Sensory Details
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Objective:

Students will be able to identify sensory detail used in a story by listening and discussing.

Students will be able to describe pictures effectively by using sensory detail (as a class,
and in small groups - option #1)

Students will be able to use sensory detail to write about a personal experience.

State Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3d Use concrete words and phrases and sensory
details to convey experiences and events precisely.
Materials:

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.

Pictures of landscape (1 for class practice on projector, and 1 for every pair of students
using printed pictures if using option #1).

Paper for students to write sensory details for the pictures (option #1)

Paper for students to write their narrative.
Attention Grabber (3-5 minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlllfX5PprU OWL MOON - read aloud
Have students close their eyes while you read Owl Moon, and ask the students to try to
imagine the scene in their minds. While reading Owl Moon, try to emphasize the sensory details
in the book. For example, if the book is describing a quiet scene, talk in a softer voice. Read in a
way that will help the students see, hear, feel, taste, and smell what is happening in the story.
Direct Instruction (15 minutes):
After reading the book call on a few students to talk about what they saw, heard,
etc. Discuss with the students how the author made the story come alive. Use questions like,
“what did the author say that helped you to see what was happening? What did the author say
that helped you to hear what was happening?” Make sure that all of these questions relate to the
five senses.
Then introduce what sensory detail is. For example, you could say “so when I use seeing,
hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling, I am using what?” Let students try to guess... “My five
senses!” Explain that when you use your five senses to describe something, you are using
something called SENSORY DETAIL!
Put a picture up on the board (through a projector). “Let’s try to use our five senses to
describe this picture - just like the author did in the book we read? What do you think you would
smell in this picture? What do you think you would hear?” Have students help describe the
picture using sensory details. Write each detail students suggest on the board. Once you have
written down a few suggestions, ask “If I were going to tell you a story about when I went to the
beach, do you think it would be a good idea to use some of these details? Why? Do you think
that when you are writing, it is important to use details like this? Why? When we write/ tell
stories, we want the audience to be able to see what we see, and to hear what we hear. If we use
sensory details in our writing it helps the audience to imagine themselves in our story. We can
take our audience to a whole new world when we use sensory details.”
** If there is ample time after the discussion and practice are finished, option #1 may be used as
another short, practice activity before moving on to procedural learning.
Procedural Learning (5 minutes):
Tell students that they will now have the opportunity to practice using sensory details by
writing about a personal story, or something that really happened to them. Before you hand out
the paper, tell the students the three criterion for this assignment and write them up on the board
so that students can see the criterion while they are writing. Explain that in a few minutes, you
will be handing out the paper they will use.
Criterion:
1. The story MUST be a personal experience (this is a personal narrative so it has to be
something that really happened, not a made-up story).
2. The story must be 1-2 pages long front AND back.
3. The story must use at least 4 sensory details (details don’t have to each be different
senses. Students can uses two details about sight for example).
Example (5 minutes):
Read the students the following examples and have them on the projector.
“Last week I went to the zoo. It was a nice day. The animals also liked the
weather. My favorite animal I saw was a snake. One of the zoo employees even let me hold the
snake! It was a cool experience.”
“Last week I went to the zoo. It was a warm, sunny day and there were no clouds in sight.
The animals also seemed to enjoy the weather as they basked in the sunlight. My favorite animal
I saw was a long, green snake. One of the zoo employees even let me hold the snake! The
snake’s scales were cold and smooth. As the snake wrapped around my arm, I could feel the
wave of the snake moving - its head moving first and then its body slowly following.”
Help students to identify the sensory details in these examples and discuss why the
second story is more effective when it uses sensory details (first story - “it was a cool
experience.” Second story - explains why it was a cool experience).
Assessment (30-40 minutes):
Go over the criterion again before handing out the paper. Once the students understand
what is expected, hand out their paper and give them about 30-35 minutes to write.
Rubric:
Very Good
Good
Need Improvement
Used a personal experience,
story was the right length,
and used at least 4 sensory
details.
Used a personal experience,
story was/almost was the
right length, and used 2-3
sensory details.
Used/did not use a personal
experience, story was not the
right length, and used 0-1
sensory details.
Options:
1. Give each pair of students a picture of a landscape (students are sitting in tables of four,
so two pairs at every table) and paper. Students have to write a short list/paragraph to
describe the picture using sensory details in about 2 minutes quietly with their partner
(don’t want the other pair to hear). Direct the first pair to read their description (without
showing picture) to the other pair in about 1 minute. The other pair who is listening tries
to guess what the picture looks like. The first pair then shows their picture to see if the
other pair guessed correctly. Direct the pairs to switch turns so that the second pair can
now share their description using the same method as described. (This option is great for
those with disabilities because they are able to work with a partner and practice with
visual aids/pictures).
2. Younger grades can receive this same lesson. The assessment will just be shorter and
require less sensory details (2nd grade - one paragraph, 2 details). The teacher would also
have to lead the discussion more because the students are younger.
3. This lesson can also be integrated with the social studies curriculum. Each student could
choose a historical figure to study and research. Then they could write a story from the
perspective of the historical figure using sensory details.