SHOW, NOT TELL W.L SESSION 7

GUIDING QUESTIONS WHAT ARE SOME STRATEGIES THAT GOOD WRITERS USE? SPECIFICALLY, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “SHOW, NOT TELL”?

What is Show, Don’t Tell? The Show, Don't Tell method of writing is when the writer is able to create a picture in the reader's mind. The writer gets away from the repetition of empty words like went, big, or said and INSTEAD uses rich descriptions which makes the reader feel as if they are part of the story.

Brain Pop Show, Don’t Tell

Showing vs. Telling Telling The boy was very frightened. Showing The boy screeched in terror and threw his hands up to protect himself. Even though his legs felt like they had turned to jelly, he jumped to his feet and tried to get out of the monster’s reach.

Showing vs. Telling Telling The baby was crying really hard. Showing The baby let out a howl that could wake the dead. Tears poured from her eyes and her face turned beet red. She pounded her little fists on the floor and threw her toys across the room. I knew we were in for a long, long afternoon.

Be sure to follow along in your student reader as I read. *Remember that this is a class set* STUDENT READERS

Quick Write: How does Soto, “Show” how he was a mean kid? Clarify: He could have just “Told” us that he was a mean kid, but he “Showed” us instead. How did he do that?

Together, find & write down the places where Soto is showing instead of telling. Shoulder Partner – 5 Minutes Example: “…as the flames jumped wildly about and the newspaper collapsed into parachutes of ash that floated to the ceiling.” pg. 13 lines Soto could have just wrote, “The fire burned some newspaper.”

What did you write down? -Add to Chart Class Discussion

With your partner, discuss ways to show that you are: Angry- Frowning, Red Face, Eyes Narrow, Stomping a foot, wildly waving arms, etc. Nervous- Excited- Practice…

WRITING ASSIGNMENT On your way home from school, you encounter a wild animal! Show, Don’t tell this experience USE your chart! 10 minutes SSW

REVISE Revise my story to change it from “Telling” to “Showing”. One day I while I walked home from school, a tiger walked across the sidewalk in front of me. At first I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there. After I realized what the animal was, my common sense kicked in and I turned around to run home. When I was almost there, I looked around to see if it was still there. It was and it roared at me! Since it was getting closer, I decided to hide. I hid in the bushes and yelled for help. When nobody came, I realized that I should call my mom. I grabbed my cell phone and called her up. Finally, she showed up with someone from the zoo who was able to catch the tiger. I think I will ride the bus home from now on!