alien eating another person arm and scattered wires.
• A sudden attack from rogue It turned its camera to face Clara and tried to
robots reach its hand to her face. Knowing that this
was the end, she grabbed its hands and held it
• Remember to use DASH (Action) - tightly.
short & long sentences "I will remember you, Mr. Svarog," she
whispered.
The man at the top of the staircase looked down
at her. He frowned, almost as though he knew
what was going to happen.
As Clara whispered a prayer for her departed
robot friend, she opened her mouth wide...
...and devoured Mr. Svarog.
Start with a dialogue
"So, this is it, huh?"
• What 2 characters would Stelle turned to look at the man with the glasses,
who had been staring at her intently this whole
you introduce? time. She gripped her hand on the fiery lance,
and replied with a smile, "You know that it had
• What would they be talking to come to this, Welt."
about? The man frowned, looking almost sad,
disappointed even, "I wished it didn't have to
• It can be related to a come to this."
"I know," her smile looked pained, "I'm sorry."
shocking opening or "Then," Welt tapped his cane on the ground, and
setting felt the tremors under his feet, "I'll at least make
this quick."
She nodded, gripping her lance tighter.
A moment passed. A gentle breeze blew by,
carrying a dead leaf to the air.
In a sudden flash of steel, they clashed.
Your Task

1 2
Use your English Exercise Write your introduction using
book DASH to help you
Tuesday 7th May 2024
LO: TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THE BUILD-UP OF A
FICTIONAL STORY (SCIENCE FICTION)

Starter
Highlight/underline, in different
colours, your DASH paragraph
(introduction):
- Description
- Action
- Speech
- How
Story Mountain:
Build Up

The beginning of a
problem that might
happen in the story

Foreshadow – giving
clues to a future problem
 Travis warned Eckels about the
risks of time traveling.

A SOUND OF Eckels didn't take his warning

seriously.
THUNDER –
BUILD UP
Rule 1: Follow the path
Did the main problem happen
yet?

Rule 2: Only shoot animals with

the red paint
Only after Eckels went off the
Path that everything started to
go wrong...

...because the build-up gave us

the hint that something bad
might happen.
A Sound of Thunder – Build up
D The magnificent, advanced Machine was like nothing he had ever seen before. Above his
head, colourful lights flashed and swirled brightly. At his feet, the metallic, reflective floor was like the
world's finest mirror, yet felt as solid as a rock. Eckels looked around with his mouth wide open as he
tried to take in every sight and sound.
A Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light followed by an abnormal, high-pitched buzz. Eckels closed
his eyes tightly and held his hands over his ears. The whole room was shaking. When would it stop?
Eckels started to feel slightly nauseous. Eventually, the noise and shaking began to subside and there
was just a soft buzzing in the air.

S "There are two very important rules that you must follow," explained Mr. Travis. "First, stay on the path.
Second, only shoot the animals with the red paint."
"Those rules sound a bit silly to me," Eckels chuckled.
"Breaking those rules could have dire consequences for our future, you fool!" Mr. Travis shouted
angrily. "You had better follow them or there'll be trouble!"

H Mr. Travis squeezed his hands into fists and counted slowly to 10 in his head. Eckels simply looked
around the Machine and fiddled absentmindedly with his seatbelt. Mr. Travis wondered if there was
going to be trouble on this trip as he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach.
A Sound of Thunder – Build up
The magnificent, advanced Machine was like nothing he had ever seen before. Above
his head, colourful lights flashed and swirled brightly. At his feet, the metallic, reflective floor was like the
world's finest mirror, yet felt as solid as a rock. Eckels looked around with his mouth wide open as he tried
to take in every sight and sound. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light followed by an abnormal,
high-pitched buzz. Eckels closed his eyes tightly and held his hands over his ears. The whole room
was shaking. When would it stop? Eckels started to feel slightly nauseous. Eventually, the noise and
shaking began to subside and there was just a soft buzzing in the air. "There are two very important
rules that you must follow," explained Mr. Travis. "First, stay on the path. Second, only shoot the
animals with the red paint."
"Those rules sound a bit silly to me," Eckels chuckled.
"Breaking those rules could have dire consequences for our future, you fool!" Mr. Travis shouted
angrily. "You had better follow them or there'll be trouble!" Mr. Travis squeezed his hands into fists
and counted slowly to 10 in his head. Eckels simply looked around the Machine and fiddled
absentmindedly with his seatbelt. Mr. Travis wondered if there was going to be trouble on this trip as he
couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach.
Your Task

1 2
Use your English Exercise Write your build up using
book DASH to help you
Thursday 9th May 2024
LO: TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THE CLIMAX OF A
FICTIONAL STORY (SCIENCE FICTION)

Starter
Check the speech punctuation in
someone else's work so far. Use a
purple pen to mark & give feedback.
Story Mountain:
Climax
• Main problem of the story
• Continuation of the small
problems from "build-up"
• Characters may/may not be
able to solve the problem
• They might lose
• The problem is a big and
important one
WHAT WAS
THE CLIMAX Eckels saw the T-rex and
OF "A SOUND became terrified.

OF Lesperance told him to hide in

THUNDER"? the Machine.

The other hunters shot the T-rex.

Eckels went off the Path.

A Sound of Thunder – Problem / Climax
D The Machine's doors hissed as they slowly opened, revealing a time millions of years in the past. Gigantic,
colourful trees towered above them revealing only a little bit of light. The sounds of nature, lost long ago,
echoed throughout the lively, enormous forest. A shiny, twisty path was the only thing that didn't belong
there. Advanced technology from the future, hovering about 6 inches above the luscious, emerald floor.

A A few moments later, a sound of thunder roared through the trees. The ground began to shake. Thud! Thud!
Thud! Trees seemed to part for this unseen monster. Then it appeared! The T-rex took steady, muscular steps
across their path. All of a sudden, its gigantic head swivelled towards them, and it stood motionless for what
seemed like an age. A giant red spot was splashed across its side.

S "Wha...wha...wha...?" Eckels stammered. "I think that I've made a mistake! That thing can't be killed. I need
to get out of here."
"Get back to the Machine," Lesperance whispered.
"I...I...I...," Eckels' legs felt like lead. He shifted forward slowly.
"Now!" Mr. Travis growled quietly, giving him a shove in the back.

H Eckels ran as fast as he could, taking quick, short steps as he surged along the path. His heart felt like it was
going to explode out his chest and his whole body was slick with sweat. He dared a glance backwards as he
heard sounds of gunfire. As he turned, Eckles lost his footing slightly and he almost fell. He recovered and
continued running towards the Machine as little patches of mud followed his every step.
 Your Task

1 2
Use your English Exercise Write your problem using
book DASH to help you
Friday 10th May 2024
LO: TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THE RESOLUTION
OF A FICTIONAL STORY (SCIENCE FICTION)

Starter
Create expanded noun phrases:
The spaceship
The alien
The robot
Story Mountain: It is usually the
Resolution ending to the main
problem (climax)
How is the problem
solved?

Was it something they

discovered from
In "Harry Potter", he finally earlier?
duels Voldemort and won the
fight.
WHAT WAS THE The Time Safari sign board was
RESOLUTION O spelled wrongly because
Deutscher won the election.
F "A SOUND OF
THUNDER"?
Eckels realised he killed a
butterfly in the past when he
stepped off the Path.

History changed completely.

HOW DID IT END?
 Your Task

1 2
Use your English Exercise Write your resolution and
book ending using DASH to help
you

You will be writing your first draft of

your Big Write next Monday!