Describe the Picture: A Day in the Park
Look at the picture of a sunny park and describe what you can see and what the people are doing.
- Time
- 15 min
- Length
- 40-60 words
Writadia · A1 · Descriptions
NameClassDate
The situation
Look at the picture. It's a sunny afternoon in the park.
Your task
Write about the picture. Include:
- the weather
- three people and what they are doing
- one animal
- where things are (next to, in, near)
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Start with the weather.
- Use There is / There are for things you can see.
- Use is + -ing for what people are doing now.
- Add one sentence with a place word: next to, in, near.
Useful phrases
The weather
What you see
Actions
Places
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- kite
- a toy that flies in the windThe girl is flying a kite.
- bench
- a long seat in a parkThe man is on a bench.
- pond
- a small area of waterThere is a duck in the pond.
- ride a bike
- travel on a bicycleA woman is riding a bike.
Model answer (65 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
It's a sunny day in the park.1 There are some trees and there is a small pond. A man is sitting on a bench. He is reading a book.2 A girl is flying a red kite. A boy is playing with a ball, and a brown dog is next to him.3 There is a white duck in the pond. A woman is riding a bike.
- Start with the weather.
- Present continuous: is + -ing.
- A place word: next to.
Teacher notes
Classroom screen: show the picture full screen. Students say one sentence each before writing.
Focus: present continuous for actions in a picture; there is / there are.
Game: after writing, cover the picture. Students remember as many things as possible.
Extra challenge
Write three questions about the picture for your partner. Example: "What is the girl doing?"
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: kite, bench, pond, ride a bike.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “It's a sunny day. The sky is blue.”, “There is a ... / There are some ...”, “A man is reading a book.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (40-60 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I wrote about the weather.
- I used there is / there are.
- I used is + -ing for actions.
- I used a place word.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I wrote about the weather.
- I used there is / there are.
- I used is + -ing for actions.
- I used a place word.
Writadia · A1 · Descriptions
Assessment rubric: Describe the Picture: A Day in the Park
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task | All the requested information is there. | One point is missing. | Several points are missing. | Little connection to the task. | |
| Organisation | Sentences in order; and, but, because used well. | Mostly in order. | Order is confusing. | Unconnected sentences. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic words used; most spelled correctly. | Simple but enough. | A lot of repetition and spelling errors. | Words do not carry the meaning. | |
| Grammar and mechanics | Capitals, full stops and basic tenses correct. | A few errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors, meaning sometimes lost. | Hard to understand. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I wrote about the weather.
- I used there is / there are.
- I used is + -ing for actions.
- I used a place word.
Teacher comment
Writadia · A1 · Descriptions
Peer-review sheet: Describe the Picture: A Day in the Park
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I wrote about the weather. | |||
| I used there is / there are. | |||
| I used is + -ing for actions. | |||
| I used a place word. |
Questions
- Does the text give all the information asked for?
- Does every sentence start with a capital and end with a full stop?
- Did the writer use and, but or because? Copy one example.
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Writadia · A1 · Descriptions
Lesson plan: Describe the Picture: A Day in the Park
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 6 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: kite, bench, pond, ride a bike.
- 7 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “It's a sunny day. The sky is blue.”, “There is a ... / There are some ...”, “A man is reading a book.”.
- 15 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (40-60 words)
- 5 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 2 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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