Ver. 4.

001 08/22/14

Sensory Words Lesson

First Name

Mia

Last Name

UH Email

mbrandon@hawaii.ed
u

Date

Semester

1 fall

Year

Grade Level/
Subject
Title

Murray
11/13/14
2014
45 minutes

4th/writing

Lesson Duration
Sensory Words

Lesson Overview
Briefly summarize your lesson plan in a few sentences.

Students will discuss the five different senses and learn about words that they
can use in their writing to describe something using sensory words. They will
participate in a guided activity where we will describe popcorn as a group. They
will then apply their knowledge by working individually to describe an object of
their choice. Last, they will share in a small group and take turns using the
descriptions to guess what their partners were describing.

Central Focus (Enduring Understandings)

A brief description of the important understanding(s) or key concept(s)

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Students will discover and analyze how the use of senses brings their writings
to life. They will understand new ways to describe things in their writing.

Essential Question(s)
The big idea of the lesson stated as a question or questions

Why do we want to include senses in our writing?

How can writers make their readers really feel like part of a story?

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Content Standard(s)/Benchmark
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) or Hawaii Content & Performance
Standards III (HCPS III) that align with the central focus and address essential
understandings, concepts, and skills

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3.d
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and
events precisely.

Prior Academic Knowledge and Student Assets

The students prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets that will
support their learning

Students have experience writing personal and fictional narratives. They also
have experience with the word choice trait. We have been discussing how to
paint a picture with our words and write in a way that allows the reader to feel as
if they are in the story. They have also learned about the different senses during
body research in Science.

Academic Language Demands

The language function essential for student learning (verb), additional language
demand(s) (vocabulary or symbols, syntax, discourse), and language supports
(helps the student understand and use language)

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Senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing.
We will discuss some words that can be used to describe the senses.
Students will also each get a list of several sensory words to keep in their
writing folder.
Students must also understand what describe means. Students will also
know what a table or chart is. I will model how to draw the table on the
board then they will draw their own. They are familiar with drawing tables.
This could also be called a graphic organizer.

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

A description of what the teacher will be doing and what the students will be doing
that 1) uses clear steps that convey the use of multiple strategies, resources, and
technology and 2) offers opportunities offered for inquiry, active learning,
individual work, and pairs/small group interactions

Give detailed, step-by-step instructions on how you will implement the

instructional plan.
Describe exactly what students will do during the lesson.

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(1 min) 1.Students will gather on the rug. Teacher: Well, first of all I want to
start by saying that I am so impressed with the colorful words you have
been using in your writing. Youve all been doing an amazing job describing
things in a way that paints a picture for your readers. Another way we can
describe things for our readers is by using sensory words. What do you
think I mean when I say sensory words? (Wait for answer. If no one
responds ask: whats a word like sensory that Josie and Tessa have been
teaching us about during body research?)
(1 min) 2. (Go to white board)Teacher: Think in your head for a moment
about what the different senses are. When you think you have one, raise
your hand. (call on students and write their answers on board).
(5min)3. Teacher: Were going to practice describing just one thing using
all 5 senses. (Write Popcorn on white board above the five senses just
written. Draw lines to create a table format).
Think quietly for a moment about words we can use to describe how
popcorn tastes, smells, sounds, looks, and feels and raise your hand when
youve got one. (Wait for a moment for the students to think. Call on
several people and fill in their answers in appropriate box). Yum, I can
practically taste it. Now, lets think of a way we can use these words to write
a couple of sentences describing popcorn by using these words. But we
cant say the word popcorn, because its going to be described so well
that theyll know that its popcorn. Think for a minute. (ex: I could hear it
pop, pop, popping, and the buttery smell was drifting from the kitchen.
Finally, it was ready and I gobbled up the yellow, warm pieces. They were
salty and delicious. ) Call on students and write the sentence on the board.
Circle the sensory words on the table that were used.
(5min)4. Ok, I want each of you to think quietly in your head for a moment
about something you can describe using sensory words. It could be
something like pizza, the ocean, pumpkins, whatever. (allow a moment for
thought). When you get back to your desk, take out a sheet of lined paper,
and make a table like the one we have here for popcorn, where you have the
senses listed but the boxes are empty. One more important part is that
youre not going to put the name of the thing youre describing because
later were going to have to guess what it is. Once you choose your object
and draw your table, wait for the next step, so we can all start together, ok?
Any questions? (wait for questions). Go for it. (allow 3 min for them to
complete task.)
(8min)5. Ok, has everyone chosen something to describe and finished their
table? (if no, give one minute warning, if yes, move on). The first sense is
sight. Were going to take one minute to list as many words as you can that
describe what your object looks like. You can look at that sensory words list

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Assessment
The tools/procedures to monitor students learning of lesson objective(s) to include
formative assessments applied throughout the lesson and a summative assessment of
what students learned by the end of the lesson (include checklist or rubric)

Emerging
Proficient
Excellent
Uses only one or two senses

Does not use clear descriptions

Writing lacks feeling, or is a list of facts

Uses three or four senses

Uses clear description

Writing is detailed but thing being described is not easily identified

Uses all five senses

Uses vivid and detailed descriptions

Writing is interesting and paints a picture with words

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Differentiation and Accommodations
Instructional strategies and planned supports for individuals, and/or groups of students
with specific learning needs that provide adaptations connected to instructional
strategies, the learning environment, content, and/or assessment/performance task for
individuals and/or small groups (e.g., ELL/MLL, struggling, accelerated, 504/IEP, etc.)

All learners will have the opportunity to participate in guided practice, group
activity and individual work. Examples and instruction will be available visually
and auditory.
Students will choose one place/thing to describe in their writing instead of
having to write a whole story.

TYPE OF LEARNER

ELL/MLL

Struggling

Accelerated

504/IEP

List the type of accommodation or differentiation (learning

environment, content, process, or performance task) and
describe how you will differentiate.
n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

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Others (describe)

n/a

Materials (Optional)
Please note and/or paste any supporting materials (i.e., teaching materials, custom
lesson plans, etc.) into the space below. You may use as many pages as needed
beyond the space below to paste your materials.

List of sensory words for each student (optional)

Lesson Plan Reflection

An analysis of what worked, what could be changed, and the next steps for teaching.
edTPA Rubric 10 Analyzing Teaching Effectiveness: The candidate uses
evidence to evaluate and change teaching practice to meet students varied learning
needs.
edTPA Rubric 15 Using Assessment to Inform Instruction: The candidate
uses the analysis of what students know and are able to do to plan next steps in
instruction.
InTASC Standard 9. Professional Learning and Ethical Practice

What changes would you make to your instructionfor the whole class and/or
for students who need greater support or challengeto better support student
learning of the central focus (e.g., missed opportunities)?
Based on your reflection and your assessment of student learning, describe the
next steps to support students learning related to the central focus and student
learning objectives.

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There are a couple of things I would do differently. I would take more time
writing our popcorn sentences and make them flow together as a whole piece.
Then I would be clearer when telling them that their sentences for their object
should be described in such a way that the reader will know what theyre talking
about. The other thing I would change is at the end. A few people that shared
theirs with the class were not detailed enough that we could figure out what the
object was. This kept dragging on. One way to help this along (besides the
direction being clearer as mentioned above) would be to help the class focus on
the sensory words used by writing them on the board. This would help eliminate
the same thing being guessed more than once or something being guessed that
didnt match the description.
Going forward the students are going to use their list of descriptions to create a
concrete poem about their object. We will also encourage them in their everyday
writing to include senses.