Descriptive Writing Grade 6

Term 1

Name:

Class:

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Contents Goals ........................................................................................................................................................ 2

Calendar .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Parts of Speech ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Sentence Structure .................................................................................................................................. 6

Compound Sentences.............................................................................................................................. 7

Complex Sentences ................................................................................................................................. 9

Sensory Adjectives ................................................................................................................................. 11

Descriptive Challenge ........................................................................................................................ 13

Figurative Language............................................................................................................................... 14

Simile ................................................................................................................................................. 14

Metaphor ........................................................................................................................................... 15

Descriptive Writing ................................................................................................................................ 16

Making Sensory Observations ........................................................................................................... 16

Sensory Observation Homework ....................................................................................................... 17

Descriptive Paragraph Examples ....................................................................................................... 18

Descriptive Writing Assessment ............................................................................................................ 19

Goals In this booklet, we will…

Grammar Revise the structure of a sentence.

Revise the names and functions of the parts of speech.

Learn to use coordinating conjunctions to make compound sentences.

Learn to use subordinating conjunctions to make complex sentences. Spelling and Vocabulary

Learn the names for grammar concepts.

Practice using a thesaurus.

Learn sensory adjectives. Writing Practice writing simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Understand and explain how using a variety of sentence types makes our writing more interesting and clear.

Use sensory adjectives to make our descriptive writing more effective.

Use metaphors and similes to make our descriptive writing more effective.

Write an effective descriptive paragraph that evokes all the reader’s senses.

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Calendar

September 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Notes:

1 2 3 Sept 19th: Term 1 starts

Sept 12nd-15th: Kurban Bayramı

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

October 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Notes:

1 Oct 28th-29th: Republic Day

Oct 27th: General Assessment

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

November 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Notes:

1 2 3 4 5 Nov 17th – 20th: Term break

4th Nov – Writing Assessment

6” 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30

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Parts of Speech In language, words are the smallest elements that have meaning. Based on their use and functions, words are categorized into several types, called parts of speech.

B. Underline the parts of speech in this sentence, and label them, using the abbreviations n., adj., v., adv., and c.

A young boy suddenly fell into

the lake, but a kind dog came

and bravely rescued the boy.

A. Write the name of the part of speech next to its definition, and give at least two original examples of each.

Names a person, place, thing or idea.

Examples:

Describes a noun.

Examples:

Shows action or being.

Examples:

Describes a verb or modifies an adjective.

Examples:

adj.

n.

v.

adv.

c.

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C. Complete the Mad Lib below with the correct parts of speech.

(noun)

(verb +ing) (adjective)

(verb +ing)

(adverb)

(noun) (plural noun)

(verb)

(plural noun)

(noun) (verb)

(adjective)

(adjective)

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Sentence Structure Words represent simple ideas: things, actions, and qualities. To communicate more complicated thoughts, we put those words together into sentences. So, what is a sentence?

A. Read the following clauses. Explain why they are not sentences.

1. A fluffy dog. _______________________________________________________________

2. Ran around the garden. __________________________________________________

3. A fluffy dog ran around the. __________________________________________________

4. a fluffy dog ran around the garden ___________________________________________

B. Label the elements that make this group of words a complete sentence.

A fluffy dog ran around the garden.

C. Put the words in the correct order to make complete sentences. Don’t forget to use correct capitalization and punctuation.

1. never / his car / Jeremy / on Monday mornings / takes

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2. a lot of traffic / on Mondays / there is / always

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3. to drive / doesn’t like / when / traffic / there is / he

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4. your dad / how does / to work / go / on Mondays

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A sentence is

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Compound Sentences A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined together by a comma and a connecting word, called a coordinating conjunction. There are 7 coordinating conjunctions in English. They are sometimes called FANBOYS words.

CONJUNCTION WHAT IT SHOWS

Reason I feel tired and miserable, ____________ I didn’t sleep last night.

Addition I went to a sleepover at Mike’s house, _________ we played video games all night.

Negative addition Mike’s parents weren’t at home, ___________ did they know I was staying over.

