Transcript Writing using your senses - San Antonio Writing Project

Using the Five Senses in Teaching
Students With Disabilities to Write
Descriptive Paragraphs and/or
Poetry
Joanne M. Benson
Email: [email protected]
San Antonio Writing Project
Descriptive Writing Using Your
Senses
Purpose of this strategy
To help students with learning disabilities and
students in ELL use their five senses to increase
their descriptive writing skills
Descriptive Writing Using Your
Senses
All about me:
Recent graduate of UTSA with a
Master’s degree in Special
Education
Worked in Early Childhood, as a
Substitute Teacher, and a
Paraeducator
Descriptive Writing Using Your
Senses
My philosophy of writing and
literacy is that it is a gift ready
to be opened
I wish my students to enjoy the
gift of writing and not fear it
I wish my students to open the
gift with joyful anticipation
I wish my students to use this gift
practically and expressively
I wish my students to give the gift
of writing and literacy to
others in their writing
Descriptive Writing Using Your
Senses
My Inspiration
Walt Disney
“I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than
educate people and hope they were entertained.”
Carol Burnett
“Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.”
My author friend LeeAnn Newton
“Close your eyes Joanne and tell me what you hear.”
My students
“I hate to write, no one can read my writing, why do I have to write?”
Descriptive Writing Using Your
Senses
How I used this:
Jennifer Hall Kruger Middle School 7th grade
GT students
The other teacher consultants in the
summer institute
Descriptive Writing Using Your Senses
Research:
Patterson, E., Schaller, M., & Clemens, J., (2008). A closer look at
interactive writing. The Reading Teacher, 61 (6), 496-497.
Douville, P., (2004). Use mental imagery across the curriculum.
Preventing School Failure, 49 (1), 36-39.
Santagelo, T., Harris, K.R., & Graham, S., (2008). Using self-regulated
strategy development to support students who have “Trubol Giting
Thangs Into Werds”. Remedial & Special Education, 29 (2), 78-89.
Diliberto, J.A., (2004). Improving descriptive sentence writing in
elementary school. Preventing School Failure, 48 (4), 34-36.
Descriptive Writing Using Your Senses
References:
For K-2: Writing a Poem Using the Five Senses:
http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Health/Body_Systems_and_Sen
ses/BSS0009.html
For 3-5: Sense You Asked! Writing Workshop Lesson:
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/520.shtml
For Middle School: Creative Writing: A Unit based on the Harry Potter
Series (Vocabulary)
http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/englishresource/creative.html
Using the Five Senses to Enhance Your Writing
http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-the-Five-Senses-to-EnhanceYour-Writing&id=180036
Descriptive Writing Using Your
Senses
Before the writing begins
I explain the process
Walk them through the steps
I read excerpts from novels/short stories
Examples:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O’Dell
I give a list of descriptive vocabulary words
I model how to use the senses by exploring one of the senses and
doing a think aloud and writing a few sentences
I then put my pieces together to write one final piece
Descriptive Writing Using Your
Senses
The Lesson
1. Each student takes a colored 3 x 5 note card the corresponds with the
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
sense, i.e. Pink = Sight
The students will then go to the table with the corresponding sense.
While at the table they will explore the sense object
Once the object is explored the student will write descriptively on the note
card (No rules, can have bullets, thoughts, complete sentences)
After they have written what they wish on the note card, they will take
their note cards and create a final product including all of the senses they
wrote about
This can be done in the form of an essay or poem or a narrative
* Modifications can be made to these steps
Descriptive Writing Using Your
Senses
Modifications
Can be used with all grades and abilities
Special Education/ELL
Can be used as a group pre-write or
individual pre-write
Can be used as a mini-lesson, i.e. one
sense per lesson
Can be used in workshop format