Show Not Tell
Show Not Tell is a unit of teaching within Creative Writing, usually two to four weeks of lessons with one assessment point.
Entity profile
Every node stores the same attribute set, which is why the hierarchy can grow without new templates.
Unit
Depth 3 in the graph
english/writing/creative-writing/show-not-tell
2,235
12 topics · 360 concepts · 1,800 micro-concepts
Chapters
Every chapter below is a full entity with its own skills, objectives, misconceptions and resource set.
Introducing Show Not Tell
Introducing Show Not Tell is a chapter within Show Not Tell: a coherent run of lessons that can be taught in one go.
Working with Show Not Tell
Working with Show Not Tell is a chapter within Show Not Tell: a coherent run of lessons that can be taught in one go.
Show Not Tell in Context
Show Not Tell in Context is a chapter within Show Not Tell: a coherent run of lessons that can be taught in one go.
Skills and learning objectives
Skills hang off the entity; objectives hang off the skill; activities and assessment hang off the objective.
Explain show not tell
UnderstandExplain show not tell accurately in a familiar context.
Activities — Modelled example on the board · Paired talk task · Mini whiteboard check
Assessment — Exit ticket of four short items
Explain show not tell independently in an unfamiliar context.
Activities — Independent worksheet · Card sort · Concept-check quiz
Assessment — Marked worksheet with a marking scheme
Explain the reasoning behind show not tell using correct vocabulary.
Activities — Talk-through with a partner · Write a model answer · AI Tutor Socratic session
Assessment — Extended written response, levelled
Calculate show not tell
ApplyCalculate show not tell accurately in a familiar context.
Activities — Modelled example on the board · Paired talk task · Mini whiteboard check
Assessment — Exit ticket of four short items
Calculate show not tell independently in an unfamiliar context.
Activities — Independent worksheet · Card sort · Concept-check quiz
Assessment — Marked worksheet with a marking scheme
Compare show not tell
AnalyseCompare show not tell accurately in a familiar context.
Activities — Modelled example on the board · Paired talk task · Mini whiteboard check
Assessment — Exit ticket of four short items
Compare show not tell independently in an unfamiliar context.
Activities — Independent worksheet · Card sort · Concept-check quiz
Assessment — Marked worksheet with a marking scheme
Explain the reasoning behind show not tell using correct vocabulary.
Activities — Talk-through with a partner · Write a model answer · AI Tutor Socratic session
Assessment — Extended written response, levelled
Justify show not tell
EvaluateJustify show not tell accurately in a familiar context.
Activities — Modelled example on the board · Paired talk task · Mini whiteboard check
Assessment — Exit ticket of four short items
Justify show not tell independently in an unfamiliar context.
Activities — Independent worksheet · Card sort · Concept-check quiz
Assessment — Marked worksheet with a marking scheme
Semantic relationships
Prerequisite and related edges are what make this a graph rather than a menu.
- DialogueUnit
- Descriptive WritingUnit
- ReadingDomain
Misconceptions
Stored on the entity so worksheets, quizzes and lesson plans all target the same known errors.
Learners over-generalise a special case of show not tell to every situation.
Correction — Present a deliberate non-example and ask why the rule fails.
Students treat show not tell as a rule to memorise rather than a relationship to understand.
Correction — Anchor the rule in a visual model first, then abstract it — the model is the explanation.
Curriculum alignment
Curricula, boards and countries are data — adding one never changes the architecture.
NAT-249.1
Mapped statement covering Show Not Tell.
IB-462.2
Mapped statement covering Show Not Tell.
What comes next
Curriculum order is an edge in the graph, so every entity knows the step that follows it.
Story Endings
Story Endings is a unit of teaching within Creative Writing, usually two to four weeks of lessons with one assessment point.
Non-fiction Writing
Non-fiction Writing is a curriculum strand within Writing — a thread that runs across grades and deepens each year.
Writing Process
Writing Process is a curriculum strand within Writing — a thread that runs across grades and deepens each year.
Difficulty ladder
The same entity, six levels of demand — easy through to olympiad and exam level.
Scaffolded first attempt with worked support.
Standard curriculum demand, unscaffolded.
Multi-step questions and unfamiliar contexts.
Stretch tasks that need reasoning, not recall.
Competition-style problems built on the same idea.
Board-styled questions with mark schemes.
Learning intent
Not every visitor wants the same thing. Each intent routes to the resource that actually does that job.
Audience views
Show Not Tell in Grade 1, surfaced differently for each reader.
AI Tutor context chain
Open the tutor from here and it already knows where you are — this is the sequence it recommends.
- 01Prerequisite lessondialogue
- 02Video explanationShow Not Tell modelled end to end
- 03Interactive practiceAnswer on screen with instant checking
- 04QuizTen graded items with hints
- 05FlashcardsRetrieval on a 14-day schedule
- 06Common mistakesThe misconceptions stored on this node
- 07Harder worksheetSame concept, exam-level demand
- 08Past paper questionsBoard questions on this concept
- 09Mock testTimed, marked, with feedback
- 10Book a tutorOne-to-one on exactly this gap
Free Show Not Tell resources
Every format below is a free, standalone page generated from this entity — one page per format, each with every mode built in.
Connected resources
30 resource types are generated for Show Not Tell automatically — the graph never produces an entity without them.
Concept Explanation
The idea itself, explained from first principles.
Lesson
A taught sequence with modelling and checks for understanding.
Real Life Examples
Where the idea shows up outside school.
Common Mistakes
The misconceptions and how to correct them.
AI Tutor
Socratic one-to-one practice on this exact idea.
Quiz
Graded retrieval with hints and explanations.
Question Bank
Every question filtered to this entity.
MCQs
Multiple choice items with distractor analysis.
True or False
Fast misconception checks.
Fill in the Blanks
Cloze items for vocabulary and method.
Matching
Pair terms, models and definitions.
Short Questions
One to three mark responses.
Long Questions
Extended responses with method marks.
Exam Questions
Board-styled questions and command words.
Past Papers
Authentic papers filtered to this entity.
Solved Papers
Full worked solutions and examiner notes.
Frequently asked
- What sits underneath Show Not Tell in the knowledge graph?
- 0 domains, 0 strands, 0 units, 3 chapters, 12 topics, 60 subtopics, 360 concepts and 1,800 micro-concepts — every one of them carrying its own worksheets, quizzes, flashcards, lesson plans and AI tutoring.
- What should a learner already know before Show Not Tell?
- The graph lists Dialogue, Descriptive Writing, Reading as prerequisites. Each links to its own practice so a gap can be closed before moving on.
- Which grades is Show Not Tell taught in?
- Typically Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, though every resource can be regenerated for any grade in the platform.
Related resources
Work through Show Not Tell one-to-one with a tutor who can see exactly where the gap is.
Book a tutor