119Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing – Describing a Thing
Lesson Focus: Using Words to Describe Something
ObjectivesYour child will:
• Usewordstodescribesomething.• Writeanonfictionarticle.• Readadescriptionofsomethingandidentifywhatitis.
Advance Prep• ActivitySet5:2Willy Worm Word WallorPortable Word Bank• ActivitySet5:2Object box
MaterialsActivity Set Worksheet
• Scissors,glue
Guided Writing Practice• Tabletorchartpaperandmarkers• Super Speller! • Pointers• Highlightermarker
Pre-writing Activities• Nonfictionpicturebooktoreadaloudthatdescribessomethingsuchasafireengineorwild
animal(seep.235forrecommendedtitles)• Assorted3-inchdie-cutpapercirclesorconstructionpapertocutyourown(youwillalsoneed
theseinLessons5,6,and7),oramanilafilefolder• Scissors,cleartape• Pencils,crayons,ormarkers• Shoeboxorotheremptybox• Varietyofsmallitemssuchasakitchen timer, toy car, stuffed animal, pencil, hair brush• Journals
Brainstorming• 12-x18-inchlight-colorconstructionpaper,orbutcherpaperornewsprint• Marker
WriteShop Primary - Book C120
The Writing Project• Grade-levelwritingpaper• Pencils,crayons,ormarkers
Smaller Steps• 12-x18-inchconstructionpaper
Flying Higher• Varietyofpicturesfoundinsuchplacesasnaturemagazines,toycatalogs,oranimalcalendars• Scissors,glue,stapler
Editing and Revising• Highlightermarker• DictionaryandSuper Speller!• Spinner Spelling Game
Publishing the Project• Chinesefoodtake-outbox,orotheremptybox• Craftsuppliesfordecoratingtheboxsuchasstickersormarkers
Want to Do More? (optional)• WritingAcrosstheCurriculum
~ Varietyofpicturesfoundinsuchplacesasnaturemagazinesorcalendars~ Pencils,crayons,ormarkers~ Scissors,glue,stapler
• ComputerCapers~ Computerpublishingprogram~ 8.5-x11-inchcardstockorscrapbookingpaper,anycolor~ Scissors
121Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
ACTIVITY SET 5:1
Lesson OverviewLesson5continueshelpingyourchildtransitionfromwritingstoriesandpersonalnarrativestowritingnonfiction,orfactual,articles.Thiswillbehisfirstlessonindescriptivewriting,inwhichhelearnstodescribeathing.Theengagingactivitieswillintroducehimtosomecreativetoolsfordevelopingdescriptivevocabulary.
Activity Set Worksheet: “What Is It?”RemovetheLesson5“WhatIsIt?”pagesfromtheActivitySetWorksheetPack.Ifyouareusingthee-bookversion,printoutallthreepagesoftheworksheet.
Activity Worksheet (First Page)UsetheLesson5ActivitySetworksheettointroduceyourchildtodescribingathing.
1. Readeachdescriptionfromthefirstpageofthe“WhatIsIt?”worksheet,one clue at a time.
2. Askyourchildtoguesstheanswerbasedonwhatheknowssofar.
3. Talkaboutideasforsomethinghewouldliketodescribe.Helphimwriteitsdescriptionontheblanklines.
Activity Worksheet (Second Page)1. Giveyourchildthesecondpageofthe“WhatIsIt?”worksheet.Intheblanksquare,havehim
drawapictureofthethinghedescribed.
2. Showhimhowtocutoutthefourmini-pagesfromthefirstpageandgluethemoverthecorrespondingpicturesonthesecondpagetocreateflaps.(Applygluejustalongthetopofeachmini-page.)
Activity Worksheet (Third Page)1. OnthelinedpageoftheLesson5worksheet,encourageyourchildtochooseoneofthe
thingspicturedaroundtheborderofthepage.Havehimwriteadescriptionaboutitanddrawhisownpicture.
2. Praiseyourchildforhiseffortstowriteindependently.Donoteditorrevisehisworkbecausethisisjustanopportunityforhimtopracticedoingitonhisown.
At a Glance: Activity Set 5:1
• Lesson Overview
• Activity Set Worksheet
“ I really like [using] the worksheet...to create interest and set the mood for the rest of the lesson.”
