Sense Writing Exploring descriptive writing through the five senses

1
Sense WritingExploring descriptive writing
through the five senses

• Mrs. Hill
• Clear Lake Middle School
• 8th Grade Language Arts

2
ShowDont Tell

• Choose one of the following topic sentences
• Write a descriptive paragraph about that
  particular topic
• 5-7 compound/complex sentences
• Be sure to use various wording
• ALWAYS pay attention to the corrections
  discussed in class

3
ShowDont Tell

• Sentences to choose from
• 1. There were many interesting costumes at the
  party.
• 2. Spring will soon be here.
• 3. The students were having fun.
• 4. She was exhausted.

4
Sense of Sight

• Sight words describe appearance, shapes,
  movements, and colors. In each sentence below,
  choose the word that creates the most specific
  picture for the reader

5
Sense of Sight

1. Two squirrels (jumped, leaped) from branch to
   branch.
2. The thief was seen (loitering, walking) in the
   alley.
3. The colts glossy coat gleamed (amber, brown) in
   the sun.
4. We all (ran, scrambled) to be first at the bus
   stop.
5. Saras (freckled, spotted) face grew ashen in
   fear.
6. The (chubby, portly) two-year-old clapped his
   hands in delight.
7. The exhausted woman (plodded, walked) into the
   classroom.
8. The (dotted, dappled) fawn trailed after its
   mother.

6
Sense of SightAdd additional words to each
category

• Appearancesinged, hollow, chipped, cracked,
  frayed, rough, large, meek (weak)
• Movement (fast)hustle, scramble, scurry, scram
• Movement (slow)walk, shuffle, plod, crawl,
  waddle, loiter
• Shapesoctagon, oval, squiggly, pentagon,
  hexagon, circular, cluster, acute, obtuse,
  portly, chubby, sharp, shrunken

• Redbrick, crimson, cranberry
• Bluesapphire, teal, royal
• Yellowgold, custard
• Whiteenamel, chalk
• Blacktar, midnight, pitch
• Purpleviolet, indigo, bruise
• Grayashen, dull, slate, metal
• Brownamber, tan, beige
• Greenemerald

7
Sense of Sight

• Homework assignment
• Using the ideas we have been discussing about
  writing (length and structure), write a paragraph
  about the following
• Describe a sunset.
• Example topic sentence The orange glow of the
  sun melted into the puffy clouds.

8
Sense of Sight Sunset

• I watch as the crimson, orange globe dives
  closer and closer to the flowing green lake.
  Finally, I see it touch down and begin to sink
  farther below the trees, hills, slopes, rocks,
  dirt, and grass into unknown territory. It is
  making a desperate struggle by shooting beams of
  yellow, orange, and red light into the baby blue
  sky. I see it traveling farther down, wishing I
  could help the innocent globe, but I'm useless.
  Then, all of a sudden, it disappears below the
  emerald horizon, and everything goes black.

9
Sense of Sight Sunset

• The red and orange sun began sinking its way
  back into the depths of space. The tints of red,
  orange, and pink that flooded the sky was a
  masterpiece. Although the sun was setting, the
  sky's colors turned even more rich and full. The
  last glimmer off the azure sea looks like a
  thousand diamonds dancing on blue silk. The suns
  last few rays came dancing down, and I saw the
  green flash. Although the sun has set, I continue
  to watch its painting flow across the heavens.
  The suns farewell is the most beautiful goodbye
  there is.

10
Sense of Hearing

• Choose the word that creates the most vivid sound
  
• for the reader to hear.

11
Sense of Hearing

1. Sam (bellows, sounds) like a bull when he is
   angry.
2. We heard the hens (peep, cackle) in alarm.
3. The squeaking chalk (grated, scraped) on my ears.
4. Janes (whining, piercing) voice rose above the
   crowd.
5. Jim (jingled, clanged) the coins in his pocket.
6. Raindrops (thumped, pattered) on the cottage
   roof.

12
Sense of HearingAdd additional words to each
category

• Loud
• Howl
• Rip
• Bang
• Shattered/crack
• March
• Boom
• Thrash
• gallop
• Grinding
• yelp
• whoosh
• Bellow
• Roar
• pop

• Soft
• Groan
• Whimper
• Tap
• Gasp
• Hum
• Peep
• echo
• crunch
• murmur
• Scuttle
• Squeak
• Patter
• Ting
• Chirp
• Whisper (psst)

Speech Whimper Roar Slur Bellow Rasp Mumble yell/y
elp Firm/bold Breath Squeak Scream Whining questio
ning
13
Sense of Hearing

• Write a phrase for each of the following. Make
  your reader
• HEAR the sound in their mind.
• Example a chair
• The chair scraped and scratched its way across
  the floor.
• A movie theatre (before the movie begins)
• School dismissal
• A traffic jam

14
Sense of Hearing

• Homework assignment
• Using the ideas we have been discussing about
  writing (length and structure), write a paragraph
  about the following
• Imagine that you were surfing when a storm blew
  in. The
• waves crashed in around you as you tried
  desperately to get
• back to shore. You couldn't see anything. All you
  could hear
• was the roar of the waves. Describe the sounds.

