Word Choice

Writer’s Workshop Unit
Word Choice: Why Choose Words Carefully

Mini Lesson Lesson Summary Materials
Choosing Gather around the carpet.
Words
Carefully Ask, “Do you ever think about the words you are going to include in your story?”
“Do you ever think about the words you are going to say to someone?”
“Do you ever think about the words you are listening to?”
Say, “Words are very powerful. They can make us sad, glad, happy, angry, scared, mad, confused, surprised, etc.”
Hold up the picture book Words are Like Faces by Edith Baer.
Say, “In this book we will learn how words are very important. The author, Edith Baer, wants us to know that we should treat
words carefully. Whether we are listening to them, writing them or saying them, words need to be treated carefully, need to
be enjoyed, and loved.”
Words are Like Faces

Read the book. Discuss as appropriate. by Edith Baer
Conclude that when we write, listen, or talk, the words we choose are very important. They help to show feeling. They have
the power to make others feel sad, glad, happy, angry, scared, mad, confused, surprised, etc.
Encourage students to begin thinking carefully about the words they will write.
Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.
Word Choice Mini Lessons

Created and Written by Jessica Meacham at www.jmeacham.com.
© 2003 – 2010
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/
Word Choice: Sensory Words
Sensory Words Gather students around the carpet.
Ask, “What are the five senses?” Quickly review the five senses:
(#1 of 6) □ See
□ Taste
□ Feel
□ Smell
□ Hear
Say, “Writer’s choose words to write that will help their readers SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.”
Hold up the book Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan. Say, “The author, Pam Munoz Ryan, wrote a book about visiting the
ocean. Let’s read the book. As I read it, listen for words that Pam chose so that we can SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.
We will write them as we find them.”
Read the book. Record the Sensory Words as students notice them. Guide them as needed toward finding the words.
Hello Ocean
by Pam Munoz Ryan
(Smart Board File)
Conclude that authors use good WORD CHOICE when writing. They choose word that will help their readers to SEE, TASTE,
FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR. Encourage students to use words that will help their readers to SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.
Note: This lesson can be taught as many times as needed, using a different book each time.

© 2003 – 2010
Word Choice: Sensory Words
Sensory Words: Gather students around the carpet.
Color Words
Size Words Ask, “What are the five senses?” Quickly review the five senses.
Shape Words
Number Words Say, “Writer’s choose words to write that will help their readers SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.”
Position Words
Yesterday I Had the BLUES
Hold up the book Yesterday I Had the Blues by Jeron Ashford Frame. Say, “The author, Jeron, wrote a book about how he by Jeron Ashford Frame
(#2- 6 of 6) feels each day of the week. Let’s read the book. As I read it, listen for COLOR words that Jeron chose to help his readers SEE,
TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR. We will write them as we find them.”
Read the book. Record the COLOR WORDS as students notice them.
Itty Bitty
by Cece Bell
Guide them as needed toward finding the words.
I Am An Artist
by Pat Lowery Collins
(Smart Board File)
Conclude that authors use good WORD CHOICE when writing. They choose words that will help their readers to SEE, TASTE, Spaghetti and Meatballs
for All by Marilyn Burns
FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR. One way to add sensory words is to use COLOR words.
Encourage students to use words that will help their readers to SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.
Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop. Muriel’s Red Sweater

by Dara Dokas
Note: This lesson is also taught three more days, one day each for SIZE, SHAPE, and NUMBER words.
© 2003 – 2010
Word Choice: Sensory Words – Mystery Beanie Babies
Sensory Words: Gather students around the carpet.
Mystery
Beanie Babies Ask, “What are the five senses?” Quickly review the five senses.
Say, “Writer’s choose words to write that will help their readers SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.”
Display the Beanie Baby collection.
Say, “Today we are going to write a “What Am I?” book. Each of you will choose a Beanie Baby to write about. Your story
will describe the animal using SENSORY WORDS. There is ONE rule…you cannot say the name of your animal/Beanie Baby.”
Allow students to choose a Beanie Baby. As they write, continue to remind them of the expectations.
When all have finished writing, take a picture of the student holding their Beanie Baby.
Type the Beanie Baby mystery stories and insert the digital photo of each student so that their photo is on their page.
Print and add a flap to each page. Have students draw a question mark on the top of their page’s flap. Bind the book.
As you enjoy the book with the class, draw students’ attention to details that appeal to the senses and help paint a picture in
the reader’s mind.
Conclude that authors use good WORD CHOICE when writing.
They choose words that will help their readers to SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.
Encourage students to use words that will help their readers to SEE, TASTE, FEEL, SMELL, and HEAR.

