Dear Colleague,
Using quality details in writing transforms the piece -- taking it from ordinary to extraordinary. One effective way of finding juicy details, is to recall information from all five senses. This week's mini-lesson features a mentor text by Amy Timberlake that allows us to hear, smell, feel, and taste the life of her fictitious cowboy - all on the first page!. If you don't have this book on hand, no worries. I've included a list at the end of the lesson of other picture books rich in sensory detail.
Happy writing!
Jennifer
P.P.S. (Can you tell that I was the fourth grader who could continue her postscripts forever?) I apologize for the broken link in my last newsletter and any frustration it may have caused. Click here to learn more about professional development options. |
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Using Sensory Detail
On Hand: The Dirty Cowboy by Amy Timberlake (2003) or any other picture book that uses strong sensory language.
Mini-Lesson: Read the story once, then prepare to reread the first page. Ask students to close their eyes and see if the writing causes them to feel as if they, too, are right there with the main character:
At the end of two fence lines and right at the rock called The Praying Iguana lived a cowboy in a tin-roofed shack.
Every morning, he'd call his dog, mount his horse, and spend the day tracking stray longhorn cattle on the New Mexico range.
Every evening, he'd stoke his fire and fry up some bacon, beans, and potatoes while whistling "The Streets of Laredo."
Share one of your reactions: "I could feel the warmth of that campfire," and invite students to do the same: "I could smell the bacon cooking," "I could hear the whistling," and so on.
Remind students that by selecting details that engage all of our senses, we help readers imagine themselves in the place of the writer or main character. Suggest students use an editing pencil to circle the sensory words in their own writing.
Extension: Invite students to search for passages in their reading that allow readers to imagine a sound, touch, smell, or taste.
Other Books with Sensory Details:
McDuff Moves In, by Rosemary Wells
A Visitor for Bear, by Bonny Becker
The Night is Singing, by Jacqueline Davies
Night in the Country, by Cynthia Rylant
Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen
Banjo Granny, by Sarah Martin Busse and Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Adapted from NO MORE "i'M DONE!" FOSTERING INDEPENDENT WRITERS IN THE PRIMARY GRADES. |
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If possible, take students on a sensory walk. Provide them with small notebooks and ask them to record the sounds and smells in addition to the sights. Pause to let them feel their feet against the pavement or to run their hand against the bark of a tree. When you return to the classroom, invite students to write about their experiences and to share their favorite sentences. |
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No More "I'm Done!" focuses on nurturing independent primary writers. In addition to suggesting a classroom set-up and routines that support independence, a year of developmentally appropriate minilessons is provided.
Preview the text online here.
To listen to a podcast about the book go here. |
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I would love to come to your school! Please view my website to see if a teacher inservice or residency might fit your staff development needs.
I'm available for author visits too. |
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for primary teachers