– Beth, SC
WriteShop Primary - Book C122
ACTIVITY SET 5:2
Guided Writing Practice Thislessonintroducesyourchildtodescriptivewriting.DuringGuidedWritingPracticeuseamarkerandwritetogetheronchartpaperornewsprinttodescribeanobjectoranimalthatinterestsyourchild.
Directions1. Askyourchildtochooseoneobjecttowriteabout,preferablyonehecanobservefirsthand.
(Note:hewilldescribeapersoninLesson6andaplaceinLesson7,sostickwithobjectsoranimalsthroughoutthislesson.)Ideasinclude:
• Favoritetoyorstuffedanimal
• Petorotheranimal
• Naturalobjectsuchasaseashell, rock, flower, or tree
• Householdobjectsuchasacan opener, tea cup, rocking chair, or picture frame
• Outdoorobjectsuchasabike, rake, tree house, or wading pool
• Clothingaccessorysuchasanecklace, baseball cap, or shoe
• Sportingequipmentsuchasagolf club, tennis racket, roller blades, or basketball hoop
2. Beforeyoubegintowrite,discussvariouswaystodescribetheobject.Helpyourchildthinkaboutthingssuchas:
• Appearance(howitlooks).
• Texture(howitfeels).
• Action(whatitdoesorhowitmovesoracts).
• Why it is unique or important.
3. Reviewhowanonfictionarticleiswrittenwithanintroduction,abody,andaclosing.
4. Indentthefirstlineofeachparagraph.Write5-10sentences.Skipeveryotherlineasyouwrite.Sharethemarkersohewritesafewofthewordsheknows.
5. ContinueusingyourpreferredSuper Speller!
Here’sanexampleofacompletedGuidedWritingPractice:
OurAppleTree
Wehaveatallappletreeinourbackyard.Itisfullofgreenleaves.Inthesummer,wehangaswingonabranch.Inthefallwepickjuicyredapples.Inthewinter,wehangabirdfeederfromthetreeandIwatchtheprettycardinalsfightovertheseeds.Ourappletreeisfunallyearlong!
At a Glance: Activity Set 5:2
• Guided Writing Practice
• Pre-writing Activities
123Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
Ifyourchildcan’tthinkofwhattosay,writesentencestartersforhimtocomplete,orprompthimwithquestionssuchas:
• Wheredidyoufindit?orWheredoesitlive?
• Whatcolorisit?
• Whatdoesitfeellike?
• Doesitmakeanysounds?
Here’sapartialdialoguetogetyoustarted:
You: Today when we write, we’re going to describe something. Can you think of something you wouldliketowriteabouttoday?
Child: CanIwriteaboutGrandma?
You: Well, Grandma is a person. Today we’re going to write about a thing. Maybe you could look outthewindowforanidea.Whatthingcouldwedescribe?
Child: Theappletree?
You: Good idea! An apple tree is a thing. Let’s talk about how we want to describe it.
Child: Ilikeourappletree.
You: Describingwordstellhowsomethinglooksorsmellsorfeels.Usewordsthatwilltellmemore about the tree.
Child: It’sinourbackyardandit’stall.
You: That would make a good introduction. Let’s start the sentence by saying, “We have a... what?”
Child: Wehaveanappletree.
You: Yes, but don’t forget to use your describing word. We have a ____ apple tree.
Child: Wehaveatallappletree.
You: Muchbetter.Andwhereisit?
Child: Inourbackyard.
You: Now let’s put that information all together into one sentence and write it down.
Child: Wehaveatallappletreeinourbackyard.(Sharethemarkerwithyourchildsohecanwriteawordortwo.)
You: Good.Nowcanyoudescribethetreeandtellmewhatitlookslike?
Child: Well,it’sfullofleaves.
You: Great!Canyouthinkofadescribingwordthattellsmoreaboutwhattheleaveslooklike?
Child: They’regreen?
You: Super! It is full of green leaves. Let’s write that for our next sentence. (Writethesentencetogether.Continuegentlyguidingandpromptingyourchildinthismanneruntilfinished.)
WriteShop Primary - Book C124
Whenyouarefinished:
• Checktomakesureyourcompletedarticleincludesanintroduction,abodythattellsmoreabouttheobject,andaclosing.Writethetitleatthetop.
