Sensory Writing Word Bank

Sensory Writing 

Sensory writing uses descriptive words that are linked to the five senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, sounds) to paint a picture with one's language. It enables you and your reader to experience your thoughts and ideas on an imaginative, creative level as if they were sharing those thoughts or experiences with you. 

Sounds Words:

banging barking bawling blaring booming buzzing chattering chiming chirping cooing coughing crackling crashing croaking crunching crying dripping exploding fizzing gasping giggling growling grunting gurgling hissing hushing laughing mumbling muttering piercing quiet rapping rasping rattling ringing rumbling rustling scratching screaming screeching singing slamming shouting silent snoring splashing stuttering tinkling wheezing whooping

Touch Words:

abrasive biting boiling bubbly bulky bumpy burning clammy coarse cool crisp cushioned damp drenched feathery fine fluffy foamy freezing furry fuzzy glassy greasy gritty gushy hairy heavy hot humid lacy leathery light lukewarm metallic mushy numbing oily rocky sandy scalding scorching shaggy silky slimy slippery sloppy smooth spongy steamy sticky tangled tender thick tough velvety warm

Taste and Smell Words:

acid acidic alkaline aromatic biting bitter bland burnt buttery cold earthy floury flowery fresh fruity garlicky hearty hot lemony medicinal minty moist moldy musty oily perfumed pickled piney pungent raw rich rotten salty scented sharp sour spicy stagnant sweaty sweet tangy tasteless tough vile vinegar

Sight Words:

agile blinding blurred brilliant bright brightness canary cloudy colorless dim dingy faded faint flat gleaming glistening glittering gloomy grimy hazy long luminous misty narrow oval round shadowy shallow shiny slim smeared sparkling square streaked striped sudsy tarnished tottering trampled translucent twinkling variegated

Colour Words:

Whites  - cream ivory pearl 

Reds - cherry coral crimson 

Pink - rose ruby salmon scarlet vermillion 

Oranges - apricot copper peach rust tangerine 

Greens - emerald lime forest olive 

Browns - bronze chocolate cinnamon hazel khaki tan 

Blues - sapphire turquoise midnight 

Yellows - amber canary gold lemon 

Purples - lavender lilac magenta plum 

Blacks - raven slate ebony

Thesis Statements Feedback

 Thesis Statements - August 28

1. An event in my life that truly shaped my identity being to scared or shy in school. As this year becoming the end, I have made friends in 6th grade and I think that I can build a great friend group and become an excellent student moving forward.

Feedback: 

• Star: Effective writing deals with complex topics and is often vulnerable. Your choice to discuss your timidity in school is a courageous selection which will prove to be rewarding for both you and your readers as they will relate when they go through similar struggles. It also allows you to reflect back on your experiences and make sense of them for further personal growth. . 

• Further development: Effective writing makes sure to clearly answer the question that has been asked. Be careful when answering the question as “being too scared or shy” is not technically an “event” although you could call it a “season” in your life. The question also asked how the “event” or “season” shaped  your identity. I find that your second sentence does not answer this question but shifts focus to how you have since made friends. 

2. An event that has significantly shaped who I was today, was when I transferred from a public school to a private school in fourth grade. It was a lot different than what I expected it to be, as well as a lot harder. Looking back at this time, this season has made me try my best to be a better student, do good in school, and be a hardworking student in the future.

Feedback: 

• Star: Effective writing approaches brave, vulnerable and life changing topics. I enjoyed your choice of topic as I believe that changing schools is a very hard experience and certainly one worth writing about. 

• Further development: Effective writing is differentiated and varied in ideas. Your second sentence says the same thing in three different ways - “be a better student” “do good in school” “be hardworking.” Try and think of other ways that changing schools affected you. Did it impact you emotionally? Socially?

3. An event that has changed my life is when I decided to start babysitting, when I started babysitting I got a peek into the lives of younger children, which I have forgotten over the years for my life. 

Feedback: 

• Star: Effective writing presents thoughtful and insightful ideas. Your choice of discussing babysitting is a unique and thoughtful selection. 

