Moana:WritingLesson1Objective:TowriteasettingdescriptionStep1: Step2: Step3:WatchtheopeningofMoana.ThinkabouthersurroundingsinTe-Fiti.Imagineyouarethere.Whatcanyousee?hear?touch?taste?smell?Beasdescriptiveasyoucanandusethesensesgridandpicturestohelpyourecordyourideas(Resource1).
Imageryisagoodtechniquetouseindescriptivewriting,butbecarefulnottooveruse.Imageryincludes:Similes-whereyoudescribesomethingasbeing‘like’somethingelse.Metaphors-whereyoudescribesomethingasifitissomethingelse.Personification-whereyoudescribeanobjectasifitisalive.Lookatthepoem‘Seasons’byValerieBloom(Resource2).Itcontainssomegreatexamplesofmetaphor/personificationforthefourseasons.Followthestructureofeachofherverses,andwriteametaphorforfourobjectsfromyoursettingdescription.
PrepositionsVisithttps://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/forest-descriptions.phpClickon‘GetDescription’afewtimes,andreadeachdescriptionoftheforest.You’llnoticethateachdescriptionfollowsasimilarstructure.Fromthedescriptions,notedownanyvocabularythatyoumightwanttouseinyourdescription.Payparticularattentionto:ListsofthreeInterestingverbsPrepositionstoguideyoureyearoundthesceneImagery
NowuseyournotestocreateasettingdescriptionofMoana’sisland.ThereisanexampleinResource3.
Resource1:
See Hear Smell Taste Feel
Resource2:Example: Ownmetaphor:
Springisbaby,bright,freshandnew,gurglingwiththemeltingsnow,singingwiththefirstcuckoo.
Summerisabarefootboy,fishinginthestream,runningthroughthewaitingcorn,lazinginadream.
Autumn'sagrownman,slowlywalkingby,alimpinhiscarefulfootstep,ashadowinoneeye.
Winterisanagedsage,withlong,snow-powderedhair.Hecutsatrenchinthefrozenground,andburiesanotheryear.
Resource3:Thejungleisahotandsteamyworldwhereenormoustreesloomuptothesky,lushvegetation,fernsandfungithrustupfromtheforestfloor,andvinesandlianascurlaroundthetalltrunks,reachingeagerlytowardsthehighcanopy.Buttressandstiltrootssprawlacrosstheshallowsoil.Orchidsburstintoincredibleswirlsofcolourandform,frogsandbutterfliesflauntvibranthues,emeraldsnakesglisten,parrotssoarinablazeoforange,scarlet,blueandgreenwhilehummingbirdsprobeexoticflowersfornectar.Toucansandbirdsofparadiseaddtothisamazingcolourspectrum.Amyriadofplantsandanimalsfindtheirownspecialnicheinthiskaleidoscopeoflifeandenergy.
Moana:WritingLesson2Objective:TowriteaPolynesianMythStep1: Step2: Step3:WatchtheopeningofMoana.ItisbasedonaPolynesianMyth.Mythsoftenhavesimilarfeatures:HeroMonsterWeaponQuestSpecialPowerRe-readthemythfromMoana.Canyouidentifythesefeaturesinthismyth?Labelthemonthetext(Resource4).
Havealookat‘Polynesia’onGoogleEarth.Youwillseethatitismadeupofmanybeautifulislands,includingTahitiandBoraBora.Youaregoingtowriteamythtoexplainhowoneoftheislandscametobe.Yourmythneedstocontaineachofthefeatureswediscussed:HeroMonsterWeaponQuestSpecialPowerRecordyourideasforeachoftheseelementsinResource5.
Now,youneedtouseyourelementstomapoutyourmyth.TrydrawingastorymountainusingResource6.You’llneedtosplityourmythinto5sections:OpeningBuild-UpProblemResolutionEnding
NowuseyournotestowriteyourownPolynesianMyth.
Resource4:Inthebeginning,therewasonlyoceanuntilthemotherislandemerged:TeFiti.Herheartheldthegreatestpowereverknown.Itcouldcreatelifeitself.AndTeFitishareditwiththeworld.Butintime,somebeganto seek Te Fiti's heart. They believed that they could possess it, the great power of creationwould betheirs. And one day, the most daring of them all voyaged across the vast ocean to take it. He was aDemigodofthewindandsea.Hewasawarrior.Atrickster.Ashapeshifterwhocouldchangeformwiththepowerofhismagicalfishhook.AndhisnamewasMaui.Butwithoutherheart,TeFitibegantocrumble,givingbirth toa terribledarkness.Maui triedtoescape,butwasconfrontedbyanotherwhosought theheart:TeKā,ademonofearthand fire.Mauiwas struck fromthe sky,never tobe seenagain.AndhismagicalfishhookandtheheartofTeFiti,werelosttothesea,whereevennow,1000yearslater,TeKāandthedemonsof thedeepstillhunt for theheart,hiding in thedarkness thatwill continuetospread,chasingawayour fish,draining the life from islandafter islanduntil everyoneofus isdevouredby thebloodthirsty jaws of inescapable death! But one day, the heart will be found by someone who wouldjourneybeyondthereef,findMaui,deliverhimacrossthegreatoceantorestoreTeFiti'sheartandsaveusall.
Resource5:Hero
Monster
Weapon
Quest
SpecialPower
Resource6: