Descriptive Writing Activities
by Kristen Corbi
Dolan Middle School, Stamford, CT

Descriptive Writing Activities


Candy Activity
· Students use descriptive writing and explore their senses while eating candy
· Each student gets one piece of candy (a Lifesaver or other hard candy)-they are to observe all their senses while eating the candy
· They are not allowed to chew and must write the whole time as their candy dissolves
· When finished, we will chart the findings and ideas
· Read passages out loud, if time
· Can lead to compositions about other things involving the five senses

Secret Creatures
· Students begin by drawing a weird creature or person, secretly
· On a separate paper, they write a step-by-step description and directions of how the character was drawn (from head to toe)
· When finished (next day if necessary), I collect the pictures and the explanations/directions
· Directions are redistributed to random students.  The students then try to draw the picture based on the directions
· When finished, we compare the drawings to the originals and read the directions that "worked"





Email me at kristenjean77@yahoo.com if you would like copies of any accompanying handout!