Stephanie Finnigan

9th Grade (honors/regular/remedial)

50 Minute Activity

Day Three: Work On Description (Smell)

Purpose/Rationale: This lesson will work on developing student’s descriptive ability when

working with the senses. The goal is to give them skills that they will use at the end of the unit,

when they write their final narrative. Students already have experience with “sight”, “touch”, and

“taste” (see lesson for day two) description, so this lesson will focus specifically on “smell”, one

of the more uncommon and difficult senses to use. This will give them a wider range of senses to

use not only in their narratives for this unit, but in general when they write. Prior to this lesson,

students have gone over narrative essays, and written a quick practice essay.

Florida Accomplish Practices

(LAFS.910.W.1.3)Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing

one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.

d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

(LAFS.910.L.3.5)Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in

the text.b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

(LAFS. 910.L.2.3)Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Objectives:

SWBAT explain why certain language is more effective when describing certain senses.

SWBAT accurately describe the smell of supplies (baby food) brought to class.

SWBAT explain how they can use description (of smell) to improve their narrative writing.

Materials:

Projector

PowerPoint for bellwork and assignment directions (see appendix)

Worksheets with bellwork prompt and assignment directions for students with

accommodations (see appendix)

A list of prearranged groups (3 groups of 5 and 1 groups of 4) (see appendix)

4 different flavors of baby food

This can be whatever kind of baby food you can find

5 jars of each flavor

* Prior to this, the teacher should know any allergies that students have and avoid

purchasing baby food in those flavors

19 copies of the “Guess The Baby Food” worksheet (see appendix).

Anticipatory Set:

The teacher will have the bellwork prompt (see appendix) displayed in the front of the room

using a PowerPoint and projector. Students who have accommodations that require the prompt

written out on a worksheet know to pick this worksheet up from the folder as they walk in the

room. Students have experience with bellwork and know that they are expected to write about

the prompt as soon as they walk in the room (for the full 5 minutes) and that there will be a 5-

minute discussion about the prompt once time is up.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

TIME STUDENT IS DOING TEACHER IS DOING

5 minutes Students are reading the directions/prompt on the board (see anticipatory set/appendix) and writing their responses in their journals.

The teacher is explaining/ reading the directions off of the slide, and making sure students are on task.

5 minutes Student volunteers are reading their bellwork writing out loud to the class.Other students are listening and discussing their peers writing.

The teacher is choosing students to read their writing, based off of those that volunteer, and leading a short discussion on the students responses.

2 Minutes Students are looking at the board and moving into their assigned groups. They should know their group number, group members, and where they need to move, just by looking at the board).

The teacher is making sure the students are moving into their groups and is taking out the bags of candy (see materials) and worksheets (see appendix) and preparing to pass them out.

3 Minutes Students are reading the instructions on the board (see appendix) and listening to the teacher.

The teacher will explain the activity to the students. “Today we will be going over description of smell. Each group will receive a different baby food jar and worksheet with questions. Smell your baby food and fill out the questions to the best of your ability. Make sure your description is well written, as other groups will be trying to guess what kind of baby food your group had to describe.The teacher will then pass out the worksheet (see appendix) and a different kind of baby food to each group, making sure to tell students NOT to discuss their flavor loudly.

20 Minutes Students are following the instructions on their worksheet and the board (see appendix). They will smell their baby food and fill out the worksheet as a group, making sure to answer all the questions about how the baby food smells to the best of their ability.

The teacher is walking around observing students and answering questions. The teacher will make sure all groups are on task, filling out their worksheet (see appendix), and that those students with accommodations are not struggling with the activity (see accommodations/adaptations).

10 Minutes One volunteer from each group will read their groups description from their worksheet (see appendix). Other students are listening to the description, then raising their hand and attempting to guess what flavor of baby food that group is describing. Once the correct flavor is guessed (the group should reveal their flavor if nobody guesses correctly after 3 attempts), students will discuss what about the description helped them guess, and what “threw them off” from guessing the correct flavor. [spend approximately 2.5 minutes on each group].

The teacher will call on the “volunteer student” from each group to read his/her groups description. Then, the teacher will call on students who raise their hand to guess the flavor (to avoid wasting time, ask the group to reveal their flavor if 3 students guess incorrectly). Then the teacher will lead a quick discussion about what elements of the description helped/ hindered students from guessing correctly.

