Focus Question: Why is it important to add detail to our writing?
Part 1
Have students sit in the gathering area for this whole-group activity.
“I’m thinking of a student in the room. Do you know who I am thinking of or do you need more information?” (We need more information.) “This student sits (near the window, the door, the back, the front, etc.).” Continue to give students details that suggest the identity of the student until the students correctly name him or her. “Why didn’t you know who the student was in the beginning?” (not enough details) “What information did you need to help identify the student? Why did the descriptions and details help?” (They told the unique details about the student that made him or her different from other students.) Lead students toward the need for additional details and description.
“Today we are going to talk about adding detail to your writing. Just as giving details and descriptions made it clear which student I was thinking of, using details and descriptions will make your writing interesting and clear.” On the class viewing copy or on chart paper, display the Descriptive Writing Chart graphic organizer (LW-1-1-1_Descriptive Writing Chart.doc). Review what each heading is and model how to complete the chart using a familiar object such as a pencil or a shoe. “Each object or item you are describing is a noun. A noun is a person, place, or thing.” Give examples.
In a brown paper bag for each student (plus one for yourself) include three to five items that have different textures, shapes, colors, sounds, and smells (examples: pinecone, paper clip, bell, cotton ball, toy animal, kazoo, Slinky, modeling clay, blocks, etc.). Using the items in the teacher bag, model how to describe the feel of each item (noun) in the bag, and then write these adjectives on the Descriptive Writing Chart.
Next, model how to complete the graphic organizer for the other characteristics of each item by verbally describing it and filling in the chart as you take the item out of the bag. Point out that not all items will have a descriptive word for every one of the senses; some items will not have any words for sound, smell, or taste, but other items (such as a bell or pinecone) may. Have students help describe each of the items in your bag and record the detail words on the chart. Model and tell students that you need to notice and write down enough details about an item that another reader will know what it is, even if s/he can’t see it.
“Now I am going to write a sentence on the board about one of the nouns in my bag.” Write: “I have a pinecone.” Ask:
- “Is this a sentence?” (Yes.)
- “Is it an interesting sentence?” (Student answers will vary, but guide them to no.)
- “How can I make this a better sentence?” (Students should say by adding details or descriptions.) Write: “I have a brown, prickly, sticky, and smelly pinecone.”
- “Now is this sentence more interesting? Is it clearer?” (Yes, both.)
“When I added the words brown, prickly, sticky, and smelly, I added descriptive words. These words describe a noun—pinecone—and are called adjectives. I took each word from my description chart about the pinecone and used it to help describe the pinecone.”
Have students sit at their seats for this next activity.
- “What types of words are nouns?” (Students should be able to tell you that a noun is a person, place, or thing and give examples.)
- “Which word in the sentence on the board is a noun?” (Students should answer pinecone.)
“We are going to write details about other nouns today. I would like each of you to describe the items that are in your bag using interesting adjectives. First, reach into your bag and feel each of the objects without looking at them, and then write down on your description chart what each item feels like. Next, take out each item and write down what it is on your chart under the heading ‘Noun.’ Then describe how each item looks, sounds, and maybe even smells or tastes, and write these adjectives on your chart.” (Ensure that students do not actually put items in their mouths, but write down a taste based on previous knowledge or smell.) Move about the room helping students record their observations on their charts. This may be a good time to talk to students about word choices. Some adjectives are more interesting than others, for example, the word small. Ask students to think of more interesting words for the word small. Students should come up with words like tiny, little, mini, etc. This is a good way to demonstrate that some words are more interesting or more descriptive than others.
When students have completed this activity, have them keep their descriptive writing charts so they can use them in Part 2, as well as in Lessons 2 and 3.
Part 2
With students in the gathering area, read the picture book Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? by Brian P. Cleary. “As I read, think about what adjectives do and why they are important in writing.” (Adjectives describe nouns. Adjectives make writing more exact, more detailed, and more interesting.)
Using your completed Descriptive Writing Chart from Part 1 of the lesson, model how to write a descriptive sentence using the adjectives listed for one of the items. Ask if there are more interesting or better adjectives to use rather than what was written on the chart. After modeling how to use the information from the Descriptive Writing Chart, do the following mini-lesson.
Language Skills Mini-Lesson
Return to Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? to reread sentences that have correct comma usage for three or more words in a series.
“We will be writing some sentences that have three or more adjectives. Here are some examples.” (Write these on sentence strips or some other way for the class to view.) “Talk with a partner about what you notice about the punctuation in these sentences.” Allow discussion time and call on students for their observations. “When you write three or more adjectives or whenever you list three or more things, separate them all with commas. A comma shows the reader where to take a tiny pause. Commas make lists easier to read because they separate the items.” Draw a large comma for students.
Copy other sentences from Hairy, Scary, Ordinary for class viewing, but omit the commas. (“Adjectives are words like hairy scary cool and ordinary.”) Ask students which words are the adjectives/items in a list. Then model where the commas should go, adding them one by one for the class to see.
Write more sentences from the book on sentence strips without including the commas. Break students into as many groups as there are sentences and have each group decide where to add the commas for their assigned sentence. Let groups double check their work by comparing their version to the book. As a class, review the correct comma placement for each sentence.
Have students break into pairs to write a descriptive sentence for one item from each of their charts. “What makes a complete sentence?” (begins with a capital letter, expresses a complete thought, and has end punctuation) Remind them to use the sensory words from their chart and insert commas correctly in between adjectives in their sentences. Move about the room, observing and helping students as they write. Then have each pair of students share their sentences with another pair of students.
Finally, have students work independently to write descriptive sentences about the remaining items in their bags. Remind them to use the sensory words from their chart to help write interesting and descriptive sentences about each object. Then have students go to the gathering area to share their sentences with the rest of the class. “I really like the word you used. Why did you pick that word?” They will then explain their reasoning for choosing the adjective. “What other words could you have used to describe the item?” If they are unable to think of a word, have another student help out.
Asking these questions will allow students time to reflect on the work they have done and on how to improve their work next time.
Extension:
- In groups of two or three, have students take turns holding up picture cards. They can each come up with one or more words that describe the object. This game will give them more practice using adjectives.
- Find interesting objects or pictures and have students help describe them with as many different sensory words as they can. This can also be turned into a game to see which group of students can come up with the most interesting adjectives for an item.
