1. Production and Distribution of Writing
2. 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
3. 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Sensory details

Personification

Simile

Metaphor

Onomatopoeia

Alliteration

Imagery

Students will identify figurative language and sensory details in mentor texts.

Students will compose 10 examples of sensory details as they move through writing stations.

Students will add at least three examples of sensory details to their pieces.

Two to three 45 minute periods.

Day 1:

Chart paper or Smart Board (so insructor can save student ideas)

Mentor texts (see RELATED MATERIALS AND REOURCES)

Writers notebooks

Pen/pencil

Day 2:

5 Sensory Writing Stations (see INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES and RELATED MATERIALS AND RESOURCES)

Writers Notebooks

Pen/pencil

These lessons basically follow the classic writing workshop format of minilesson, independent writing and share time.  This set of lessons are nice to use at the beginning of the school year so students can develop this skill as the year progresses as they work through different genres, tasks and audiences.

Day 1:

1)  Anticipatory set: "Define 3 of these terms: onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, alliteration, and/or imagery."

Give students time to answer on own and then do a think/pair/share.  Document definitions on chart paper, white board or doc cam - anywhere it can be saved and used again for both classes.  

2) Minilesson:  Introduce idea of sensory details.  These details are what the writer wants the audience to see, hear, feel, smell and taste as they read.

Show the student the dictionary definition (dictionary.com or paper dictionary will do) of something related to the piece you plan to use as a mentor text (see RELATED MATERIALS AND RESOURCES for examples) and in a think/pair/share, have the students describe the style of the dictionary definition. Then read then mentor text about that topic and ask the students to describe the style of the mentor text compared to the dictionary definition. Make copies of the mentor text available to students, if possible. What's different? What's the same? Why are they different? Which would you want to read more of?

Have them identify what the author wants the audience to see, hear, feel, smell and or/taste. Make a 5 column chart to share with the class and fill in as they give answers (they will use similar chart on Day 2).   Do sensory details matter in focus, conent, organization, style or conventions? Discuss why these details matter in style.  When is it appropriate to use these types of details? When is it not?

3) Independent writing: Have students write using sensory details. They can:

• write about whatever they want (start fresh, continue or revise an older piece)
• write about springboard topics that would work well with sensory details, like delicious or disgusting food, a sport, an event, a party, swimming, etc.

4) Share Time: Ask students to re-read what they wrote during independent writing and identify their “golden line”, the line they like the best for whatever reason. This will give everyone something easy to share, if they want. Ask for volunteers to share their sensory details and have their classmates identify the senses and the figurative language (if any) used.

5) Wrap Up: Ask the students: what was it like to write sensory details? What kinds of things did you have to think about? What details stand out? What did you learn?

Day 2:

1) Anticipatory Set: “Write the definition of sensory details and give three examples.”

Give students time to answer on own and then do a think/pair/share.  Document definitions on chart paper, white board or doc cam - anywhere it can be saved and used again.  

2) Minilesson: review mentor text from Day 1 and share another mentor text, preferably of a different genre. Discuss sensory details. This should be short (maybe 5-7 minutes) so the bulk of class time can be spent on the writing stations.

3) Independent Writing Stations:

Around the room, set up 5 writing stations, one for each sense. There is more specific information at RELATED MATERIALS AND RESOURCES. At the end of the rotations, students will be responsible for writing at least two sensory details for each station in a 5 column chart in their writers notebooks (or sheet of paper).

• Hearing Station: students listen to music (laptop, computer, boombox with CD in it, etc).

• Feeling Station: students use “blind boxes” to feel objects. Just get a cardboard boxes, put materials of different textures (ex: seashells, fabric, etc) inside, cut a hole in a side big enough for students to fit a hand in and seal the top.

• Tasting Station: on disposable paper plates, put out a few wasabi peas, Sour Patch Kids, Bertie Bott's Jelly Beans or any other inexpensive and memorable foods. Be aware of allergies and monitor closely. Only leave out enough for one group and add a new plate as groups change. Also, have some hand sanitizer and napkins handy.

• Smelling Station: find items that have interesting scents, like perfume samples in magazines, scratch and sniff stickers, etc. Again, be aware of allergies.

• Seeing Station: students watch slow-motion clips and describe what they see. You can find examples under RELATED MATERIALS AND RESOURCES.

4.  Share Time: Students circle their two favorite details and in whip-around, each student (including the instructor) shares one sensory detail. For an added finishing touch, make a class poster of favorite sensory details and hang up as reminder of the concept. 

5.  Wrap Up: What worked? What didn't work? What did they learn about sensory details?

Homework: add at least 3 sensory details to first draft.

Think/pair/share results; sensory details students share; conferencing with groups as Sensory Stations

Examples of mentor texts:

1)  Dictionary definition of concentration camp 

Excerpt from Night by Elie Wiesel 

2)  Dictionary definition of sledding

Excerpt about sledding from The Giver by Lois Lowry (beginning of chapter 14)

3) Dictionary definition of valley 

Excerpt describing a valley from The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (beginning of chapter 14)

Listening Station Music Ideas:

Bram Stoker's Dracula: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane

 The Best Of by Ladysmith Black Mombazo 

Seeing Station Video Ideas:

Freestyle Wall Flip 

Boxing Face Punch

Water Balloon In The Face

Water Balloons Montage