© 2003 – 2010
Word Choice: Descriptive Nouns – More Description Please!
Descriptive Gather students around the carpet. Display the story on the screen. Read the story.
Nouns:
Say, “Let’s be word detectives and find a word that could be changed to a different word that is more descriptive.”
More Ask, “Can you find the word that doesn’t share enough detail about who, what, when, or where?”
Descriptive
Please! Allow for discussion. Once the word has been identified ask for ideas on what the word could be changed to. Then use the
“pull” (SMART Board Notebook Software users) to reveal the more descriptive noun that is relevant for the story and author.
(#1 of 2)
SMART Board Notebook:

More Description Please!
Note: There are 5 stories in

the file, enough for 5 mini
lessons.
Conclude that when we write the words we choose for our stories are very important. They give the readers a better
understanding of who, what, when, and where.
Say, “In my story I shared lots of detail about my dog, and the reader was able to know a lot about my dog, but there was
one word that I wasn’t descriptive enough with. I didn’t have good WORD CHOICE for it. It was the word ‘dog.’ When I
wrote about ‘my dog’ I should have named him.”
Remind students to choose words carefully. Remind them to use good Word Choice.

© 2003 – 2010
Word Choice: Descriptive Nouns – More Descriptive Please!
Descriptive Pre-select a student story to use for the mini lesson. Get the student’s permission to use it prior to the lesson.
Nouns:
More Gather students around the carpet.
Descriptive
Please! Display the story on the board, easel, or document camera.
(#2 of 2) Say, “We’ve been learning about using more descriptive nouns in our stories. I’ve chosen Sam’s story about his trip because
we noticed that there were several words that could be changed to make the story even better. Let’s help Sam with WORD
CHOICE.”
Read the story.
Ask, “Can you find the word that doesn’t share enough detail about who, what, when, or where?”
Allow for discussion. Once a word has been identified ask for ideas on what the word could be changed to. Demonstrate
how to cross out the nondescript word and write a more descriptive noun above it. Repeat as often as necessary until the
story contains evidence of Descriptive Noun Word Choice.
Conclude that when we write the words we choose for our stories are very important. They give the readers a better
understanding of who, what, when, and where.
Say, “Sam shared lots of detail about his trip, and the reader was able to know a lot about what happened on the trip, but
there were a few words that Sam wasn’t descriptive enough with. It’s OK to go back and reread your work to check for
WORD CHOICE.”
Remind students to choose words carefully. Remind them to use good Word Choice.

© 2003 – 2010
Word Choice: Action Verbs
Showing Gather students around the carpet.
Movement
Say, “When authors tell stories, they try to paint a picture in their reader’s minds. They choose words that will help
the readers SEE what is happening. Sometimes the words they choose help us to SEE movement. How a
character or object moves or what they do. Let’s read a book to learn more.”
Say, “Let’s focus on action words today. I’ll read the book The Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell. It is a book about
Jazmin, who is going to be in a parade. Jazmin is upset because it starts to rain. Let’s read the book. Listen for
words that tell us WHAT Jasmine did. What were her actions in the book?”
Read the book. Record action words as you encounter them. You may want to sort the actions based on who
did them (rain, Jazmin, sun, children/kids, etc.). Allow students to assist.
When finished reading, share that these words are verbs. Verbs are words that show action.
Start a word collection chart on ACTION VERBS. As you read and discover new and interesting verbs, add them
The Rain Stomper
to the chart. As students share their stories and new and interesting verbs are shared, add them to the chart. by Addie Boswell
Conclude that authors choose words to help paint a picture in their reader’s minds. Some of these words help
readers to SEE what is happening. Action verbs (point to the word collection chart) are words that show a
character or object’s actions.
Encourage students to begin choosing words that help the reader SEE what is happening. Encourage students
to start choosing action verbs that really help paint a picture in our minds.

