Super MSLW in 4RW

4RW have been learning how to write an excellent setting description over the last few weeks and from marking their work today, they have certainly taken on board all the advice they have been given. 

As you may know, all of our writing for this theme has been from the perspective of one of Howard Carter's assistant archaeologists. For this piece of Multi-Sensory Locational Writing, the children imagined they were at the start of their journey in Egypt and were arriving in the city of Cairo for the first time. In order to help us with this, we watched this fantastic video of Old Cairo in the 1930s to help us gather ideas for things we might see, hear, smell, touch and also how we might feel. This helped use to write a Multi-Sensory piece.

Once we had some ideas in our minds, we used Alan Peat's fantastic sentence ideas to help improve our writing. We decided that SIMILE sentences (The buildings soared above me like giants) and LIST sentences (I entered the bustling, crowded bazaar) would be particularly effective for this piece of writing. We also made sure we were including a variety of senses to make our readers feel like they were there with us.

Here are some extracts from our Multi-Sensory Locational writing about Cairo:

"As I approached Cairo, I noticed thousands of towering buildings that were as tall as the Eiffel Tower. In Cairo, it was packed with people. There were millions. It was like a massive party. When I crossed over to a shop I could smell fresh bread. It was as fresh as the air! Suddenly I heard lovely music and saw three or four people smoking with long pipes."

Emily K-W

"As I entered Cairo, I noticed millions of towering buildings soaring into the sky like a flock of wild birds. The buildings and paths were brown like a sandy beach. I entered the bazaar. When I laid my foot in the bustling bazaar, I could smell the horrible scent of horse poo that trailed along the path. Also, when I looked to my right and left, I could see people smoking through a long, bendy pipe. I could see the white smoke coming out of the pipes."

Libby P

"When I stepped off the train, I caught my first glimpse of the great city of Cairo. I approached the city feeling nervous but excited at the same time. I heard the babbling chatter of the Egyptian salesmen, trying to get their products to sell. I carried on through the bazaar."

William B

"As I approached Cairo, I got anxious. It was as big as a parade of elephants. The streets were jam packed with thousands of people. I entered the bazaar. It was mind blowing. I couldn't believe my eyes. As I got closer to the heart of the town, it got busier and busier."

Ella H

In the next stage of our journey, we arrive in the Valley of the Kings to join Howard Carter in his search for Tutankhamen. Hopefully our setting descriptions of Tutankhamen's tomb will be of an even higher quality than these fantastic pieces!

Keep up the good work 4RW!