• Further development: Effective writing is sure to answer the questions presented and provide details. The question was how this unique event or season shaped or developed your identity. You said that you got “a peek into the lives of younger children” - what did you find there? How specifically did babysitting change or shape your identity?

4. An event that shaped my identity would be me traveling to another country. In that country, I learned a lot of things and even enjoyed the food there. I also came to believe to avoid certain numbers. I even learned the language of that country, which was very hard.

Feedback: 

• Star: Effective writing presents thoughtful and insightful ideas. Your choice of discussing your travels to another country is such a great choice as there are many details you can share.  

• Further development: Effective writing is sure to answer the questions presented and provide details. The question was how this unique event or season shaped or developed your identity. While you do list a lot of things that you experience there, the focus should be centered on how the experience changed you as a person. 

5. An event that has shaped my identity, is dance it has taught me to be confident, and healthy. Also meeting Elaine my most closest friend at school and in general, she is very different from people as i like to say. Meeting her has shaped how i am today, because she influenced me to be more optimistic, and have fun. 

Feedback: 

• Star: Effective writing presents thoughtful and insightful ideas. Your choice of discussing dance, an activity which is very important for you, is an effective idea as there will be a lot that you can say.  

• Further development: Effective writing is clear and approaches one idea at a time. Your thesis statement deals with two very different ideas - dance and also, meeting your friend Elaine. I would say that you should choose one topic to develop. 

Aug 28 class

I did quite enjoy today's session and I think it's good for me to record the things that happen so I can remember them for subsequent teaching sessions. I will divide some of the things that stood out to me in parts. 

Emotions

Today I did an icebreaker exercise:

What was the highlight of your week or summer? Why? How has this experience or event shaped you as you enter a new season?

A lot of the students shared that they were nervous for going back to school and some of the activities that they did to regulate this emotion. For example, one student shared that she went on a walk to calm down. I was affirming her that there is a lot of strength in being able to acknowledge the emotions one is feeling and try and do things to address that emotion. Unfortunately, a feeling like being nervous is hard to completely dispel but it is still good to do things to try and mitigate the feeling or set one's mind at ease. I find that having questions like this generate a twofold purpose - they provide a connection to the lesson as well as open up a point of discussion to be able to understand the students better and discuss their fears/address some of their emotions. These questions also create a sense of community as you can have other students share and provide affirmation for each other. For example, I had each student share something that they do to de-stress. Some students shared going on a walk, watching a movie, journaling, physical activities, and doodling. 

In the end I shared with them the value of truly taking life one day at a time and just dealing with the task, or day that is in front of them. Before we all know it, time will pass and we will be back yet again to another summer break. I did not get to share with them, but I also wanted to impart the wisdom of enjoying everyday living. Each day is a day we can never get back, and it is significant to look for the joy in the day. This is certainly (I think) a discipline, a habit - but it is one that we can grow stronger in if we practice it daily. 

Padlet

https://padlet.com/ivkmutama87/gjg5r5a4vl6ffwjw

I also very much enjoyed the Padlet activity. I gave the students this question below: 

The various events and seasons in our lives are a large part of our identities and ultimately shape the person we are growing into and who we become. Think of a significant event or season of your life that you feel has shaped your identity and who you are. Provide 2-3 reasons how this season/event has contributed to your identity.

Students had to generate a thesis statement and post it on the padlet for everybody in the class to see. The beauty of this exercise is that the responses are anonymous. Students could then share which entries resonated with them. I also realized partway through the value too of having the students tease apart each other's entries and hold the writing against a criteria. I had given the students some criteria around writing a thesis statement and then asked a student whether the thesis that they selected to read met that criteria and how. The student had to specifically tease apart the writing and hold it against the criteria that they were given. 

Advice and Nurturing Student Writing 

I find that the little bits and pieces of advice and mentoring that I give throughout the class to be helpful. Haha - well I do not know if it is actually helpful to the students but I like to think that it is. Today I told students that their writing is not something to be seen as bad or good, but rather to be seen as something that they are growing in. Writing is always about growth, even if you are a very experienced writer. Life in general, is always about growth! I told them the importance of being kind towards themselves in the current stage and season that they are in - and being kind towards their own growth process.