• Askyourchildtochooseapointertoreadoverwhatyouwrotetogether.
~ Askhimtopointouttwoorthreewordsthatdescribe.
~ Askhimtopointoutadifficultwordthatwasspelledcorrectly.Handhimahighlightertohighlightthatwordonthepaper.
~ Askhimtoidentifyonesentencethatwaswrittencorrectlybystartingitwithacapitalletterandusingthecorrectpunctuation.Havehimhighlightthatentiresentence.
PracticingthiseverydayduringGuidedWritingPracticewillhelpteachhimhowtobeginself-editinghisownwritingbylookingforwordsandsentenceshewrotecorrectly.
Parents Say . . . I agree that it’s best to choose objects you can observe in person. It made all the difference intheworldformyson.Atfirsthetriedtodescribehisobjectfrommemory,buthecouldhardly think of anything to say. Once he actually had the object in hand, though, he was able to think of all sorts of great words!
Pre-writing Activities
Advance Prep
Make a Willy Worm Word Wall1. Cutoutaboutadozen3-inchcirclesfromconstructionpaper,orusedie-cutcircles
suchasmightbeusedforscrapbooking.
2. Tapethecirclestogetherinarowtoformaworm.Mountthewormonawallorplaceitonacountertop.Drawasmileyfaceonthefirstcircletorepresenttheworm’sface.
3. Onthefirstthreecircles,writevariousdescribingwords,onewordpercircle.Usedescriptiveadjectivessuchassmall, fast, yellow, soft, or bumpy.
4. Gatheravarietyofsmallitemsinashoeboxsuchasakitchen timer, toy car, stuffed animal, pencil, and hairbrush.
Alternate ActivityAnolderchildmightprefermakingaPortable Word Bankofdescriptivewords.Labelthefrontofthefolderandthetab“DescribingWords.”Inside,writethreedescriptiveadjectives.Seep.9foramoredetailedexplanation.
125Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
Picture Book That Describes an Object or AnimalToday,readanonfictionpicturebookaboutsomethingsuchasafireengineorwildanimal.Whenfinished,lookthroughthebooktogetherandfindatleastfivedescribingwords.
Parents Say . . . Ipulledoutourbirdfieldguideandreadaboutdifferentkindsofnests.
We picked several books to read. Then we discussed how each author described things in the book—and what we learned by reading.
Willy Worm Word Wall GameThepurposeoftheWilly Worm Word WallorPortable Word Bankistohelpyourchildcollectavarietyofdescribingwordshecanuseashewrites.Toaddtothewordwallorwordbank,playthissimplegamewithyourchildtopracticeusingwordstodescribethings.
1. Firstchooseoneobjectfromtheshoebox,butdon’tshowittoyourchild.Thensay5-10wordsorsentencesthatdescribetheobject.Whenfinished,lethimtrytoguesswhatitis.
2. Showtheobjecttoyourchild.AskhimtosayONEwordthatdescribesit.Itcanbeawordyoualreadyused,orhemaythinkofanewone.WritethiswordonthefourthcircleoftheWilly Worm Word Wall(oraddittothePortable Word Bank.).Forexample:
• Iftheobjectisaplasticcup,hemightsayblue.
• Iftheobjectisakitchentimer,hemightsayloud.
• Iftheobjectisastuffedanimal,hemightsaysquishy.
Ifherepeatsawordthat’salreadybeenusedonthewordwallorwordbank,encouragehimtothinkofanewword.
3. Next,giveyourchildaturntochooseanobjectfromtheboxanddescribeit.Whenheisfinished,trytoguesswhatitis.Afterheshowsyoutheobject,chooseONEwordthatdescribesittowriteonthenextblankcircleoftheWilly Worm Word Wallorwordbank.
4. Overthenextfewlessons,yourchildwillbelearningaboutdescriptivewriting.ContinuetoaddmoredescribingwordstotheWilly Worm Word WallorPortable Word Bankasahandyreferenceforhimtouse.YoucanaddmorecirclesandmakeWilly Wormlonger.