15
Sense of Touch/Feel

• Choose the touch word that best creates a vivid
  picture.
• Sams frostbitten fingers felt (cold, numb).
• Lisa felt (stabs, prickles) of fear as she
  entered the cave.
• Jim refused to touch the (wet, slimy) seaweed.
• A (bad, stabbing) pain shot through Joes finger.
• The old mans face was (tough, leathery) from the
  sun.

16
Sense of Touch/FeelAdd additional words

• cool
• scalding
• sticky
• damp
• slippery
• waxy
• rubbery
• crisp
• slick
• steamy
• grainy
• frosty
• prickly
• bitter
• singed
• fine
• dull
• scale
• shocked

• warm
• satiny
• furry
• hot
• leathery
• soft
• sandy
• silky
• smooth
• coarse
• shaggy
• rough
• wrinkled
• rigid
• parched
• melted

17
Sense of Touch/Feel

• Homework assignment
• Using the ideas we have been discussing about
  writing (length and structure), write a paragraph
  about one of the following
• 1. Walking along a beach or road on a hot day
• 2. Trudging through snow in January
• 3. Walking in the rain on a warm spring day

18
Sense of Taste and Smell

• Write answers to the following questions
• What tastes do you like? Dislike?
• Write a phrase describing the taste of your
  favorite food.
• What is your favorite smell?
• What does your room smell like?
• What are some classrooms in the school that have
  distinct smells?
• Can you think of a memory associated with a smell?

19
Sense of Taste and SmellAdd additional words to
each category

• Taste
• buttery
• fruity
• stale
• tart
• creamy
• tangy
• dull

• Smell
• perfumed
• earthy
• sulphurous
• skunky
• musky
• mothballs
• sweaty
• herbal
• musty (old)
• cinnamon
• sweet

20
Sense of Taste and Smell

• Choose the word that creates the most vivid
  picture.
• An (acrid, horrible) smell remained long after
  the fire.
• The rotting fish had a (putrid, unbearable) odor.
• The air smells (wonderful, clean) after a summer
  thunderstorm.
• Old coats can smell (bad, musty).

21
Sense of Taste and Smell

• Homework assignment
• Using the ideas we have been discussing about
  writing (length and structure), write a paragraph
  about following
• You are lying in bed on Saturday morning when you
  awaken
• to the aroma of coffee percolating and bacon
  frying along with other foods. Describe the
  smells of breakfast cooking.   

22
Sense of Taste and Smell

• Spend a few minutes tasting or smelling the
  following objects. Then write a sentence that
  describes it vividly. For example The wet couch
  smelled of mothballs.
• a lemon drop
• a piece of toast
• a pencil
• a fire
• toothpaste

23
Sense of Smell

• Write a paragraph describing one of the scenes
  below (incorporate any/all senses). When
  finished, write an acrostic poem describing that
  same scene (use phrases). Try to capture the
  distinctive odor of the scene you choose to
  describe.
• Doctors office (DOCTOR)
• Bakery (BAKERY)
• Flower shop (FLOWER)

24
Sense Document

• Paragraphs/Assignments to be typed on Sense
  Document
• Be sure to highlight or underline all sense words
• Sense of Sight Sunset
• Sense of Hearing Waves
• Sense of Hearing Writing Cycle
• Sense of Touch/Feel (choice of topic from
  list)
• Sense of Taste and Smell Breakfast
• Sense of Smell (choice of topic from list)
• Sense of Smell Acrostic Poem

25
Final Sense Writing

• Refer to the link on this page entitled
• Final Sense Writing

26
Extra Credit (10 points)

• Write two to three paragraphs creating a scene.
  Appeal to ALL of the sensessight, sound, touch,
  taste, and smell. Make sure you include each
  sense at least twice (underline your sense
  words). Your reader should feel as though they
  are right in your setting. Due on the same date
  as your final sense writing (by the end of the
  school day)only a FINAL DRAFT is needed!
• A supermarket
• A day at the beach or pool
• An accident
• Eating at a restaurant