Introduction 
This
series of lessons will allow students to consider the importance of
descriptive writing; how it
enhances their own reading comprehension, and that of others who read
their own writing.
Third grade writers will be led to use words
to create a portrait for someone else to read.
The Big Idea: There are many
ways of communicating. (Writing clearly and well is one of them)
Task
The premise will be that students
must work toward writing a descriptive piece that stands without
pictographic support.
The reader will be an e-pal who does not have access to a computer that
will support graphic downloads, and so, must rely on the
words of the author to create a mental picture of the person being
described.
Process
1.
Describing a Character
Students
will be reminded of titles which they have read, or which have been
read to them which contain vivid
characterizations. These might include such titles as:
Charlotte, in Charlotte's Web
Wilbur, in Charlotte's Web
Ramona, in Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Sammy, Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
Ralph, in the Mouse and the Motorcycle
Students should be encouraged to think of other books
they know as well. Using a literary character, they are to
consider ways to describe him/her using adjectives. This page has
information regarding the specifics of adjectival use..
This page
contains more examples and an explanation of the Read*Write*Think
lesson on using adjectives to describe
literary figures.
This page
is the online space where students can enter actions they note about a
character, and a corresponding
adjective that could be used to describe that figure.
This activity can be printed out for student use, or assessment
purposes.
Students will be directed to use the same form (without filling in the
title space) to create adjectives describing
the family member whom they are going to write about.
This form should be printed for students to use as a resource.
2. Using Sensory
Detail 
In-class discussion of
concrete sensory detail, and whole-class brainstorming of ideas can be
followed by students printing their own sensory
detail chart to fill with
"show, not tell" words about their relatives.
3. Planning the Writing
Use of a graphic
organizer as a whole class can be followed with individual students
accessing their own graphic
organizers to plan their writing. The idea will be able to
choose carefully from an excess of ideas!
4. Self-Assessment
As a way to check themselves, students will be asked to use a graphics
program such as Canvastic, or Tuxpaint to create
a portrait based on the written clues in their paragraphs.
An alternate activity could one where the students read their work to a
partner, and the partner does the drawing (either manually, or
digitally). This would further allow students to evaluate whether
they had included the most important details about their
family members.
Resources
Read*Write*Think
Canvastic
Tuxpaint
English Zone
California
Written Language Arts Standards - Third Grade
National
Educational Technology Standards for Students
Evaluation
Students
will able to evaluate themselves throughout the process. The
teacher will
have both anectdotal and formal means of assessing the students'
progression. in acquiring
skill in show, not
tell writing. The final assessment will be in the
form of the rubric below,
which both student and teacher will use.
Descriptive Writing Rubric
Conclusion
It
is vital that young writers understand that writing is a way of
communicating. Having readers
other than the teacher is crucial to their engagement and to developing
a sense of voice and of writing to a variety of
audiences. The final publication of all class work in a
Powerpoint show will ensure that the readership expands
to the whole class.
