Purpose

Writers paint word pictures in the mind of the reader, much as an artist paints on canvas. Artists use color, lines, and shapes while writers use words. This mini-lesson helps the beginning writer see the importance of using a whole “pallet” of colorful words when they write. The writer should be encouraged to think of a reader’s mind as a blank canvas, just waiting for them to paint upon!

When? / Impact for Young Adolescents

This lesson should be taught before students begin writing short stories. The lesson includes visual connections. Adolescents will be able to make the connection between art and writing, which may help some students better understand the importance of description in their own personal writing. The overhead activity is based on student answers and participation. The teacher is just a guide. This gives adolescents confidence to successfully write on their own, because they are able to see and participate in the process of constructing descriptive sentences. Adolescents will also begin to increase their descriptive vocabulary as they make their own descriptive sentences.

Objectives

NCSCS: 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grades

Competency Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage.

6.01 Model an understanding of conventional written and spoken expression by:

applying the parts of speech to clarify language usage
extending vocabulary knowledge by learning and using new words

NCTE / IRA: 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade

Standard 12: Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information.)

Materials

Power point presentation (You can make your own set of pictures or slides)
Over head projector to write sentences on
A list of non-example sentences for students to fix

Time to Complete

Beginning Activity: 10 minutes

Constructing sentences as a class: 15 minutes

Follow-up discussion: 5 minutes

Script

(Start power point or drawing. The first picture should be very simple. I have chosen a house.) Good Morning! I would like each of you to complete this sentence, “I know from this picture…”. What was the first thing that every one wrote down about the first picture? (The answers will not be very descriptive because the house itself does not offer many details.) What can you write to me about this picture now? (Start to click through the more detailed pictures, and the students should write down what they know from the picture.) Now that we are on the last slide, what do you know about this picture now? (Look for answers such as… The sun is shining and is peeking through the clouds. A father and his children are playing happily in the yard. Huge fur trees surround the small red house. Since the students are jotting down what they know by looking at the pictures, do not expect super descriptive sentences.) After writing about this picture, what do you think that artists and writers have in common? (Look for answers such as…They need to be creative. They need to give details so you know what the picture or their writing is about. The more details in the picture the more I could write about the picture.)

Good Job! Writers should consider themselves to be artists. They should paint a picture in the reader’s mind of what they are trying to describe. Lets do some examples on the overhead. (Write down the sentence…We live in a nice house.) Now what I want you to do is to paint me a picture with words about how this house looks. What exactly is a nice house? Where would this house be located? What is around the house? (Students should start giving details about what they consider to be a nice house. Write these down to the side, and then add some of the descriptions of the house to the sentence. The finished sentence should look something like…We live in a white frame house with green shutters that sits back from the road on a grassy hill dotted with tall trees.) What makes this sentence better then the first one? (Students answers should involve the use of details.) Let’s do some more!! (Look at the non-example and example sheet for ideas of sentences to use. Remember to have students come up with the finished sentences. The examples on the “example ideas sheets” are just to show the type of sentences the students should formulate.)

Now that we have constructed these awesome sentences together, do you feel that it is important that people can visualize what you are writing? ( Hopefully everyone will say yes!) Why? ( Students should talk abut how their story will be more interesting and how the reader will better understand what is going on in their story! )

We are about to start writing, and whether it is fiction or non-fiction your writing should paint a picture for the reader for all of the reasons we have discussed today. Now lets begin using what you learned today!

Resources

Adams, Jeanie. Going for Oysters. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 1991.

Auch, Mary Jane. I Was a Third Grade Science Project. New York: Holiday House,

1998.

Schrecengost, Maity. Write to be Read, Chapter 12. Wisconsin: Alleyside Press,

1972.

Non-Examples and Examples Work sheet

Non-Example: Alice was reading in her room.

Example: Sunlight streamed through the bedroom window as Alice curled

up on her flowered bedspread with her favorite book.

Non-Example: We live in a nice house.

Example: We live in a white frame house with green shutters that sits

back from the road on a grassy hill dotted with tall trees.

Non-Example: Our kitchen is a cozy place.

Example: Our cheerful yellow kitchen with fluffy curtains and flowers

on the table makes me feel warm and cozy.

Non-Example: The empty house looked scary.

Example: Cobwebs hanging from the broken windows cast shadows on the

rickety old porch.

Non-Example: He’s a poor old man.

Example: The old man’s tattered clothes hung on his skeleton-like frame

as he tottered down the streets.