© 2003 – 2010
Word Choice: Words that Make Noise
Onomatopoeia Gather students around the carpet.
Say, “I have some sound recordings and I want for you to listen very closely. When you hear the sound, circle the picture of
(#1 of 2) the sound-maker. We will talk about the sounds after all the sounds have been played.”
Distribute the recording sheets.
Play the sound effects.
When finished, ask, “Was it hard to identify the sounds and match them with the sound-makers?”
Say, “Authors love to use sounds in their stories. They choose words that will help their reader’s HEAR what is happening.
Good WORD CHOICE helps authors to paint a picture in their reader’s minds.”
Go through the list and record the word that describes each sound.
Cassette, MP3, or CD
Recording of Sounds
Say, “When an author uses a word that SOUNDS LIKE the objects they name or the sounds those objects make. They are
words that MAKE NOISE. Words that sound like the objects they name or the sounds the objects make are called
ONOMATOPOEIA. Let’s start collecting these words. We already have a few. as we read books we can continue adding to
the list.”
Begin a word collection chart for ONOMATOPOEIA. Add words as you notice them throughout the remainder of the year.
Examples: boom, zip, buzz, crash, splash, rip, slurp, crunch, clank, clang, slap, bang, sizzle, flop, boom, croak, pop, zap, etc.
Conclude that authors can use words that help to MAKE NOISE. These words are called ONOMATOPOEIA. They help to paint
a picture in the reader’s minds. They help the reader to HEAR what is going on in the story. http://delicious.com/jameach
Check out my sound effect
bookmarks on Delicious!
Encourage students to begin using words that MAKE NOISE.

© 2003 – 2010
Word Choice: Words that Make Noise
Onomatopoeia Gather students around the carpet.
(#2 of 2) Say, “Authors love to use sounds in their stories. They choose words that will help their reader’s HEAR what is happening.
Good WORD CHOICE helps authors to paint a picture in their reader’s minds.”
Say, “Let’s read a book that has ONOMATOPOEIA in it. The book is about a little girl. Her name is Momo. She really wants it
to rain because she has a new umbrella and a new pair of boots. As I read, listen for the words that MAKE NOISE (point to the
ONOMATOPOEIA word collection chart for examples).”
Read Umbrella by Taro Yoshima. Record examples of ONOMATOPOEIA.
Umbrella
Conclude that authors can use words that help to MAKE NOISE. These words are called ONOMATOPOEIA. They help to paint by Taro Yashima
a picture in the reader’s minds. They help the reader to HEAR what is going on in the story.
Encourage students to begin using words that MAKE NOISE.
Note: This lesson can be taught as many times as needed, using a different book each time.

© 2003 – 2010
Additional Books to Teach Word Choice:
Abuela
Fireflies My LIght A Night at the Zoo
A Kitten Tale by Arthur Dorro
by Julie Brinkloe by Molly Bang by Martha Robinson
by Eric Rohmann
Smoky Night
by Eve Bunting The Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest Owl Moon Dog Day Miss Rumphius
by Barbara Douglass by Jane Yolen by Sara Hayes by Barbara Coony
Chicky Chicky Chook Chook That’s Good, That’s Bad Quiet in the Garden
Phooey Night Noises
by C. MacLennan by Margery Cuyler by Aliki
by Marc Rosenthal by Mem Fox
Beach Moon Rope Fancy Nancy I Stink I’m Dirty

by Elisha Cooper by Lois Ehlert by Jane O’Connor by Kate & Jim McMullan by Kate & Jim McMullan

© 2003 – 2010
© 2003 – 2010

Word Choice

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Writer’s Workshop Unit

Word Choice: Why Choose Words Carefully

Words are Like Faces

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.

Word Choice Mini Lessons

(Smart Board File)

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.

Word Choice Mini Lessons

Guide them as needed toward finding the words.

(Smart Board File)

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop. Muriel’s Red Sweater

Display the Beanie Baby collection.

Conclude that authors use good WORD CHOICE when writing.

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.

Word Choice Mini Lessons

SMART Board Notebook:

Note: There are 5 stories in

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.

Word Choice Mini Lessons

Read the story.

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.

Word Choice Mini Lessons

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.

Word Choice Mini Lessons

Distribute the recording sheets.

Play the sound effects.

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.

Word Choice Mini Lessons

Read Umbrella by Taro Yoshima. Record examples of ONOMATOPOEIA.

Encourage students to begin using words that MAKE NOISE.

Dismiss for Writer’s Workshop.

Word Choice Mini Lessons

Beach Moon Rope Fancy Nancy I Stink I’m Dirty

Word Choice Mini Lessons

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