Summary
In this lesson, students explore descriptive writing and sensory details then use those concepts to create a short piece of writing. Students consider examples of sensory details, identify sensory details in a short work, then create a descriptive, self-reflective work using writing that appeals to the five senses.
Essential Question(s)
How can sensory details add to a piece of writing? What makes me who I am?
Snapshot
Engage
Students complete a focused free-write about their life and identity.
Explore
Students watch a short video about including sensory details in writing, then use sensory details to describe a block of cheddar cheese.
Explain
Students brainstorm and share examples of sensory words.
Extend
Students identify sensory details in a piece of writing, then respond to a prompt using sensory details.
Evaluate
Students read and provide feedback on each other’s writing, then create final drafts using the notes from their peers.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
My Life in a Photograph handout (attached; one per student)
Sensory Word List handout (attached; one per student)
Identity Chart handout (attached; one per student)
Peer Revision Checklist handout (attached; one per student)
“The Jacket” by Gary Soto short story (linked; one per student or access to the digital story)
Highlighters (one set of five different colors per group)
Block of sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
Engage
10 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Display slide 2 and introduce the title of the lesson. Transition through slides 3–4 and read the essential questions and lesson objectives.
Distribute one copy of the My Life in a Photograph handout and show slide 5. Tell students that they are to complete a timed free-write about the topic on the slide using their handouts. Notify students that they should write continuously for five minutes about the prompt and focus on putting as many ideas on paper as possible. Assure students that their writing does not have to be high-quality and that there are no right or wrong ideas. If you created a sample free-write, consider sharing it with students before they begin writing. Start the 5-minute timer and have students start writing.
Show slide 6 after time is up and have students find an Elbow Partner. Tell students to discuss their writing with a nearby partner. Allow students adequate time to discuss, then call on volunteers to share out a few responses from each section of their handouts.
Explore
15 Minute(s)
Have students hold on to their free-write papers. Tell them that they will add to their free-writes later in the lesson to create descriptive writing.
Display slide 7 and show the Sensory Details video to the class. The video discusses the process of adding sensory details to enhance a piece of writing.
Display slide 8. Using either the physical block of cheddar cheese or the image of the wedge of cheddar cheese on the slide, have partners work together to describe the visual appearance of the cheese. Encourage students to consider how they would describe the cheese to a person who has never seen cheddar before. Allow students adequate time to write, then invite volunteers to share out their descriptions.
Transition to slide 9. Ask students to now consider how they may use sensory details to appeal to the sense of touch. How does a block of cheddar cheese feel to the touch? How would they describe the texture? Can they think of things that may feel similar to the cheese that they could use for comparison? Have partners collaborate to create a descriptive sentence that appeals to the sense of touch. Consider inviting one student at a time to touch the block of cheddar cheese. Allow students a few minutes to create their sentences, then invite pairs to share out their descriptions.
Explain
15 Minute(s)
Pass out one copy of the attached Sensory Word List handout to each student. Display slide 10 and have students take a moment to read through the words on the handout, then instruct them to add as many additional sensory words to the charts as possible.
Display slide 11 and explain the instructions for the Mingle activity. Tell students that they should walk around the room and mingle with other students while music plays. Once the music stops, they must partner up with the person closest to them and compare their lists of sensory words. Both partners should add words from each other’s lists to their own. Allow students time to compare lists then start the music again. Repeat this process two or three more times.
Extend
30 Minute(s)
Tell students that they must now identify sensory details in someone else’s writing. Distribute one copy of “The Jacket” by Gary Soto to each student or provide them with the link to access the short story digitally.
Display slide 12 and pass out one copy of the Identity Chart handout to each student. Read aloud the directions on the slide and explain to students how to fill out the Identity Chart. Have students fill out their charts with sensory words that were used in the short story. Tell students to notate which senses each words appeal either beside the words or by marking each with a color or symbol and creating a key.
Allow approximately five to seven minutes for students to work. Invite students to share out some of the sensory details they found in the passage.
Show slide 13 and read aloud the prompt, “What makes you feel like “you”?”
Tell students to respond to the prompt by writing about an event or place that makes them feel like themselves. Have students describe where they are, what they’re doing, and why this place, activity, or event brings out their true selves.
Tell students that they must write at least two paragraphs and their writing must contain sensory details that appeal to at least three of the five senses. Encourage students to revisit their My Life in a Photograph free-writes and Sensory Word Lists for inspiration.
Evaluate
10 Minute(s)
Once students have completed their two paragraphs, have them find a partner. Pass out one copy of the attached Peer Revision Checklist handout to each student and display slide 14. Pass out one set of highlighters to each student and introduce the Categorical Highlighting strategy. Tell students to use the key present on the slide to highlight details related to the five senses in their partner’s writing.
Tell students to use their Peer Revision Checklist as a guide to review their partner’s work. Explain that they should provide feedback to their partner using the checklist as they annotate sensory details in their partner’s writing. Have students trade papers.
Once students have finished reviewing each other’s papers, transition to slide 15. Have them return their papers to the original authors along with the Peer Review Checklist. Have each student review their partner’s notes then edit their writing based on the feedback.
Have students create a final draft of their paragraphs. Instruct students to turn in their final drafts along with the Peer Revision Checklist they received from their partner. Use students’ final drafts as an assessment of the lesson.
Resources
K20 Center. (n.d.). Categorical highlighting. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/192
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Identity chart. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/2729
K20 Center. (n.d.). Mingle. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/53
K20 Center. (2021, September 21). K20 Center 5 minute timer [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVS_yYQoLJg
Newman, R. (March 30, 2018). Sensory details [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWIGhi0lVmw
Soto, G. (1983). The jacket. CommonLit. https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/the-jacket
Swch [Photograph]. (n.d.). https://en.illogicopedia.org/wiki/File:Swch.jpg