5 Minutes Student volunteers will discuss how the ability to describe the smell of something can add to a narrative.

The teacher will ask the question “how does good description of smell improve or “add to” a narrative. (The teacher may broaden the question to include all of the senses if there is a lack of student participation)

Summary/Closure:

Volunteers from each group will read their description out loud and the class will decide which

item they are describing. Then the class will discuss their experiences describing their items

(what was difficult, what was easy, what worked in their description, what didn’t work, etc).

Students should use the worksheet they received earlier when discussing these questions (as they

already answered them individually on the worksheet). As students leave the classroom, they

will place their worksheets in the assigned “class folder” for the teacher to review. Students

should know this because this is how they turn in all assignments.

Assessment:

5 points for turning in a completed worksheet. This is a completion grade, students will

get full points as long as they turn in the completed worksheet and their answers meet the

length requirements specified on the worksheet.

Participation in group work/discussion will be calculated in their overall class

participation grade.

Homework/follow-up assignment:

No Homework!

Accommodations/adaptations:

1. A student with a mild form of Aspergers: This student will not be required to work in a

group or share their description if they do not feel comfortable. The teacher will go over

their description individually and give feedback if necessary, rather than having the class

discuss this student’s work.

2. Two students who are low-English proficiency: These students will be provided with a

Spanish to English dictionary for help if they get stuck finding the proper words for the

smell they are trying to describe. They will be placed in preplanned groups with peers

that are patient, allow them to contribute to the groups final description, and include them

in discussion.

3. A student with a visual impairment that requires 18 point font on all handouts and

20 point font on PowerPoints (or personal handout) and needs to be seated by the

board: This student will receive an “assignment sheet” with the bellwork prompt and

assignment directions written in the appropriate, size 18, font (see appendix). The

worksheets handed out in class, to every student, will be in the appropriate font, so this

student will not have a problem reading the worksheet (see appendix).

4. A student with severe ADHD: Depending on the amount of time this student feels

comfortable focusing for, he/she will be allowed to stand up at his/her desk. If the student

does lose focus, the teacher may ask him/her to complete a task for a couple minutes.

This student will not be the one required to write for the group, so that if they do lose

focus, the group can still get their work done. Depending on how this student feels about

it, they may be allowed to work individually so that he/she can move around without

disrupting group members (be sure that the student is okay with this! You do not want

him/her to feel like an “outcast”).

5. A remedial reader that was placed in your regular class because of a scheduling

conflict (reads two grade levels below average): This student should not have issues

with this particular task, as reading is not the main focus. They will be placed in

preplanned groups with peers that are patient, allow them to contribute to the groups

final description, and include them in discussion.

Appendix:

Name:_______________________Date:________________________

Period:_______________________

Guess The Baby Food

1. Identify the baby food flavor that you are smelling: ________________

2. How does it smell? Is it strong, sweet, earthy? Give at least 3 words: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does it feel? Is it smooth, abrasive, rough? Give at least 3 words: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. How does the smell move? Does it creep, surround, push, etc?_______________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Compare the smell to something else that will help describe it: The smell is like______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

6. Combine the best details you have written into a sentence that identifies the baby food and describes its smell. Imagine that you have just entered a place and noticed this smell.Example: As I opened the door, the rasping stink of the ammonia kicked me in the face._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

7.Was describing the smell of your baby food easy or difficult? Explain why in at least 3 sentences.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

ASSIGNMENT SHEET

Bellwork Prompt: In the world of Harry Potter, “Amortentia” is a strong love potion. It is said to smell different to everyone, depending on what scents you like most. If you were to smell this love potion, what would it smell like?

Assignment:

• What to do: Smell your baby food. Fill out the worksheet to describe what your baby food smells like.

• Time limit: 20 minutes (if your group thinks you’re finished early, YOU’RE NOT! You can always add more)

• What happens next: • The “spokesperson” for each group will read the

description of what your baby food smells like.• The other groups will try to guess what baby food

flavor you are describing.

• Plan B:

If baby food is not available, students may pick a scent and describe it from memory. This

will help students with their ability to describe scenes/events from memory when writing

their narratives.