In this lesson, students will investigate how and why authors write descriptively so that they can incorporate descriptive writing into their own research papers. Students will explain how descriptive writing helps authors create pictures in readers’ minds, which allows readers to visualize people, places, events, or objects the authors write about. This lesson is Part 1 in the “Writing” series.
Created by Keli Jacewitz, November 2007
Based on an original lesson by Melissa Rabinowitz, Jane Long Middle School
Objective(s): The student will analyze the purpose of descriptive writing and will research the historical background of slavery and the Underground Railroad.
Writing/Purposes. The student writes for a variety of audiences and purposes and in a variety of forms. Write to inform, including to explain, describe, report, and narrate.
Prerequisite Skills: Basic writing and reading skills; the ability to follow along and fill in the blanks; basic knowledge of laptop computers and computer safety skills.
Journal – Instruct the students to each pick one room in the school to write about. Tell them to be as detailed as possible and write down everything about the place without saying what it is. Their classmates are going to try and guess which room they picked, so they should be as descriptive as possible.
Allow a few volunteers to read their description and give students the chance to guess which room they are describing. After a few volunteers have read, tell the students that this is what we are going to spend the next week learning – how to write to describe. Emphasize adjectives and adverbs that make the descriptions vivid. The students will remind the teacher of the definition for an adjective and an adverb. Have students give multiple examples.
Pass out one Writing to Describe Notes Sheet (Cornell notes) to each student. Have the students take notes about writing to describe from the PowerPoint. Do not fill in the summary section yet.
Pass out 2-3 sticky notes to each student. Show the students the “Barbershop” picture from the TIDES website: http://tides.sfasu.edu:2009/u?/EastTexRC,16. Ask the students to jot down a few descriptive words of the picture they see. Tell them to be sure to make the statements factual, not based on feelings. Have students share their brainstorming of words used to describe the picture.
On the board, the teacher will create a T-Chart with “Positive Connotation” written on one side, and “Negative Connotation” written on the other. Have students place their sticky notes on the correct side of the chart. Discuss the words they chose and point out how good use of strong words can help the reader visualize what the author is trying to say.
On the board or overhead, brainstorm events that could be taking place at the time of this picture. Since this is a hierarchical order paper, have students talk about the best things in life during this time and the worst things about life during this time.
Check for Understanding: Ask how the different brainstormed words can help us describe the picture.
Guided Practice: The teacher will show the students the National Geographic website (www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/) about the Underground Railroad. Use the projector to show the students the path the slaves took.
Additional Resources for Guided Practice: If your class has access to Discovery Education Streaming (http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm), show each video from United Streaming to introduce the historical background: “Life on Southern Plantations” (3:17), and “Riding the Underground Railroad” (3:46). The students are to complete the “Life in the South” worksheet, as they are watching, to ensure they pay close attention. It might be necessary to play each video twice to give the students the opportunity to get the blanks filled in, but the videos are so short it won’t take up too much instructional time.
Following the videos, the teacher will ask the students how they would describe life in the South during the time of slavery. What kinds of people were involved? What role did the slaves play? Would the South have existed then without the labor provided by the slaves? Do you think you would have tried to escape via the Underground Railroad? What do you think traveling on the Underground Railroad might have been like?
Closure: Give each student a post-it note. Have them write down the definition of an adjective and an adverb. The student will write down one example of each. The post-it is their ticket out the door. Collect these as the leave to their next class.
Students will complete the summary section of their Writing to Describe Notes Sheet before they leave.
Independent Practice: Pass out the Character Role: Information Organizer. The teacher will have already cut up the character role strips and placed them in a paper bag. Students will draw the name of their character out of a bag. Next, have them fill in the character portion of their research packet so no one forgets. Have them begin to brainstorm a few ideas about the type of character they will be researching. Collect the packets from the students and hold on to them until day 2. Make sure everyone has their own name and their character written down on the packet.
Enrichment: Students who complete their work early can write a one page story of their own about the “barbershop” picture. The story can detail the characters and events taking place.
Remediation:Assessment/Rubrics: Post-it note with the description of an adjective and an adverb.
Photograph of African American barbershop
Writing to Describe PowerPoint
Blank Note Sheet (Cornell Notes)
Fill-in-the-blank Notes Sheet (Cornell Notes) for SPED
Fill-in-the-blank Notes Sheet Answer Key
“Life in the South” fill-in-the-blank worksheet
“Life in the South” worksheet Answer Key
United Streaming Video “Life on Southern Plantations” (3:17)
United Streaming Video “Riding the Underground Railroad” (3:46)
The Underground Railroad on nationalgeographic.com
Character Role Strip – cut up
Research Packets, 1 per student, including:
• Character role information organizer
• Paper Outline (Questions to Think About) • Organizing Your Research
Computer
Projector
Speakers
Paper Bag
Post-It Notes – 2 per student
Chalkboard, whiteboard, or overhead