Contrast Mike said that his grandmother would watch us, ___________ there was no one home.

Alternative Should I tell my mother what happened, _______ should I keep it a secret?

Contrast I want to tell my mother, _________ I don’t want Mike to get in trouble.

Result I know that one lie leads to another, __________ I always tell the truth.

A. Add a comma and a FANBOYS conjunction to make compound sentences below.

1. Jordan broke his arm he had to go to the hospital.

2. My dog chased a rabbit around the yard he couldn’t catch it.

3. Taylor didn’t study for the assessment did he finish his reading.

F

A

N

B

O

Y

S

She works in the city, but she lives in the suburbs.

Simple Sentence Simple Sentence

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B. Connect two simple sentences using the appropriate FANBOYS conjunction.

SIMPLE SENTENCES COMPOUND SENTENCE RULE (When do you use it?) Roberta likes going to school. She does not like math class.

Linda lost her blanket. She started to cry.

Linda started to cry. She lost her blanket.

John didn’t eat breakfast. He didn’t eat lunch.

You can sleep on the couch. You can sleep in your bed. You can’t do both.

Simon can speak French. He can also speak Italian.

C. Complete the compound sentences.

1. Most cats are afraid of dogs, yet ________________________________________________

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2. I think that old lady is a witch, for _______________________________________________

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3. I haven’t got a pet monkey, nor _________________________________________________

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Complex Sentences A complex sentence contains one simple sentence and one or more dependent clauses. A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but isn’t a complete sentence on its own. It starts with a complex conjunction (also called a subordinating conjunction) like while, when, after, before, although, and because.

A. Underline the complex conjunction. Circle the dependent clause. Then rewrite the

sentence, switching the place of the dependent clause and simple sentence.

1. The teacher believed Karen’s story because she had never lied before.

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2. If only I had wings, I would fly to the stars.

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3. Wherever I go, my brother follows me.

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4. We will play football until the sun goes down.

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A rainbow appeared after the rain stopped.

simple sentence dependent clause

After the rain stopped, a rainbow appeared.

dependent clause simple sentence

Comp

lex C

onjun

ction

s

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B. Complete the sentences in a meaningful way using your own words.

1. He was so thirsty because ______________________________________________________

2. Although William slept for 10 hours, ______________________________________________

3. Martha couldn’t find her keys even though ________________________________________

4. The children waited until _______________________________________________________

5. They moved to another city after ________________________________________________

C. Read the sentences below and write (S) for SIMPLE, (C) for COMPOUND and (X) for COMPLEX sentences:

1. The wind was cold that night. ________

2. He finally came after we waited hours for him. ___________

3. He asked his father for money because he wanted chocolate. ____________

4. Meg didn’t study, so she failed in the test. ____________

5. Bob can’t keep secrets. __________

6. The table will collapse if you stand on it. _________

7. You will be punished for you have broken the rules. __________

8. Tell me if this bag is mine. __________

9. Jim was tired, but he couldn’t sleep. __________

D. Read and summarize Gary Provost’s advice about writing.

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This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It's like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.

Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals--sounds that say listen to this, it is important.

So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader's ear. Don't just write words. Write music.

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Sensory Adjectives When describing a scene or environment, good writers don’t just tell their readers what it looks like. They make their readers feel like they are standing there, experiencing the environment themselves. You can do this too, by using all five senses in your description. It helps to use creative, descriptive adjectives.

A. Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for each of the sensory adjectives below.

bright

green

high-pitched

quiet

sweet-smelling bad-smelling

slimy soft

delicious sour

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B. Read the two different examples of descriptive paragraphs below. Circle the adjectives as you read. Be ready to discuss the differences with your class.

Next to the wandering Kirmir River, at the bottom of a

verdant valley, the village of Yeşilöz rolls across a pile of

rocks like a lazy dog stretching out in the sunshine.

