Descriptive Essay - Hershey Kiss



Descriptive Essay - Hershey Kiss Language Arts9 / 1025-35 studentsResourceGuilford, Nikki. “Hershey Kiss Descriptive Essay”. Alex: Alabama Learning Exchange. Alabama Department of Education. Web. Aug. 2, 2011. OverviewThis lesson takes students through the process of using their senses to create a descriptive essay about a Hershey Kiss.ObjectivesLevel 9 and 10 Language Arts students will use vivid imagery to describe a Hershey Kiss. As a class, students will list these original examples of figurative language using a graphic organizer. At the end of the lesson, students will know what elements help create an effective descriptive essay. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to compose a powerful and effective descriptive essay using the words and sensory experiences from the lesson. Anticipatory Set / AimGive me a phrase to describe your last class. OR Think back to how you felt when you woke up this morning. Describe it to me.Remind students of some of the descriptive writing they have recently read in class.Explain that words can be a very powerful tool when describing a thing or an event. A thorough description can help someone else understand and develop an image of the moment, item or emotion the writer is trying to convey. Read a descriptive excerpt (below) and have students discuss how the writer helped create an image. The thick, burnt scent of roasted coffee tickled the tip of my nose just seconds before the old, faithful alarm blared a distorted top-forty through its tiny top speaker. Wiping away the grit of last night's sleep, the starch white sunlight blinded me momentarily as I slung my arm like an elephant trunk along the top of the alarm, searching for the snooze button. While stretching hands and feet to the four posts of my bed, my eyes opened after several watery blinks. I crawled out of the comforter, edging awkwardly like a butterfly from a cocoon, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The dusty pebbles on the chilled, wood floor sent ripples spiraling from my ankles to the nape of my neck when my feet hit the floor. Grabbing the apricot, terri-cloth robe, recently bathed in fabric softener and October wind, I knotted it tightly at my waist like a prestigious coat of armor and headed downstairs to battle the morning. (Everett, Heidi and Judith Kilborn. “Descriptive Essays. “LEO: Literacy Education Online. Web. Aug. 2, 2011.)ActivityPlace a Hershey Kiss on each student’s desk. Tell the students they may look at it, but they may not touch it or eat it. Let them know they will be able to eat them later.On a Smartboard or overhead, handwrite 4 columns and label them “Looks like,” “Sounds like,” Smells like” and “Tastes like”. Students should not write anything yet. Discuss descriptive writing and how fun and creative it can be to use word imagery. The reader is actively involved in creating the image because he/she is able to visualize it completely.Give each student a copy of the graphic organizer to use for their own brainstorming or to copy phrases from the board to use later. Begin with the “Looks like” column. Have students look at their Hershey Kiss and describe what they see. Encourage them to expand beyond “silver paper” to “mirror like” or “sparkly like a diamond” etc. Encourage metaphors, similies, and personification as well as adjectives. If students are having a difficult time coming up with creative words, allow them to look up alternatives in their Thesaurus. Write down their descriptive phrases under the appropriate heading.If students are not contributing creative or descriptive phrases, go back and discuss the reason for using descriptive writing; to help the reader create his/her own image. Read another excerpt of descriptive writing and discuss how the students felt when they heard it. Did they develop a picture in their mind? How did that make them feel? How did the writer help them create that picture?Move along the headings repeating the process. For the “Sounds like” column, have students unwrap their Hershey Kiss in their ear in order to listen for the crinkling wrapper.Finally, have students close their eyes and slowly eat the chocolate. Insist on silence in the classroom so students will be able to concentrate and not be disturbed. After a couple minutes, ask students to describe the taste and write it in the appropriate column.Leave the chart up on the Smartboard or overhead. Explain that each student will now write a powerful descriptive essay of the simple pleasure of a Hershey Kiss. Encourage them to recreate all the senses they used during the activity on paper so that other people will understand how great a small piece of chocolate can be when truly appreciated. Encourage students to add more examples to the list the class created as they recreate the experience. Review the techniques that help create a good descriptive essay: using the senses, using clear, concise language, choosing vivid language, tapping into your emotions, organization, and leaving a clear impression. Allow students to finish and/or revise their essays at home and collect them for grading the following day.ClosureWho can tell me something they learned about descriptive writing? Can you give me an example of when descriptive writing might be useful? Tell me some good techniques to use when writing a descriptive essay. When you go home tonight, reread your essay. Does it help you recreate your experience in class today? Does it make your mouth water? If not, go back and find ways to add more creative words and imagery to your writing. Learning ModesAuditory – The teacher will read a descriptive essay aloud and lead a discussion on writing a descriptive essay. Students will share their descriptive phrases aloud. Visual – The descriptive phrases and words will be written on the board. Also, students will have their own paper on which to chart these phrases and/or additional phrases of their own.Kinesthetic / Tactile – The students will use their senses to experience the chocolate so that they may describe it to others.Multiple IntelligencesLinguistic – Yes, using words to create imagery and writing an essay.Logical Mathematical – N/ASpatial – Yes, using the graph to list descriptions under the appropriate heading.Bodily-Kinesthetic – Yes, using the senses to experience the chocolate. Musical – N/AInterpersonal – Yes, working together as a class to come up with images.Intrapersonal – Yes, reflecting upon the experience in order to write the essay.Naturalist – N/ANotesMaterialsOne Hershey Kiss per studentChalk board, Smart board or overhead projectorStudent copies of graphic organizer One Thesaurus per student (optional)Content Standards:1.5 Respond personally, analytically, and critically to a variety of oral, visual, written, and electronic texts, providing examples of how texts influence their lives and their role in society.2.1 Write fluently for multiple purposes to produce compositions, such as stories, poetry, person narratives, editorials, research reports, persuasive essays, resumes, and memos.2.2 Recognize and approximate authors’ innovative techniques to convey meaning and influence an audience when composing their own texts. 2.3 Plan, draft, revise and edit their texts, and analyze and critique the texts of others in such areas as purpose, effectiveness, cohesion and creativity.2.4 Demonstrate precision in selecting appropriate language conventions when editing text. 3.7 Recognize and use varied innovative techniques to construct text, convey meaning, and express feelings to influence an audience. 8.1 Identify and use selectively mechanics that facilitate understanding. 8.4 Identify and use aspects of the craft of the speaker, writer, and illustrator to formulate and express their ideas artistically. ................
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