WriteShop Primary - Book C126
Parents Say . . . We loved this game! I suggest both parent and child (and siblings, because they loved getting in on the action) have their own boxes with items they choose. It makes guessing more fun if you haven’t seen each other’s items ahead of time.• Tosavespace:
~ Instead of stretching Willy Worm into one long line, wind him back and forth.~ Write more than one word in each circle.
• Tosavetime:~ Cut squares instead of circles, and make a train instead of a worm. ~ DrawWillyWormonalargesheetofposterboardorbutcherpaper.
Journal Writing Practice – Describing an ObjectLesson4introducedyourchildtojournalwriting.Toreinforcejournalingskills,you’llwanttoencouragehimtowriteinhisjournaloften,beginningtoday!Whenyouhavefinishedplayingthegame,spend10-15minuteswritinginyourjournalstogetherdescribingoneoftheobjectsfromthebox.Skipeveryotherline.Addtoday’sdate.
Insteadofwritingsentencesinhisjournal,amorereluctantlearnermaydrawapictureandcopydownwordsfromtheWilly Worm Word WallorPortable Word Banktodescribetheobject.
NOTE:WriteinyourjournalstogetherseveralmoretimesduringLesson5.Don’tpassupthisopportunitytomodelwritingforyourchild.Asyouworkalongsidehim,youractionsshowthatwritingisanimportantpartofyourday,too!
127Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
ACTIVITY SET 5:3
Guided Writing PracticeContinuetopracticedescribinganobjectfollowingtheinstructionsandguidelinesinActivitySet6:2.
1. Askyourchildtochooseoneobjectoranimaltowriteabout,preferablyonehecandescribefirsthand.Donotdescribeaperson.
2. Reviewhowanonfictionarticleiswrittenwithanintroduction,abody,andaclosing.
3. Followtheseguidelines:
• Write5-10sentences.
• Indentthefirstlineofeachparagraph.
• Skipeveryotherlineasyouwrite.
• ContinueusingtheSuper Speller!
Here’sanexampleofacompletedGuidedWritingPractice:
ANoisyToyMybabysisterZoehasanoisytoy.Ifsheshakesit,itmakesasplashingnoise.
Whensheturnsitupsidedown,itmooslikeacow.Iliketopushtheredbutton.Itsays“ding-dong”likeourdoorbell.AndwhenIpushthegreenbutton,itringslikeaphone.Iliketohelpmysisterplaywithherfunnytoy.
Ifyourchildgetsstuck,youwillneedtoguidehim.Here’sanexampleofapartialdialogue:
You: Since you picked Zoe’s noisy toy as today’s object, let’s think about the different noises you candescribe.What’sonenoisethetoymakes?
Child: Itsplashes.
You: Whendoyouhearasplash?
Child: Ifsheshakesit.
You: Soyoucouldsay:Ifsheshakesit,it...doeswhat?
Child: Ifsheshakesit,itmakesasplashingnoise.
You: Great. Let’s write that as your second sentence.
Whatisanothernoisethetoymakes?
Child: Itgoesmoo.
You: When?
Child: Whensheturnsitupsidedown.
You: Whatelsesays“moo”?
At a Glance: Activity Set 5:3
• Guided Writing Practice
• Brainstorming
WriteShop Primary - Book C128
Child: Acow.
You: Soitmooslikeacow.Youcouldwrite:Whensheturnsitupsidedown,it...doeswhat?
Child: Whensheturnsitupsidedown,itmooslikeacow?
You: I like that! Let’s write it down: When she turns it upside down, it moos like a cow.
(Continuegentlyguidingandpromptingyourchildinthismanneruntilfinished.)
Whenyouarefinishedwritingthesentences:
• Makesurethereisanintroduction,abody,aclosing,andatitle.
• Askyourchildtochooseapointertoreadoverwhatyouwrotetogether.Askhimtopointoutandhighlight:
~ Describingwords.
~ Adifficultwordthatwasspelledcorrectly.
~ Onesentencethatstartswithacapitalletterandusescorrectpunctuation.
Brainstorming – Making a Graphic Organizer KiteGraphicorganizershelpchildrenbrainstormforandarrangeideas.Eachoftheremaininglessonswillintroduceyourchildtodifferentgraphicorganizers.Thoughtheywillnotnecessarilyalwaystieintoyourchild’sstorytheme,that’sokay;hewillstillbelearningnewandcreativewaystoorganizehisthoughtsinpreparationforwriting.
