This simple lesson teaches a deep and important writing strategy and that is: good writers show rather than tell. If you've ever played the board game Taboo, then you're familiar with how fun it can be to say everything but the obvious.
Specific Learning Goals
- Write narratives (based on either real or imagined experiences)
- Use dialogue and description of thoughts, feelings, actions, and circumstances to convey the charge of a specific emotion
- Creative thinking within given parameters
- Practice using the brainstorming, writing, revising, and publishing model of writing
Required Materials
- Slips of Paper with one emotion listed on each (prepared ahead of time)
- Pencil and writing paper for each student
- Dictionary and thesaurus, if needed
Preparation
- Brainstorm 20-30 core emotions (or enough to provide one for each student in your class) and write each word on a separate small slip of paper. Suggested emotions could include: excited, stressed, joyful, disappointed, curious, embarrassed, etc.
- Prepare a sample writing to be used during the anticipatory set to introduce the students to the lesson concept.
Assessment/Follow-Up
- The final polished piece of writing will be assessed according to your school or grade level's writing rubric, or make your own rubric.
Lesson Plan/Overview
- Each student will be assigned an emotion and asked to write a short narrative conveying this emotion. The only rule is they are not allowed to use the word itself. They must employ other creative, figurative writing techniques in order to accomplish this task.
Lesson Plan Details
- Briefly introduce your students to the activity
- Tell the students, "Good writers can communicate an emotion without ever even saying the word itself."
- Show an example of this type of writing and see if the students can guess what emotion the writer is trying to convey.
- Discuss how the writer accomplished this task.
- If you feel it is necessary, choose a word and model for the students (whole group, on the white board or overhead) how the writer thinks about and accomplishes this assignment.
Advice
- Integrate the formal writing process (planning, drafting, editing, publishing) into this lesson.
- If desired, have the students illustrate the emotion.
- You can also turn this into a game by reading the finished products to the class and having the students guess which emotion is being described.
