1.3 Writer's Workshop: Descriptive Writing
Writer's Notebook 2: Order and Mentor Texts
Good descriptive writing is organized. Some ways it can be organized are:
1. Chronological - Time-based - Ideas or events are presented in the order they happened. This is best for describing events. This can be used for describing place if you are showing how a place changes over time (through the day, season-to-season) or stays the same over time (grandma's kitchen over a series of visits).
Word clues that show chronological order: during, next, finally, at first, while, meanwhile, before, afterwards, suddenly, from then on.
2. Spatial - Uses location - Ideas or descriptions are presented top to bottom, left to right, right to left, or bottom to top. This is best for describing places.
Word clues that show spatial order: above, below, next to, beside, beyond, behind, around, near, in front of, over, to the right/left/north/south/east/west
Read the following examples of descriptive writing. As you read them, try to decide:
- What is the mood?
- How does the author use imagery (senses) and figurative language to create the mood?
- What is the organization? (Chronological or Spatial)
- What word clues tell you the organization?
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Open your Writer's Notebook and complete: 2. Mood, Order, and More, while reading and rereading the texts: |