Writing Lab #9: Show not tell
Class Syllabus – Grades 6-8
Objective: Students will be able to show information to the reader, as opposed to telling them explicit details pertinent to the theme or plot.
Essential Questions:
- What does it mean to “show not tell”?
- Why do we want to show and not tell in our writing?
Enduring Understandings:
- To “show not tell,” an author will use details that appeal to the senses of the reader. One of the senses can be visual, but in order to not “show” information, the description must be so elaborate that it feels vivid.
- We want the reader to experience — see, hear, taste, feel or smell — what is most important and memorable about this scene.
Standards:
Grade 6: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Grade 7: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Grade 8: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Materials:
- A pen and a piece of paper
- Please print or download this NYT article