Carol Ashey 1

ENGL 483
Dr. Hartman
April 24, 2014
Reflection
It took me awhile to think of what I wanted the lesson surrounding the assignment to be. My
thought process was that the lesson overall had to be related to sensory language. When I thought of
the assignment and how the focus was on words used to make a picture as a whole, the word and
literary device Imagery came to mind. As soon as I thought the word, I knew I had found my
surrounding context for my assignment. I looked up what imagery was as a refresher, and found that
descriptive words were just one part of the whole that makes up imagery.
Originally, I had wanted the before section of the assignment to be the different types of
writing styles, such as narratives, poems, and songs. With adding Imagery to the mix, I realized that this
needed to be the first establishment of prior knowledge, or as I labeled it, the before before.
Imagery became the new before because it was the basis for the descriptive words and sensory
language, and knowledge of what imagery is and what in encompasses was important in understanding
the other branches, which included allusions, metaphors, and similes.
Descriptive words, or sensory language as I put it, became the during portion of the lesson,
which was my writing assignment design. I came up with I think, some very good Writing Into and Out of
the Day questions, which sandwiched the assignment. After some more thought, I changed them to
journal entries. The first journal question asks students to think of some of their favorite words, write
them down, and question why the words are favorites and what about them makes it a favorite. The
second journal question I asked was why word choice was important, how it both strengthens and
weakens writing, and to ponder when description becomes too much. The third journal question I asked
Ashey 2
goes after the students have finished the assignment and asks them how the assignment has changed
their view of reading and writing, as well as the progress they have seen in their writing as a result of the
assignment and what they can do to improve. As for the after portion, the only thing that came to
mind as a type of closure was to do a coffee house where the students read the works they wrote for
the assignment. When I thought of where in the semester the assignment should be placed, for me it
worked either at the beginning or in the middle. Then again, I feel like most of the assignments I come
up with are for the middle of the semester.
Earlier in the class, when I received feedback from my classmates and my student about the
assignment, I brought up my frustration with feeling that my assignment was too easy. Everyone who I
received feedback from said that this was not the case, and that it was perfect for the grade level I had
picked. I felt relieved to hear this; also my student Taylor said that my directions were clear on the
assignment, which was also helpful. Since I was pressed for time in class, I did not give Taylor the journal
entry part of the assignment (which I didnt think of until after I had received her assignment and graded
it).
While I did enjoy creating this assignment and actually giving it to a fellow student to complete, I
had felt that there was something missing; this turned out to be the journal entries. When I came up
with the idea to change the writing into the day questions to journal entries, the context for my
assignment felt complete. I would absolutely use this lesson in my classroom and, seeing how I become
super excited while creating the context for this assignment, I know I would have a lot of fun teaching it.







Ashey 3
Ms. Ashey

Experimenting with Sensory Language
Grade: 9

Part One:
Since we have currently been studying the literary device of Imagery, what it is and the other devices
that help make it up, we are now going to delve deeper into imagery by focusing on the component of
descriptive words and sensory language. For this assignment, you are going to write about an
experience, either real or imagined, using descriptive language. By descriptive and sensory, I mean
incorporating into this experience what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. You can do this
assignment in one of three ways: through a narrative, a poem, or a song. If you decide to do a narrative,
it must be 1-3 pages in length; a poem must be at least three stanzas, and a song must have two verses
and a chorus. Each of these has its own rubric, and students will use the handouts on the brush strokes
for use during the assignment.

Part Two:
Once you have chosen the style you want to write in, you are to follow the following steps to complete
the assignment:
Step One: Students will write in their daybook the first of three journal entries, writing down
some of their favorite words, then explaining why these words are favored and what about them
(meaning, the way it sounds, etc) makes it a favorite.
Step Two: Students will observe the world around them and record what they see, hear, smell,
taste, and touch, then consult a thesaurus and make a list of descriptive words that fall into each sense
category.
Step Three: Students will write their first draft of their narrative, poem, or song and submit it for
peer review. Students will then revise accordingly.
Step Four: Students will write their second journal entry in their daybooks on the importance of
word choice, how it strengthens and weakens writing, and questioning when descriptive writing
becomes too much.
Step Five: Students will write the second draft of the assignment, submit for peer review and
revise.
Step Six: Students will write the final draft of their assignment and complete the third journal
entry in their daybooks. This journal entry asks the student how their views of reading and/or writing
have changed over the course of the assignment, what progress they have seen and how they can
improve.

Narrative Rubric
Categories Weak OK Strong
Sensory Language Student uses few or no
sense related language.
Student only uses one
or two senses. There is
no evidence of use of a
thesaurus.
Student uses at least
three or more senses
and there is some
evidence of use of a
thesaurus.
Student relates the
experience through all
five senses and
evidence of use of
thesaurus is clear.
Brush Strokes No brush strokes were At least one brush Two brush strokes are
used stroke is used. used.
Mechanics Experience barely
makes one page or is
less than one page.
Student experience
encompasses one to
one and a half pages
typed, double spaced.
Experience
encompasses two or
more full pages, typed
and double spaced.

Poem Rubric
Categories Weak OK Strong
Sensory Language Student uses few or no
sense related language
and only uses one or
two senses. No use of
thesaurus is evident.
Student uses at least
three or more senses
and there is some
evidence of use of
thesaurus.
Student relates
experience through all
five senses and
evidence of use of
thesaurus is clear
Brush Strokes No brush strokes used. One brush stroke used. Two brush strokes used.
Mechanics One stanza Two stanzas Three stanzas

Song Rubric
Categories Weak OK Strong
Sensory Language Student uses few or no
sense related language
and only uses one or
two senses. No use of
thesaurus is evident.
Student uses at least
three or more senses
and there is some
evidence of use of
thesaurus.
Student relates
experience through all
five senses and
evidence of use of
thesaurus is clear
Brush Strokes No brush strokes used One brush stroke used Two brush strokes used
Mechanics One verse, no chorus One verse and chorus Two verses and a
chorus


Student Sample Poem by Taylor Edwards

The wild wind roared down the broken highway
Chunks of gravel littered my windshield like the hail born of brutal night
Though a Jamaican man sang of peace via the instrument of my radio,
I was an enflamed spirit hell bent on the revenge only expected of a woman scorned

Sulfur hit my nostrils with a power that existed only in Grecian tales
and for some reason, it was a perfume that resonated my rage
Even the peaceful night black, no stars, a majestic moon did nothing to settle
My Wrath

Your muffled screams were like raindrops upon a roof settling my psyche into motion,
a rhythm
My nails lightly traced the rope to my left like a lover upon beloveds skin
The mountain air chilled me to the bone and I envisioned the fall that was about to take place
over the mountains ridge


Ashey 5
Assessment of Poem:
Mechanics Strong (three stanzas)
Brush Strokes Strong (Action verbs and Appositives)
Sensory Language Ok (four senses used sight, hearing, smell, and touch; thesaurus use
evident)
Grade: A

Comments:
Fabulous poem Taylor! Your choice of words creates a very vivid image, and your tone of voice
in the poem creates great suspense. I can feel the wrath and fury in your words. Well done!