@ First of all, as was shared in class. Show your students a
video clip. Ask them to, as they are watching look for descriptive language
in the clip. After watching the clip, have the children tell what sort of descriptions
they heard in the clip. Then talk about the difference in writing and video,
emphasize that in watching a video the description can be seen and so does not
need to be described so much. However in writing, the description is vital because
the reader cannot see the actual description, it must be complete so they can
interpret that description and see it for themselves.
@ This lesson plan is called An Apple for Your Thoughts and
was found on the askERIC lesson plans web site: http://www.askeric.org/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Writing.WCP0002.html.
In this activity, each student, or they could be divided in pairs, receives
an apple. The students are to look at their apples and find and write down all
the unique characteristics of their apple (different colors, shapes, marks,
stems, bruises, etc.). Be sure that these descriptions are also in complete
sentences, so they are still using the techniques they are learning. After they
are done describing their apples, all the apples are collected and put on a
table. Then, by using the descriptions they have made, the students reclaim
their apple amongst all the others. Afterwards the students can combine their
sentences into a descriptive paragraph about their apple.
@ This activity can be used as a visual lesson on writing paragraphs. This lesson plan can be found at http://www.lessonplanspage.com/printables/PLABeachUmbrellaEssayWriting58.htm. The teacher brings an umbrella to class. This umbrella represents the main idea and all the other ideas must fall under it. The example used is “Three Dreadful Chores.” But pretty much anything would work. Each student is given a post-it note, on which they are to write four sentences about the subject. Three of the students are chosen by the teacher to help. The teacher begins with the thesis paragraph (introduction). Then each of the students in turn read their sentences, with the teacher providing the transition work between each student/paragraph. Then the teacher finishes with the concluding paragraph. After this example, the students may then write their own five paragraph essay about this or another subject.