Welcome to HIT—How I Teach….In this episode, I bring you how to use describing words in writing for upper elementary and middle school students. Describing words, for this lesson, include adjectives, adverbs, and several literary devices. Students learn how to write two descriptive paragraphs using describing words with the Teach-Practice-Apply Method.
First of all, I Teach how to introduce and teach adjectives, adverbs, similes, metaphors, alliteration, and personification for descriptive writing. We teach these by introducing the definitions of them, giving many examples, discussing them orally, giving students a chance to create examples, writing examples on the board, etc.
Then we move to the Practice portion. This is where they have sentences to add these elements to the blank in a no-fail method. In other words, these blanks will only work with the types of words they are to add to the sentences. To continue giving students training wheels, there are samples for each section that they are to PRACTICE the describers and literary devices.
Finally, we Apply the lessons by giving them a framework to use them in (much like last week’s Paragraph House lesson—Hit 27). Students apply by using a fill-in-the-blank outline that has them add an adjective here, an adverb there, an alliteration here, a simile or metaphor there, etc., until both paragraphs are fully outlined, and the student is ready to write. Writing from this fill-in-the-blank outline will be a breeze for them—again, the framework is in place for your student’s success!
Of course, just like every lesson in my one-month downloadable books and my one-semester Meaningful Composition books, this one also has the invaluable sample paragraph (and samples for every describer and device).
And for your convenience, How I Teach…. is available as a podcast (follow along in your TN sheets for that week) and a YouTube video (with Power Point containing the same as the TN)!
Note: This lesson came from Meaningful Composition 5 II, a semester-long, character quality-based, downloadable book!
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