This Lesson's Title:

Same Setting, Different Moods

voice and word choices bring mood to places and times

This lesson was proposed for WritingFix by NNWP Teacher Consultant Tamara Turnbeaugh.

The ideal "mentor text" that can be used when teaching this on-line lesson is the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Before writing, students should listen to and discuss the writing style of this book's author, especially from chapter 3 of the book.

Click here to view this book at Amazon.com.

If you are a Washoe County teacher, click here to search for this book at the county library.

Three-Sentence Overview of this Lesson:

Writers will examine and discuss techniques that writers use to link moods to setting descriptions.  Next, they will choose a mood and an interesting setting, and they will imagine a character in their chosen settings.  Finally, each student will write a setting description, and he/she will attempt to establish a mood by imitating techniques that have been talked about and examined.  Teachers: click here to read the entire lesson plan.

6-Trait Overview for this Lesson:

The focus trait for this on-line activity is voice; establishing mood is something that authors attempting to use voice think about before writing and do while writing.  The support trait for this writing assignment is word choice; carefully considered words will lead to stronger imagery and mood.