Creative Writing Lesson
Using Better Descriptive Words
Objective
Students will understand the following:
1. Concrete words and phrases convey narrative details more precisely.
Grade Level
Grades 3-7
Standards
Supports common core standards in Language Arts.
1. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details, and
clear event sequences. (CCS.ELA.Literacy.W.X.3 - Where “X” is the grade level.)
2. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experience and
events precisely.
(CCS.ELA.Literacy.W.4.3.D, CCS.ELA.Literacy.W.5.3.D, CCS.ELA.Literacy.W.6.3.D,
CCS.ELA.Literacy.W.7.3.D)
Materials
1. Fill in the Blank Stories
2. Grade Appropriate Adjectives List, Adverbs List, Verbs List
Vocabulary
Adjective – A word used to describe a noun. Examples include words that tell what
something looks like, acts like, smells
like, tastes like, sounds like, feels like.
Verb- A word that conveys action or state of being.
Adverb- A word used to describe a verb, adjective, or other adverb. Adverbs tell
how, where, when, how much.
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Procedures
Explain what STRONG describing words and action verbs are.
Adjectives, Adverbs and Verbs can all make a story more precise. Explain how
choosing stronger descriptive words tells
the reader more about the character or situation with fewer words.
A powerful action verb not only tells what someone is doing, the verb itself conveys
how the action is being done. For
example:
• To walk compared with to plod, to trudge, to scamper.
• To tell compared with to whisper, to blabber, to holler
• To make compared with to brew, to create, to liquefy
A strong adjective describes precisely how something looks, feels, tastes, sounds,
acts. It can tell how or why something
is the way it is being described. For example:
• “An ugly finger” compared with “a hideous, crooked, oozing finger”. (Note how
“ugly” doesn’t make you feel
much, but the longer description makes the listener physically cringe.)
• “A big room filled with dancers” compared with “A grand room sparkling with
bejeweled dancers.”
A strong adverb describes more precisely how, when, where, in what manner
something is done. For example.
• “The boy stood at the entrance” with “The boy nervously stood at the entrance”
or “The boy cleverly stood at
the entrance” or “The boy carelessly stood at the entrance”
✔Class Activity
Using the powerful writing words lists, ask students to provide more concrete words
for the following examples:
• To Eat: ____(verb)
• She wore a _____ hat (adjective)
• He announced his plans _______ (adverb)
Show how choose strong describing words change the course of the story.
Use this story starter to demonstrate how different describing words set a
completely different tone and plot for the
same basic story:
A ____ fairy wants to go to the festival but she meets a _____ dragon on the way.
Choose an adjective for each blank and see how different the story can be.
A cheerful fairy wants to go to the festival but she meets a baby dragon on the way.
A combat boot-wearing fairy wants to go to the festival but she meets a ferocious
dragon on the way.
A gullible fairy wants to go to the festival but she meets a clever dragon on the way.
✔Class Activity
Provide students with a fill in the blank story and grade appropriate powerful writing
words lists.
1. Have each student complete a fill in the blank story with adjectives, verbs, and
adverbs.
2. Choose a method to share the stories, and contrast the tone of the story and
what plot they anticipate the story
would have.
a. Students form small groups in which all students have completed the same fill in
the blank story. Each
student reads his/her story to the group. Students discuss as a small group.
b. The teacher chooses several students’ stories to share with the class and guides
discussion.
c. All students post their stories to a shared drive and classmates can choose
several to read and comment
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on.
3. For an extended activity, have students continue the story beyond the opening
paragraph to create a complete
story with beginning, middle and end.
More resources to extend the lesson
• Completed fill in the blank stories – check out these sample completed fill in the
blank stories.
• Super Easy Creative Writing Formula- creative writing how to guide for kids
• Creative Writing Prompts for Kids – mix and match creative writing prompts to get
a story started