Directions1. Writeona12-x18-inchpieceoflight-colorconstruction
paper.Or,useaneaselwithbutcherpaperornewsprint.
2. Useamarkertodrawasmalldiamond-shapedkiteatthetop.Askyourchildtochooseanobjectoranimalhewouldliketowriteabout.(Remembertosavepeopleandplacesforlaterlessons.)
3. Ifheishesitanttovolunteeranidea,suggestoneoftheitemsintheshoeboxfromActivitySet5:2,orhelphimchoosefromthelistonp.122.Writethenameoftheobjectinthecenterofthekite.
4. Drawalongtailonthekitefromthebaseofthediamondtothebottomofthepage.Nearthetopofthetail,atthebaseofthediamond,drawarectangletorepresentaribbon.Askyourchildtosuggestawordorsentencetowriteinsidetherectanglethatdescribestheobject.
5. Continuetodrawmoreribbonsonthekitetail.Insideeachrectangle,writewordsorsentencesthatdescribetheobject.RefertotheWilly Worm Word WallorPortable Word Bankforalistofdescribingwords.Addnewwordstothecirclesonthewordwallorwordbankasyougo.
“ I like having a limited number of blank spaces [to fill in]—less intimidating for the student … than making a list on blank paper.”
– Debbie, FL
129Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
6. Discussideasforanintroductionandaclosing.Writetheseideasalongthesideofthepaper.Later,duringtheWritingProject,thewordsandsentenceswrittenonthekiteribbonscanbeusedtowritethebodyofthechild’sarticle.
7. Discussthemainidea,andwriteideasforatitleatthetopofthepaper.
Parents Say . . . My daughter liked the kite so much we turned it into a game. She would write the object in the kite and the describing words on the tail and then read me the descriptions. I would have to guess what she described. We were having such a good time, my teenage son came in and joined us!
WriteShop Primary - Book C130
ACTIVITY SET 5:4
Guided Writing Practice IfitistoomuchforyourchildtodoGuidedWritingandtheWritingProjectonthesameday,youmayskipGuidedWritingPracticetoday.
The Writing Project – Writing a Nonfiction ArticleHelpyourchildwriteanonfictionarticlethatdescribesafamiliarobjectoranimal.
Directions1. Don’tforgettoadjusttheWritingProjectforayoungerormorereluctantwriterbyusing
SmallerSteps,orconsidertheFlyingHigheractivityifyouradvancedwriterneedsmoreofachallenge.
2. Providegrade-levellinedwritingpaper.
3. Thearticlewillhaveanintroduction,abody,andaclosing.
4. Haveyourchildgatherstorydetailsfromthepictureofthekite(hisbrainstorming)andencouragehimtorefertotheWilly Worm Word WallorPortable Word Bankasheworks.
5. Instructhimtoskipeveryotherlineashewrites.ThisprovidesspacetowritecorrectionsduringEditingandRevising.
At a Glance: Activity Set 5:4
• Guided Writing Practice (optional)
• The Writing Project
• Smaller Steps or Flying Higher
131Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
Smaller Steps – What Is It?
Ayoungerorreluctantwritermayfeeloverwhelmedtryingtowriteanonfictionarticle.Instead,helphimgainconfidenceusingwordstodescribesomething.Here’show:
1. Sketchalargestaronasheetof12-x18-inchconstructionpaper.Inthecenterofthestar,havehimdrawapictureoftheobjecthewantstodescribe.Makesureit’sanobjecthecanobservefirsthand.
2. Afterhewritesthenameoftheobjectunderneathhispicture,instructhimtowriteaword,phrase,orsentenceoneachpointofthestartodescribetheobject.Ifhegetsstuck,prompthimwithquestionsabouthowtheobjectlooksorfeels.