Although it is only a one-hour drive from the bustling,

noisy city of Ankara, life here is hushed and slow. The day

begins with the call of roosters echoing off the steep rock

walls of the valley, then the sounds of breakfast dishes

clinking. Farm fresh butter. Sour cherry jam. Sharp

cheese. Sweet tea. The tastes of morning carry you into

a new day. Soon, the air becomes thick with the scent of

cut grass and linden trees baking in the golden sunshine. Under the shade of

the trees, the river gently babbles past. Birds chirp in the branches. In the background, the melodic

buzzing of cicadas is the restful soundtrack of summer. By night, the cool breeze offers a bouquet of

fragrant flowers: jasmine and honeysuckle. From a dozen houses, the sounds of laughter and friendly

conversation drift on the night wind. This is Yeşilöz. For me, this is summer.

There is a creepy old house in our neighborhood. I am

sure that it is haunted. I try not to look at it when I walk

past, but that old house has a mysterious power over me.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The metallic

taste of fear rises from my throat. My mind screams,

“Go! Don’t look! Walk on!” But, as if I’m under a spell, I

stop, and I slowly turn until I’m staring at the house. It

stares back at me through its broken window eyes. The

paint on the walls is peeling and the bricks are crumbling.

Torn scraps of dirty curtains hang ghostlike from the corners of

the windows. The front door gapes open like the mouth of a hungry creature. From somewhere

deep inside the monster’s belly, a cold, damp-smelling wind blows. Strange noises echo in the empty

rooms. Thumps. Scratches. The howl of an angry cat. Sharp, spiky weeds burst through the fence like

bony fingers reaching out to scratch me, pull me, drag me up the steps and through the door. I turn

and run away before they can reach me, my heart pounding in my chest.

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Descriptive Challenge In our class reader, Holes, Stanley writes a letter to his mum and describes Camp Green Lake. He doesn’t want his family to be sad, so he lies. He describes the camp as if it were a fun summer camp.

C. Now you try the same! Write a letter as Stanley. Describe Camp Green Lake to your mother, using lots of positive sensory adjectives.

D. Now imagine Stanley is writing in his diary. Describe Camp Green Lake as it really is.

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Figurative Language To make our descriptions more colourful and effective, we often use figurative language. Figurative language is the use of words and expressions that mean something other than their literal meaning.

Literal Language Figurative Language

That man is very old.

That man is 93 years old. He is as old as my grandfather.

That man is ancient.

That man is as old as the mountains. His mother was a dinosaur.

Simile A simile is a type of figurative language that compares two unlike things using like or as.

E. Underline the two things compared in each simile. Explain the difference between similes that use like and similes that use as.

Your room is as messy as a pigpen. Your room looks like a pigpen.

I feel as free as a bird. I feel like a bird.

The horse ran as fast as the wind. The horse ran like the wind.

Winning the race was as easy as taking candy from a baby.

The old couple fought like cats and dogs.

He was as happy as a pig in poop. I know this city like the back of my hand.

F. Explain why these sentences aren’t similes.

1. John is as tall as Gary. __________________________________________________

2. I like chicken. __________________________________________________

3. My dog looks like your dog. __________________________________________________

G. Write two similes for each picture, one using like and one using as.

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Metaphor A metaphor is a type of figurative language that compares two unlike things. Unlike a simile, a metaphor does not use like or as. When using a metaphor, you may say that the thing you are describing is something else, or you may give it characteristics that normally belong to something else.

A. Read the following examples. Explain the metaphor.

The world is a stage, and all the men and women are actors.

Laughter is the best medicine.

“Stanley and Zero climbed up the edge of the frying pan.”

The room was dirty and had the bitter smell of failure.

The old lady’s eyes were full of the ghosts of the past.

B. Write your own metaphor about each topic.

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C. Reread the two descriptive paragraphs on page 12. Underline the metaphors and similes.

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Descriptive Writing Making Sensory Observations Where are you? At this very moment, millions of pieces of information are entering your brain through your five senses. Your mind is sorting that information into an image that you recognize as your classroom. This image is more than a picture. You also feel the softness of your clothes on your skin and the firmness of the chair under you. You hear the sound of traffic outside the window, and you smell pencils and dust. Your conscious mind usually ignores these and thousands of other sensations, but they are an important part of your sense of place.

