The Demon Headmaster - Lesson 5 - PowerPoint

In Lesson Five of the English Teaching Resources, students delve into the art of using language to captivate an audience, with a specific focus on Gillian Cross's use of description in her novel "The Demon Headmaster". The lesson kicks off with an exploration of similes, a literary device that compares one thing with another often using the words 'as' or 'like'. An example from the book is analyzed: 'On the stage stood the Headmaster, stooped forward like a giant vulture', and students are encouraged to consider the effectiveness of this imagery, its implications for the Headmaster's character, and the mood it sets. The lesson continues with exercises that challenge students to create their own similes, enhancing their ability to build vivid descriptions and mood in writing.

As the lesson progresses, students are guided through the process of descriptive writing, learning how to make a scene come alive in the reader's imagination without slipping into narrative storytelling. They are instructed to focus on the details of the scene, considering aspects such as location, time of year, and weather, and to use all of their senses to create a full picture. The use of a planning table is suggested to help students organize their thoughts and appeal to the senses of sight, sound, touch, and smell. Students are then encouraged to transform their sensory images into descriptive sentences, using connectives and imaginative vocabulary, and to try incorporating similes into their writing. The lesson concludes with feedback sessions where students can share their work and receive constructive critiques on their descriptive writing abilities.