• cold,smoothmetal
• shinysilvercolor
• long,skinnyhandle
• foursharppoints
• stabsfood
3. Next,havehimwritesimplesentencesabouttheobject(alternatively,hemaydictatetoyouwhileyouwrite)tocreatea“WhatIsIt?”article.Fortheintroduction,suggestthathewrite:“Canyouguessmyobject?”Hisclosingshouldgivetheanswer.Here’sanexample:
Canyouguessmyobject?Itisshinyandsilver.Itismadeofmetalandfeelssmooth and cold. The handle is long and skinny. It has four sharp points on the end.Youstabyourfoodwithit.Doyouknowwhatitis?Itisafork!
4. Whenfinished,havehimreadhisstorytootherstoseeiftheycanguesstheobjectbeforeherevealsitsidentity!
Flying Higher – More Practice Using Describing Words
Anacceleratedlearnercanchoosetodescribeavarietyofobjectsoranimalsbybrowsingthroughanaturemagazine,toycatalog,oranimalcalendar.
1. Helphimcutoutpicturesthatinteresthimandglueeachpictureonthetophalfofapieceofpaper,onepictureperpaper.
2. Onthebottomhalfofeachpage,havehimwriteadescriptionoftheobject.
3. Staplethepagesintoabook.
WriteShop Primary - Book C132
Parents Say . . . Myreluctantsonlovedthestaractivity.Knowingthathehadtofillineachofthepointsonthe star really helped him focus, plus he appreciated only having to include a set amount of facts.
133Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
ACTIVITY SET 5:5
Guided Writing PracticeContinuetopracticedescribinganobjectoranimalfollowingtheinstructionsandguidelinesinActivitySet6:2.
1. Includeanintroduction,abody,andaclosing.
2. Write5-10sentences,skippingeveryotherlineasyouwrite.
3. ContinueusingtheSuper Speller!
Here’sanexampleofacompletedGuidedWritingPractice:
MySleepingBuddyRoscoeismyoldstuffeddog.IhavehadhimsinceIwastwo.Histailandone
ofhisfloppyearscameoff,andheismissingsomestuffing.SometimesIusehimforapillow.Idon’tcareifRoscoelookslumpyandold.Heisagoodsleepingbuddybecauseheissosoftandsquishy.
Ifyourchildgetsstuck,guidehimwithquestionssuchaswhat,how,orwhere.Forexample:
You: Let’stakeagoodlookatoldRoscoe.Whatcanyoutellmeabouthowhelooks?
Child: Well,he’sstuffedandlumpy!
You: Good!Whatelse?
Child: He’smissinghistailandoneearandsomeofhisstuffing.
You: Andhowdoeshefeel?
Child: Softandsquishy!
You: Great describing words! Let’s add stuffed,lumpy,soft, and squishy to our WillyWormWordWall (or to our PortableWordBank).
Howwouldyouliketobeginyourstory?IntroducethereadertoRoscoe.
Child: Roscoeismydog.
You: That’s a great start. Now look at WillyWorm to choose one or two words to describe Roscoe.
Child: Oldandstuffed?
You: Sure! Roscoe is my . . . .
Child: Roscoeismyoldstuffeddog.
(Writethesentencetogether.Continuegentlyguidingandpromptingyourchildinthismanneruntilfinished.)
Whenfinished,dothepointerandhighlighteractivitiestogether.
Activity Set 5:5 At a Glance
• Guided Writing Practice
• Editing and Revising
WriteShop Primary - Book C134
Editing and RevisingSitdownwithyourchildandhisWritingProjectandreadhisarticletogether.Continuehelpinghimlearnhowtoself-edithisownworkbyusingtheWritingSkillsChecklistfromActivitySet3:8orbysimplyguidinghimorallyfollowingthedirectionsbelow.
DirectionsIt’seasytofocusonmistakes,souseeditingtimetobuildconfidenceinyourchildbyaskinghimtofindwordsandsentenceshewrotecorrectly.
1. Giveyourchildahighlighter.Tellhimthattodayhewillreadhisarticleanddoanother“JobWellDone”search.
• Asyouwatch,encouragehimtolookoverthearticlebyhimselfandhighlightadifficultwordhespelledcorrectly.
• Next,askhimtohighlightasentencehewrotecorrectlybystartingitwithacapitalletterandusingthecorrectpunctuation.Praisehimforajobwelldone.
2. Discussthestructureofthewriting.Ask,“Doesyourarticlehaveanintroduction,abody,andaclosing?”Ifnot,discussideasforimprovement.
