Jordan Earley

Title of Lesson Physical Description Narrative Writing

Grade Level 5th

Time 45-60 minutes

Standards CCSS:
W.5.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear
event sequences.
a. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to
convey experiences and events precisely.
ELD:
Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways
C. Productive
10. Writing literary and informational texts to present,
describe, and explain ideas and information, using
appropriate technology.
Learning Objective Students will be able to write physical descriptions within narrative
writing to develop characters and details of a story.
Learning Target I can develop my characters and story by using strong physical
descriptions that readers can see in their minds when reading my
narrative.
Purpose The purpose of this lesson is to get students to think about how they
can enhance their narrative writing by incorporating physical
descriptive language. This lesson will expand on earlier narrative
writing workshops by including character development through
descriptive writing. Students will be applying what they learn from
this lesson to make their writing clearer and stronger through using
sensory details, vivid language, and personification.
Materials and Resources:
“Blackberry Stew” by Isabell Monk
Resources
Materials:
 Document camera to enhance text
 Access to Mermaid Writing
 ELA Notebooks
 Pencils
 Butcher Paper
Assessment Informal assessment:
  Engage students in whole-class discussions. The teacher will
be listening for student understanding of what physical
description of characters is and why it is important.
 Students will share out their own writing samples of physical
description. The teach will be listening for vivid words and
sensory details.
 Teacher will also walk around the room listening in on
student conversations to listen for students brainstorming
and using strong descriptions.
Instructional Sequence Introduction/Opening Activity: 5 minutes:
 The teacher will introduce the lesson by saying “Today we
are going to be working on our narrative writing by working
on how we can develop our characters and story details with
strong vivid and physical descriptions. Today we will be
working on visualizing what we read. This means that when
we read it, the descriptions of the characters are so strong
that if we were to close our eyes, we can really picture it in
our minds”.
 Teacher will state the expectation of the lesson: “My
expectation for today’s lesson is that you will be active
listeners when I am reading examples of character physical
descriptions, and that you will contribute to the discussions
and participate.”
Body: 45 minutes:
 Teacher will open the day’s activity by asking students to
take out their ELA notebooks and open to a new page for
notes. The teacher will ask the students to write: “Physical
Descriptions” in their ELA notebooks.
 Write physical description on a chart for students to see and
ask for student volunteers to define these words. As students
share out, the teacher will write those definitions underneath.
After students have shared out, the teacher will provide a
more formal definition and write it in a different color under
student answers. Students will be writing these definitions
and student answers down in their ELA notebooks.
 Ask students why physical descriptions are important when
writing a narrative. Student answers can include “it helps
create a visual image of the character”.
 The teacher will bring out Blackberry Stew and show it to
the students saying “I am going to read some passages from
 this book, and I want to listen as I read to you. As I read,
think about the descriptions being used. Can you “see” in
your head how the characters are described?”.
Read from Blackberry Stew: ‘“My goodness, your big brown eyes
are just spilling over with tears. Even filled with tears, they are the
spitting image of your grandpa Jack’s,” she said as she handed me
one of her lacy hankies.’
 After reading the passage from Blackberry Stew, have the
students turn to one another to discuss how the passage
includes physical descriptive writing when describing the
character. Tell the students, “I want you to turn and talk to a
neighbor about what you see in your head when you heard
this passage being read to you”. Allow for discussion. Have
students share out.
Read from Blackberry Stew: “The next morning, I jumped out of
bed- I was so excited to go blackberry picking. Even though it was
warm, I covered myself with clothes from head to toe just like
Grandpa Jack told me to”.
 Have a whole group discussion about the vivid gestures,
actions, and descriptions from this passage. Talk about the
minds “eye” and how we use that to picture the story in our
mind.
Student Action:
 Have students close their eyes for the next activity. Say to
the students, “I want you to picture your story in your head.
Think about your characters and events. Who is there? What
do they look like? What were their expressions, gestures,
actions? I want you to close your eyes and see those things in
your mind.”
 Bring students back, “Open your eyes. In your ELA
notebook, I want you to practice writing some physical
descriptions that you would want to add to your story. Think
to yourself about words and phrases you want to use so that
when it is read the reader can ‘see’ it in their mind”.
 After giving students time to write some quick physical
descriptions, bring the students back together saying, “Come
together in 5,4,3,2,1”, then say “now you are going to switch
ELA notebooks with someone at your table. You will be
working together to make your writing stronger. You and
your partner will read each other’s sentences and come up
 with suggestions on how to improve. If you finish early,
come up with sentences together. Talk to your partner about
other ideas you might have and help each other come up
with more physical descriptions.”
 Allow students to share out writing to whole group if time
allows. Provide immediate feedback for students who share.
Check for Understanding:
 Teacher will check for understanding during whole-class
discussions when the teacher asks for students to share why
physical descriptions are important. The teacher will be
looking for student ability to state the importance of physical
descriptions in writing.
 Teacher will check for understanding when walking around
the room and reading student sample work. The teacher will
be looking for use of vivid physical descriptions.
Closure  Teacher will bring the students back together saying “Come
together in 5,4,3,2,1”.
 Teacher will then ask students to get their ELA notebooks
back and look at their writing they have worked on and say
“we have worked on adding physical descriptions to our
writing. When you work on your narrative writing, I want
you to reread your work and find places to add more vivid
details that you can see within your mind. Always ask
yourself, ‘Can I see it in my mind when I read?”.
 Have students put their ELA notebooks away.
Next Steps Students will use the collected notes in their ELA notebooks and
what they have learned from the lesson to help them when revising
and editing their Mermaid Narrative writing assignment. Students
will begin revising their Mermaid Writing drafts by noticing or
including the use of physical character descriptions.
Accommodations  Blackberry Stew will be projected onto board using the
document camera, for students who will need to track along
with the teacher reading from the book.
 Emergent Bilingual students and students with IEPs will be
working collaboratively with the students around them when
working on writing samples.
 Academic language definitions will be kept at the front of
the room for student reference and will be explicitly taught at
the beginning of the lesson.