Narrative Writing by 5G

This week in Year 5 we have been writing our own narratives based on the story of Marcus, a slave who lived in Pompeii during the 79 A.D. eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Before beginning our narratives, we wrote a letter from Marcus to the new character we had invented. Here is Harry's letter, we hope you enjoy it!

Villa Helius

Via del Corso 

Pompeii

22nd August 79 A.D.

Dear Brutus,

                    I am writing this letter in great haste. We are in grave danger and must escape Pompeii as soon as we can!

Earlier this morning, I was on my way to collect some laundry for my beastly master Festus but I never made it to the laundry house...Something else distracted me entirely! As I stumbled through the bustling streets (as squalid as always) I felt the ground begin to quake beneath my feet! Crash! All of a sudden the statue of Achilles at the entrance to the market began to wobble and I had to dive to avoid being squashed underneath it!

As I staggered to my feet a street vendor loomed over me. He told me that a fearsome beast lives under the monstrous mountain and causes the earth to rumble when it wakes! I was backing away from him when an old beggar lady approached me. She leaned in and murmured,'This world will burn, you need to escape boy!' 

So, we need to escape, I'm not leaving without you! I'll meet you by the servant's entrance at your master's villa, hopefully I'll have a plan by then...

Yours fearfully,

Marcus 

5E's Pompeii Narrative

This week in 5E, we have adapted our narratives from last week's stories to create our own original writing based in Pompeii.

Below is Yeganeh's work. Her current target is to use varied vocabulary. Can you spot which words she upleveled to be more powerful?

The year was 70AD and the streets of Pompeii bustled as if the world was going to end. Shoppers wrestled for bargains while weary, ragged slaves searched for nourishing water. Marcus, a frail fragile young slaveboy, slinked his way through the boiling streets to pick up his spiteful master's laundry. However, the ground began to violently shake and quake. Narrowly avoiding being hit by a marble dedication to Achilles, Marcus tumbled to the cold, hard ground. Shattering stones and crumbling glass scattered around, pounding into Marcus' eats; deafening him for minutes. 

5C Pompeii narrative

This week in 5C we have been writing narratives about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79A.D in Pompeii.

Despite their warnings, passers-by simply refused to listen to Marcus.  However, after two shattering explosions a sea of alarmed people anxiously attempted to flee the perilous city. Meandering their way through panic stricken alley ways, the pair sought refuge in a crumbling temple. They thought they were doomed as the walls trembled around them, but something caught Marcus’ stinging eyes. The hand of Jupiter! As the mystical beggar woman had prophesised, it led to safety.

‘The hidden Peompeii passageway!’ Marcus exclaimed, spluttering from the smoke and ash that around him.

By Ellie.H, Ellie.N, Ben, Liam, Dean and PJ

Maybe One Morning - 6R

This week, we watched this video, entitled Maybe One Morning, and wrote a first person narrative about the experience of the character. To further inspire us, we took a walk around the playground to see what the video would have looked like it if had happened at our school. Here is Erisa's fantastic writing - it is so carefully structured at both sentence and text level, and shows clear voice.

I was young then, too young to understand my surroundings. I didn't mean to end up like this, didn't know that this would one day be my destiny. Not this; not now; not then either.

The first time I ever noticed this was on my 13th birthday, whilst I was walking down the street. But I don't know whether I was just oblivious to it or it had just started. It was winter then, with a hint of snow. The streets were unusually cluttered then, sticks, stones, even some mud was spread out in one area.

My ordinary walk that day seemed normal, until I looked behind me. Everything that I had just walked past was floating above me in the sky, in the plain sky. I was flabbergasted at first speechless even. That was until, of course, my mother explained to me what was going on. But even then all that 'magic', that some people call it, didn't entirely make sense. I tried to keep it hidden, locked away. I nearly succeeded, until I lost control of myself - which made me want to use my powers even more.

And it didn't fail either. I kept using my powers, day by day, week by week, and that didn't lead to anything good. As a matter of fact, it led to something worse, way worse.

I told one of my supposed friends about what I am and what I can do. How was a young child like me supposed to know who to tell and who to hide my powers away from? That person told his friends, then it slowly started to spread to all the teachers and parents, and it ended up going to my headteacher.

That was when I ran away, but not alone - oh no, not alone. My mother was just like me, telepathic. According to her, there were only 10 people in the world left who were telepathic. When you're telepathic, people want you. They want to use you for experiments, and that's not okay.

I guess I'll let you decide the rest of my story. One clue I will give you thought: test tubes...

WORD OF THE WEEK!!

This week 6B have been thinking about vocabulary and how to use it impressively in our work. We chose our word of the week and went outside to learn more about it. Can you guess what our word might have been using the clues?

These pictures show the children acting out the word.

5C Pompeii narrative

In 5C we have been writing narratives in the style of our class book, based in Pompeii. Here's is an Ryan's opening paragraph:

The year was 70A.D. Marcus, a young slave, was pushing his way through the bustling and broiling streets of Pompeii, dodging carts and street vendors. He was on his way to pick up his brutal master’s laundry when, unexpectedly, the ground began to tremble and shudder beneath his bare feet. Diving for cover, and narrowly missing being hit by a vast, marble statue of Achilles, he violently lunged to the ground with a ferocious smack.

5E's Pompeii Narrative

In 5E we have been writing narratives in the style of our class book, based in Pompeii. Here's is an excerpt from Juvan's writing:

He was dejected. Clutching the wooden, frayed basket of poisonous snakes between his stubborn fingers, Marcus tiptoed towards the leering Lannister and vast gladiators. “Is this worth it?” Marcus whispered isolatedly to himself.

Despite all the knotted twists, the venomous snake hissed at the guard, his magic then excited Tata into ecstatically bolted with freedom. Tata exclaimed: “Quick! Let’s race to the dormant mountain with the abandoned horse!”

“I’ve really missed you!” Wept Marcus as tears dripped down his tender face. Unsteadily, by feeling his wretched father’s arm, covered in ruby red bloodstains and sweaty scars, the duo clambered up the rocky ridge.