3. Askyourchildtofinddescribingwordsthattellabouthissubject.Ifheneedstouseafewmore,helphimaddthem.
4. Examineeachsentencewithyourchild.Makesure:
• Eachsentencehascorrectpunctuationandbeginswithacapitalletter.
• Heindentedthefirstlineoftheparagraph(s).
• Eachsentencehascorrectpunctuationandbeginswithacapitalletter.
5. Circleanymisspelledwords.
• Lookupeachwordinthedictionary,ontheSuper Speller! orontheWilly Worm Word Wallorwordbank.
• WriteeachmisspelledwordcorrectlyonanindexcardtousefortheSpinner Spelling Game.
• SpendtimeplayingtheSpinner Spelling Gametogethertoreviewkeyspellingwords.
6. Helpyourchildrevisehiswriting.
• Writethecorrectionsinbetweenthelinesonthepaper.
• Hemayrewritehiscorrectionsonanewpaperifhechooses.
135Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
Does Editing Reduce Your Child to Tears?
Trytheseideasifyourchildseemsresistanttoeditingandrevising:
• Ifhe’seasilydiscouragedoroverwhelmedbyhismistakes:
~ Givehimalistofjustfivethingstosearchforandfix.
• Ifhe’sreluctanttomakeanymarksonhisWritingProject:
~ Makeaphotocopyoftheoriginalandlethimeditthephotocopy.
~ Typeandprintoutthestory,article,orreport.Asyoutype,don’tfixanyofhisspellingorpunctuation.Lethimeditthetypedcopy.
• Ifhestillisn’tworkingindependently:
~ TypeouthisWritingProjectasaworksheet,makingseveralintentionalmistakes.Givehimasetofdirectionssuchas:
• Find3misspelledwords,4punctuationerrors,and2capitalizationerrors.
• Circleyour5favoritedescribingwords.
Parents Say . . . With my older children, we use revising time to change a few of their words for more interesting ones. Sometimes we check out the thesaurus, and other times we just brainstorm for more descriptive words. Then we choose some of these new words for spelling activities.
They enjoyed using the editing checklist from Lesson 3:8. We added a couple of things to it, like“Usedescriptivewords.”
I gave my daughter tiny stickers to place over each descriptive word she used. She loved this activity and even asked if she could add more descriptive words to her article!
WriteShop Primary - Book C136
ACTIVITY SET 5:6
Guided Writing Practice ContinuetopracticedescribinganobjectoranimalfollowingtheinstructionsandguidelinesinActivitySet5:2.Whenfinished,dothepointerandhighlighteractivitiestogether.HereisanexampleofacompletedGuidedWritingPractice:
MyRockCollectionIhaveaneggcartonfilledwithrocks.Oneisapieceofsulfur.Itisyellowand
smellsfunny.Ilikethetiger’seye.Ithasbrownstripesanditisverysmoothandshiny.Myamethysthassharppurplecrystalsthatsparkle.Itisverypretty.Butmyfavoriterockismypinkquartzbecauseitlookslikeadiamond!
Journal Writing Practice – Describing an ObjectTodaywouldbeagooddaytospend10-15minuteswritinginyourjournalstogetherdescribingoneoftheobjectsfromtheboxyouassembledduringActivitySet5:2.
Skipeveryotherline.Addtoday’sdate.
Insteadofwritingsentencesinhisjournal,amorereluctantwritermaydrawapictureandcopydownwordsfromtheWilly Worm Word WallorPortable Word Banktodescribetheobject.
Parents Say . . . My daughter resists journaling, but if I let her draw a picture along with it, then she’s much more willing to write.
At a Glance: Activity Set 5:6
• Guided Writing Practice
• Journal Writing Practice
137Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
ACTIVITY SET 5:7
Guided Writing PracticeContinuetopracticedescribinganobjectoranimalfollowingtheinstructionsandguidelinesinActivitySet5:2.Whenfinished,dothepointerandhighlighteractivitiestogether.
Publishing the Project – Portable Story BoxHelpyourchildmakeaPortableStoryBoxtocarryanddisplayhisWritingProject.Here’show:
1. Providestickers,markers,andothercraftsuppliesforyourchildtodecorateaChinesefoodtake-outboxorotheremptybox.EncouragehimtodecorateaccordingtothethemeofhisWritingProject.
