Creative Writing
Working with the weather
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Pathetic Fallacy is when the human feelings and responses affect inanimate objects, animals and/or the weather, so that they match. Weather is most commonly used for this effect.
Weather-watching words
Classroom Activity
Using the Words for weather-watching resource pupils could classify the vocabulary into different sorts of weather, and rank them in order of severity. They might go with words about temperature, words about windy weather, words about rain, words about snow etc. Using the resource pupils could also:
- Pair words up to create memorable descriptions of weather conditions;
- Add adjectives and adverbs to enliven their descriptions;
- Sort the vocabulary into 1 syllable, 2 syllable etc. and use them to write an emotions poem, using only weather imagery; and
- Categorise the vocabulary by initial sound, and come up with alliterative descriptions of the weather, which could then be linked to emotional states/ scenarios.
Group discussion
Classroom Activity
Using the Pathetic fallacy - group discussion activity resource encourage pupils to create two word phrases to describe weather conditions. When all the groups have nominated, use a class or group discussion to decide which of the top picks is the best. The class can then vote individually or as groups on the best description of weather to create an emotional landscape.
Presentation
Classroom Activity
Using the Pathetic fallacy - presentation activity resource ask pupils to work in pairs to list and identify the most emotional scenes in books, plays or films they have read or watched. Pupils should then present their ideas to the class.