Picture Books memorable details
I’ve been meaning to share a lesson I use to invite writers to discover and begin using memorable language. First we define memorable language – we talk about sensory details, figurative language such as similes and metaphors, and words that paint picures in our minds.
Students are then put into groups and each group is given a children’s book to read that is written with memorable language. The books I have used previously include: “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen; “Secret Place” by Eve Bunting; “Home Place” by Jerry Pinkey; “In November” by Cynthia Rylant; “Winter Waits” by Lynn Plourde; “Letting Swift River Go” by Jane Yolen. Students are responsible for recording sensory details on a graphic organizer I’ve given them, and they also make note of any other memorable language they encounter. Once they’ve finished reading, they add the words and phrases they’ve found to be detailed to the Smart Board for the entire class to see.
Once the lesson is over, the entire class has been exposed to a lot of memorable language. We discuss why it is important to include this language in our writing, and then we talk about ways to do it. Our first writing challenge to incorporate these words is to write about our favorite season. Since seasons can be described easily, and they are really only four to choose from, students can work together on ideas for incorporating memorable details into their favorite season writing piece.
I’ve attached my brainstorming and essay plan that I demonstrate for the kids on the projector. I talk through my thought process for writing this way, and share excitement with the students when we come up with a great, detailed line. I have also shared my rubric for assessing these essays. The students usually end up surprising themselves with their ability to use such descriptive, memorable language in an expository essay format. I’ll be doing this lesson next week, and hopefully I’ll find students willing to share their samples on here!