Examples:
• Ifthechilddescribesagrizzlybear,hemightdecoratetheboxwithpapercutoutsthatresemblemountainsandpinetrees.
• Achildwhodescribesaprincesswandcoulduseglitterpensorsparklystar-shapedstickers.
• Astudentwhodescribesastarfishmightcolorsandandanoceanontheboxorglueontinyseashellsorpaperstarfish.
2. HelpyourchildfindapictureoftheobjecthedescribedinhisWritingProject,orhavehimdrawone.Foldthisandplaceitinthebottomofthebox.
3. FoldhisWritingProjectandplacethepaperinthebox.
4. Encourageyourchildtoshowtheboxtofriendsorfamilymembersandaskthemtoguesswhat’sinsidethebox.Aftertheyaredoneguessing,hecanopenthebox,readthestorytothem,andshowthemthepicture.
Parents Say: One son wanted to publish his Writing Project in his journal, so he drew a picture to go along with his journal entry.
Insteadofmakingthestorybox,Itypedmyson’snonfictionarticle,whichhegluedittoalarge piece of construction paper. Then he added photographs.
I love to preserve my children’s projects but don’t have much storage space for the bulkier ones. So after I display their published projects for a few weeks, I take a photo and save their artwork that way.
At a Glance: Activity Set 5:7
• Guided Writing Practice
• Publishing the Project
WriteShop Primary - Book C138
ACTIVITY SET 5:8
Guided Writing Practice IfyouchoosetodoGuidedWritingPracticetoday,continuetopracticedescribinganobjectoranimalfollowingtheinstructionsandguidelinesinActivitySet5:2.Whenfinished,dothepointerandhighlighteractivitiestogether.
Evaluating the Student’s WorkUsethePrimaryWritingSkillsEvaluationChartforLessons1-5toevaluateyourstudent’swork.
Want to Do More? Writing Across the Curriculum: Spotlight on Science – Making a Reference BookMakeareferencebookaboutasciencetopicyouarestudying.
1. Usenaturemagazines,oldcalendars,ortheInternettohelpyourchildfindpicturesaboutsomethingyouarelearningaboutinscience,suchasplanets, natural resources, or plants.
2. Glueapictureofeachobjectonaseparatepieceofpaperandwriteashortdescriptionofeachone.Forexample,ifyouarestudyingaboutnaturalresources,lookforpicturesofalake, forest, mountain, minerals, glacier, or trout.
3. Staplethepagestogetherintoabooktouseasareference.
4. Writeanarticleaboutthetopic.Don’tforgettoincludeanintroduction,abody,andaclosing!
Computer Capers – Making a Tangram PuzzleAtangramisaChinesepuzzleconsistingofsevenshapescutfromasquare.Theobjectiveistoformanynumberofspecificshapesusingallsevenpieces.Forafuncomputeractivity,useadrawingorpublishingprogramtomakeatangramwithyourchild.
1. Usingtheprogram’sdrawingtools,helpyourchilddrawalargesquare,about6x6inches.Thendividethesquareintosevenshapesbypastingordrawinglinesinsidethesquaretoformtriangles,rectangles,orotherstraight-sidedgeometricshapes.
2. Printoutthetangramonsturdypaper,cutouttheshapes,andhelpyourchildarrangeallsevenpiecestoformananimal.
3. Havehimwriteadescriptionoftheanimalhemadefromthetangram.(Heshoulddescribetherealanimal,notthepaperonehecreatedfromthetangram.)
At a Glance: Activity Set 5:8
• Guided Writing Practice (optional)
• Evaluating the Student’s Work
• Want to Do More? (optional) Writing Across the Curriculum
• Want to Do More? (optional) Computer Capers
139Lesson 5: Descriptive Writing - Describing a Thing
Belowaretwoexamplesofhowyouandyourchildmightcreateyourownseven-piecetangramtogether:
Parents Say . . . My 12-year-old enjoyed making the tangram square in Word and printing out copies for himself and his siblings. After they created their animal, they each did a Guided Writing Practice about it. It took us longer that way, but they really had fun with this activity.
Sample Sample
Top Related