1. Descriptive Writing

2. Descriptive writing paints a picture in the reader’s mind. A yellow blaze of cars filled with screaming passengers dove into the water. Screams echoed through the air as if a train passed.

3. Descriptive writing needs action verbs, strong adjectives, and figurative language. A yellow blaze of cars filled with screaming passengers dove into the water. Screams echoed through the air as if a train passed.

4. Descriptive writing uses comparisons to paint a picture. like a spider’s web zigzagged  The supporting bars looked like a spider’s web standing against the blue sky. Red and blue bars zigzagged carrying riders across the spider’s web.  Figurative language such as similes compare two objects.

5. Descriptive writing puts you there.  Foaming water rushed past the jagged rocks. The roar muffled the frantic screams. As we gripped the edges of the tube, our hands turned white and began to ache. There was no stopping now. The tube tilted first one side and then the other. Flowing with the rapids the scenery blurred.

6. Descriptive writing is best when writing about what you see.  The strongest sense to apply to writing is the seeing sense.  Divide the topic into 3 different areas that you can describe by what you see or what it looks like.  For example, your birthday party. Describe food, presents, and the clown. choose a different topic. If you are unable to divide the topic into 3 different items that you can see, choose a different topic.

7. Divide the topic—Describe the best part of your vacation.  Divide this topic into three different categories to describe.

8. Divide the barnstorming performance into 3 areas to describe.

9. Divide the topic into 3 areas to describe.

10. Military Cemetery Divide the topic into 3 areas to describe.

11. Plan your writing piece.  Descriptive Outline Topic Main Idea Major Details Elaborating Details

12. Alabama Course of Study fourth grade Alabama History  The following slides apply to the COS for fourth grade history. The images can be discussed, and descriptive writing dividing the topic into 3 areas to write about can be taught ahead of time. This allows the students to place ideas in their writing folder for future reference. Students can add to their thoughts as they study. In addition, the teacher will be covering the a history objective while also teaching descriptive writing. Quarters are listed in the note section below the template.

13. Describe the journey of the Trail of Tears. Divide the topic into 3 areas that you can describe by what you see.

14. Alabama’s Black Belt region has many geographical features for land usage. Select 3 areas of land usage and describe (paint a picture with words) the resources available to Native Americans of Alabama. Alabama River

15. Consider Alabama’s wildlife as part of the natural resources.

16. During the Great Depression families in Alabama suffered greatly. Jobs, food, medical care were hard to come by. Discuss the pictures. Select 3 areas that you can write a description about. The strongest sense is what you can see. Look at faces, Hands, feet, Clothing,