Cross-Curricular Descriptive

Writing Activity
This activity is a great way to link a piece of creative writing for The
Magic Map with your class topic.

PRE-LESSON PREPARATION
• Download the PowerPoint Presentation that complements this activity
• Each pupil will need a copy of the Magic Map planning sheet / entry form, which you can download from our website, photocopy,
or we can post to you upon request
• Come up with points on a map that link to your class topic (see step 1 for more detail)
• Fill in slide 6 with text or pictures of where the Magic Map will take your pupils

INTRODUCTION (Slides 2-4) 5 minutes

Explain to pupils that today the Magic Map will take them on a journey of imagination, and they’ll be writing a story or descriptive
piece about what they find there. Watch the video that introduces this activity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MZLHgdd-B8

MAIN TEACHING ACTIVITY

Ask pupils to close their eyes and imagine they are holding a map. Describe elements of
the map that link to the topic you want them to write about. You can start off vague and get
more specific with each clue.
E.g.
Your Magical
Ancient Egypt – a river, desert, palm trees, temples, Valley of the Kings, Cairo,
Destination Slides 5-6
Pyramids of Giza
(5 minutes)
Can they guess where this map is going to take them before you get to the later clues?
This guessing game will engage them in the activity, and get them thinking about what they
might find at their destination.
Reveal the answer on slide 6

Ask pupils to close their eyes again and imagine themselves falling into the map, finding
themselves in the time/location of your topic.
Using Their
Ask them for suggestions of what they can see, feel and hear. You could also add smell
Senses Slides 7-8
and taste though these can be trickier for some topics! Write their answers on the board.
(10 minutes)
Once you have a few suggestions for each sense, give pupils time to come up with a few
of their own. They can write these on their planning sheet in the ‘Any other ideas’ box.

Now they have a few ideas of what might be around them, ask them to draw a picture of
Picture It
Slide 9 the scene in the space on their planning sheet. Alternatively they could write down more
(10 minutes) words associated with the topic.

Pupils should now think about the story they are going to write in this setting.
Who is the main character? Will it be themselves in the story, or a fictional character? Will it
be a human, animal, or creature?
What will their mini saga be about? They should think about the beginning, middle and end
Get Planning! and write notes in the space provided.
Slides 10-11 • Who else is there?
(10 minutes)
• What are they doing at the start of the story?
• What happens? Is there a problem that needs solving?
• What do the characters do next?
• Does the problem get solved?

P.T.O.
MAIN TEACHING ACTIVITY
Activity Name Slide Reference Activity Details

Now it’s time for them to get writing! You can start them off with an opening sentence:
“I arrived in ……… and saw...”
“The map glowed and transported me to…”
“It started out as a normal day in…”
Slides “He heard a scream…”
Get Writing!
12-14
(15 minutes) “She followed the map until she found…”
Encourage them to use the descriptions they came up with individually and as a class in
their story.
Remind pupils to add a conclusion to their writing. Is the problem solved? What did they
think about their adventure? Was it fun, exciting, scary?

Peer Ask pupils to work in pairs and read their stories to each other and provide feedback;
Assessment something they liked and something that can be improved. Younger pupils can do this in
Slide 15
Time groups with an adult’s assistance. Provide pupils with a few minutes to make any changes to
(5 minutes) their work.

Remind pupils to ensure their name is on their entry form. Send in your pupils’ entries for the
chance to be published in a real book.
Post:
FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY,
Enter The Young Writers PS,
Slide 16 Remus House,
Competition
Peterborough,
PE2 9BF
Email: competitions@youngwriters.co.uk
Upload: www.youngwriters.co.uk/comp/enter

NOTES
• The word limit for this competition is 100 words
• This activity takes approximately 1 hour. Alternatively, the planning can be done in class and the story can be written as homework.
• More advanced pupils can expand on the plot with further events or adding more imaginative elements.
• Less able pupils can work in pairs or a small group and have an adult’s assistance/scribing
• Stories can be written on any theme.

Young Writers, Remus House, Coltsfoot Drive, Peterborough, PE2 9BF