Lesson Plan
Paint a Word Picture
Students become word artists as they use ordinary pictures to practice creating detailed descriptions. This technique helps your class learn how to paint a picture with words.
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Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to use their five senses in writing to paint a picture by showing readers, not just telling.
Introduction
(10 minutes)- Introduce show don't tell writing to your students by telling them how using descriptive, or detailed, language can help the reader create a vivid picture in their mind.
- Ask the class why they think this might be important for a reader. Answers should be along the lines of: It keeps the story interesting. It makes the story more lifelike. It makes the reader want to keep reading.
- After your brief discussion, display one of your chosen images to the class. For example, it could be a picture of the beach.
- Describe the picture poorly. Example: I went to the beach this weekend.
- Ask students whether or not they were able to paint a picture in their head.