KS2 Halloween Creative Writing Lesson: Creating an opening to a mystery story!

This creative writing lesson focuses on crafting mystery openings using sensory details and atmospheric descriptions for KS2 students (mostly year 3/4 but can but adapted for year 5/6). Students will analyse the “Eye of the Storm” video and create their own suspenseful story openings. The lesson is provided in PowerPoint (.pptx) format.

This PowerPoint resource is designed for students who are developing their skills in creative writing, particularly focusing on mystery story openings. The lesson begins with an analysis of the “Eye of the Storm” video, guiding students to explore the atmospheric setting, mysterious characters, and central mysteries.

Students are prompted with key questions such as:
Who is the mysterious man?
What is the central mystery in the video?
What sensory details can be described to create suspense?
Included in the PowerPoint are sections that encourage students to think about sensory details (what they hear, smell, and feel), mysterious objects, and how to leave readers with unanswered questions to build suspense. There’s also a detailed example passage provided to show students how to craft their own mysterious opening using all five senses.

The final slides help students write their own opening, focusing on setting the scene, introducing mysterious characters, and planting the first clues to the central mystery.

This resource encourages students to develop their creative writing skills through interactive tasks and detailed feedback sessions.

This PowerPoint is easily editable and adaptable to different teaching styles.