Descriptive Writing: Sensory Details

1. Descriptive Writing: Sensory Details Ms. T's Seventh Grade English Objectives are that we will: 1) define descriptive writing and sensory details. 2) identify sensory details in writing. 3) incorporate sensory details into our descriptive essays. Lesson objectives Teachers' notes

2. Copy this question and compose a bulleted brainstorm list in response: In life, when might you need strong powers of description? Hint:Consider personal, social, and even legal applications. Why would you need to describe an event, person, creature, or concept accurately? Brainstorm List

3. What is descriptive writing? Descriptive writing attempts to paint a picture for the reader using high-level word choice and sensory details. Examples of descriptive writing: Stories, poetry, and plays: fiction Events and stories: non-fiction Menus and catalogues Reviews Reference books (within informative writing)

4. What are sensory details? Sensory details are specific descriptive details that involve one or more of the five (5) senses. What are the 5 senses? sight touch taste smell hearing

5. Identify the type of sensory detail(s) demonstrated in the descriptive writing samples. Targeted Sense Sensory Writing Touch Heavy droplets of rain splashed on my forehead. Smell The smell of hot cocoa drifted through the house. I could taste the bitter tang of defeat. Taste Filling the room was the sound of squeals and hiccups as the toddler giggled happily. Sound Specks of faded red paint fluttered in the wind. Eventually, they were pried loose to float down to the golden fields like pink snowflakes. Sight

6. Concept Check: Using your notes, fill in the blanks. _________ writing paints a picture for the reader. Descriptive writing uses high-level _________ _________ and _________ _________ to describe a particular subject thoroughly to the reader. Sensory details address these five senses: _________, _________, _________, _________, and _________. Descriptive word choice sensory details touch taste smell feel sound

7. Highlight and identify sensory details in the descriptive writing below. Grandmother Workman lurched over and grabbed the pale skin of Randal's thin forearm with her leathery hand. The folds and creases beneath her skin coiled themselves out like electrical wiring, like the bloated, roughly-textured relief map of the world that his mother just posted above his bedside table. Randal looked ahead toward the winding spiral staircase, fidgeted with a small hole in his baseball jersey, and bit his lip. His mouth filled with the sweet, coppery taste of blood as she leaned in closely toward him, breathing her hot breath on the damp hair at the base of his neck. She smelled of wet cigarettes and bacon. As they slowly climbed the long, steep staircase, the only sound was his grandmothers' labored breathing and the mournful creak of the wooden stairs.

8. Read and listen to the writing sample from Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory, and record sensory details. Sensory Detail Words or Phrases

9. Applying Sensory Details to Descriptive Writing Compose an original sentence that includes at least one sensory detail for each targeted sense.

10. Applying Sensory Details to Descriptive Writing 1. Title a new sheet of paper Sensory Details List. This will be due in class (participation pts) and with your final draft of your essay (rubric points). 2. Create a brainstorm list of sensory details for the sentimental object in your descriptive essay. 3. Write a descriptive paragraph which uses sensory details to thoroughly describe your object.

11. For Additional Study Read each writing piece in your Realms of Gold book, and then identify sensory details and their effects: Poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen Poem "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams Short Story "The Piece of String" by Guy de Maupassant (paragraphs 1 & 2 especially)