Navigation Support Document for descriptive writing
Overview
A collection of digital learning objects to teach descriptive writing skills.
Descriptive writing
This can be an individual or pair task.
Can be used as an inside classroom or self-learning task.
Can be for instructional purposes or as an anchor task.
Aim: Writing
Objective: Writing descriptive paragraphs
Instructions:
- This NSD contains lecture videos, courses, and webpages to help you learn descriptive writing. Choose any you like from resources 1 to 3.
- After this, you can take a look at a few samples in resource 4.
- Understand how a descriptive essay is assessed using resource 5.
- Finally, you get to turn ‘teacher’ and score a descriptive essay in resource 6.
- This is followed by a discussion and writing task. These can be done as inside or outside classroom tasks.
- Look at resources 7 and 8. They provide you detailed information on writing about places and people.
- Resource 9 is where you can go if you would like some advanced level information about descriptive writing.
Resource 1: Lectures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SccibrZF3as
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4ENH-zQgWU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56GLAq8LiEE
Resource 2: Courses
http://www.uni-koeln.de/owc/descperson.htm
https://opentextbc.ca/buildingblocks/chapter/descriptive-paragraphs/
Resource 3: Webpages
https://justaddstudents.com/descriptive-writing/
https://www.twinkl.co.in/teaching-wiki/descriptive-writing
Resource 4: Examples
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/descriptive-text-examples.html
Resource 5: Essay analysis
This link gives you a few examples and explains how to analyse and evaluate descriptive essays. Take a look. This will help you score a student essay in the next step.
https://www.thoughtco.com/model-descriptive-paragraphs-1690573
Your turn: Pair or individual activity.
Resource 6: Score an essay
Now it’s your turn to turn teacher 😊
- Here are a few essays written by others. With your partner, choose any one essay for scoring.
https://www.freeessaywriter.net/blog/descriptive-essay-examples/descriptive-essay-example-for-grade-8.pdf
https://www.freeessaywriter.net/blog/descriptive-essay-examples/descriptive-essay-example-for-grade-10.pdf
There are a few more in this site
https://www.collegeessay.org/blog/descriptive-essay-examples
- Use the rubrics in the link given below or the rubrics in the table below to help you evaluate the essay.
https://www.chsd1.org/cms/lib/PA01001446/Centricity/Domain/181/Descriptive-Essay-Rubric.pdf
Decide with your partner how you’re going to mark the essay.
- Score the essay individually first.
Rubric for Descriptive Writing
| 4- Excellent | 3- Very Good | 2-Satisfactory | 1-Needs Improvement |
Ideas | *“paints a picture” for the reader *well-focused on the topic *clear ideas are well-supported with interesting and vivid details | *creates some clear images for the reader *focused on the topic *ideas are well-supported with details
| *sometimes strays from the topic *ideas are not well-developed *more details are needed
| *poorly focused on the topic *ideas are unclear *few details are given
|
Organization | *well-focused on the topic *logical organization *excellent transitions *easy to follow | *generally focused on the topic *some lapses in organization *some transitions *usually easy to follow | *somewhat focused on the topic *poor organization *few transitions *difficult to follow | *not focused on the topic *no clear organization *no transitions *difficult to impossible to follow |
Introduction | Introductory paragraph clearly states subject of essay and captures reader's attention. | Introductory paragraph states subject of essay but is not particularly inviting to the reader. | Introductory paragraph attempts to state subject of essay but does not capture reader's attention. | No attempt is made to state the subject of the essay in an introductory paragraph. |
Word Choice | *precise, vivid and interesting word choices *wide variety of word choices | *fairly precise, interesting and somewhat varied word choices *wording could be more specific | *vague, mundane word choices *wording is sometimes repetitive *more descriptive words are needed | *very limited word choices *wording is bland and not descriptive |
Sensory Detail | Essay includes details that appeal to at least three of the five senses (taste, touch, sound, sight, smell). | Includes details that appeal to fewer than three of the five senses. | Includes details that appeal to only one of the five senses. | Includes no details that appeal to one of the five senses. |
Figurative Language | Writer effectively uses simile, metaphor, and personification to describe the subject. | Writer uses one example of simile, metaphor, or personification to describe the subject. | Writer may try to use simile, metaphor, and personification but does so incorrectly. | Writer does not include simile, metaphor, or personification in essay. |
Sentence Fluency | *uses complete sentences *varying sentence structure and lengths | *uses complete sentences *generally simple sentence structures | *occasional sentence fragment or run-on sentences *simple sentence structure is used repeatedly | *frequent use of sentence fragments or run-on sentences *sentences are difficult to understand |
Conventions | *proper grammar, usage *correct spelling *correct punctuation *correct capitalization | *few errors of grammar and usage *mostly correct spelling, punctuation and capitalization | *errors in grammar, usage and spelling sometimes make understanding difficult *some errors in punctuation and capitalization | *frequent errors in grammar, usage, spelling, capitalization and punctuation make understanding difficult or impossible |
Voice | *voice is fitting for the topic and engaging *well-suited for audience and purpose | *voice is fairly clear and seems to fit the topic *suited for audience and purpose | *voice rarely comes through *not always suited for audience and purpose | *voice is weak or inappropriate *no sense of audience and purpose |
Source: https://www.bvsd.k12.pa.us
- What is the score? Discuss with your writing buddy/ peer and justify your score.
Your turn: Write Describe an advertisement (poster or video) that you like - what is it, what happens in it, and what does it mean. Given below are two contrasting images on gender in advertisements.
|
Source: https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-05-10/swedish-boys-new-hero-pram-pushing-spiderman
Source: https://elliottdrewrysblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/gender-in-advertising-gap-ads.html?showComment=1628663945969#c2952790460595839708
Resource 7: Additional resources: Descriptive writing (places)
Let’s start with a sample
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/write-short-descriptive-paragraph-about-place-real-455980
https://writeshop.com/choosing-vocabulary-to-describe-a-place/
https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/descriptive/
https://edumantra.net/describing-a-place-essay-creative-writing/
Resource 8: Additional resources: Descriptive writing (persons)
Let’s start with a sample
https://www.iup.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/organization-and-structure/descriptive-writing/
https://www.twinkl.co.in/teaching-wiki/descriptive-writing-describe-a-person
https://grademiners.com/blog/descriptive-essay-about-a-person
Resource 9:
Additional resources: Advanced information on descriptive writing
https://www.time4writing.com/articles-about-writing/descriptive-paragraphs/
https://www.iup.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/organization-and-structure/descriptive-writing/