Our goal in descriptive writing is not to tell our readers what a place looks like. Our goal is to make our readers feel like they are there, in the place we are describing. Before writing, we must carefully observe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings that make up the sensory experience of that place.

A. Carefully observe your sensory experiences in a place your teacher chooses. Take notes.

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Sensory Observation Homework Just as you did at school, choose a place to observe. It could be your school bus, a park, your bedroom, a coffee shop, or anywhere you feel comfortable. Sit quietly for at least 10 minutes. Carefully observe all the sounds, sights, tastes, smells and feelings you experience.

B. Carefully observe your sensory experiences in the place you choose. Take notes.

C. Write one simile and one metaphor describing one of your observations.

Simile: ____________________________________________________________________________

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Metaphor: _________________________________________________________________________

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Descriptive Paragraph Examples When writing descriptively, it is important to use interesting adjectives. However, good descriptive writing involves more than good descriptive adjectives. C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles, wrote this advice about descriptive writing in a letter to another author.

A. Read and summarize C.S. Lewis’ advice about descriptive writing.

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Barbara Kingsolver wrote a book of descriptive essays about Arizona called High in Tuscon. In this paragraph, Kingsolver describes the desert waiting for the summer rain storms to come up from the Gulf of Mexico. Notice how she uses creative similes and metaphors, sensory verbs and sensory adjectives to make the reader feel the dry heat of the desert without using the words ‘dry’ or ‘hot.’

B. Read Barbara Kingsolver’s paragraph. Circle the sensory verbs and adjectives. Underline the similes and metaphors.

June is the cruelest month in Tucson, especially when it lasts till the end of July. This is the season

when every living thing in the desert swoons south toward some faint salt dream of the Gulf of

Mexico: tasting the horizon, waiting for the summer storms. This year they are late. The birds are

pacing the ground stiff-legged, panting, and so am I. Waiting. In this blind, bright still-June weather

the shrill of the cicadas hurts your eyes. Every plant looks pitiful and, when you walk past it, moans a

little, envious because you can walk yourself to a drink and it can’t.

C. Write a sentence descibing the scene below. Use words that engage either the sense of smell or sound.

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“In writing. Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was ‘terrible,’ describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was ‘delightful’; make us say ‘delightful!’ when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, ‘Please, will you do my job for me?’”

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Descriptive Writing Assessment In this assessment, you will write a descriptive paragraph. You may describe the place you observed in class (using your notes on page 16), the place you observed for homework (page 17), or another place you know well and can clearly picture in your mind. Your paragraph must be at least 120 words long. It should contain at least one simile and one metaphor, and at least one adjective relating to each of the five senses (at least 5 adjectives in total).

A. Before starting, look at the rubric. After writing, evaluate your own paragraph and give yourself a score in the boxes labeled Self.

Assessment Rubric

Below basic (1 point)

Basic (2-3 points)

Proficient (4-5 points)

Advanced (6 points)

My Score

Content Engages only 1 sense

Engages at least 2 senses

Engages at least 3 senses

Creatively engages all 5 senses

Self Teacher

Use of figurative language

Contains no metaphors or similes

Contains at least 1 metaphor or 1 simile

Contains at least 1 metaphor and 1 simile

Contains creative, effective similes and metaphors

Self Teacher

Use of adjectives

No or only one adjective is used accurately

2-3 adjectives are used accurately

4-5 adjectives are used accurately

Many creative, interesting adjectives are used accurately

Self Teacher

Use of indentation, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling

Paragraph has 6 or more errors.

Paragraph has 3 to 5 errors.

Paragraph has 1 or 2 errors.

Paragraph has no errors.

Self Teacher

Accuracy of grammar

Structures used in sentences are not accurate.

Very limited number of sentences are written with accurate structures.

Most of the sentences are formed with accurate structures.

Almost all of the sentences are written with accurate / extended sentences.

Self Teacher

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