Imagining Imagery:

How to increase detail and imagery in student writing through the implementation of various interventions.

Ashley Longosz alongosz@gmail.com

2010-2011 Radio Park Elementary School Fourth Grade Intern

April 30, 2011

Table of Contents

Description of Teaching Context.......................................................................3

Wonderings and Questions

Main Question...........................................................................................4

Sub Questions...........................................................................................5

Data Collection and Analysis Process

Summary of Data Collection......................................................................5

Survey: Pre and Post Student Survey.......................................................6

Artifacts: Student Writing Samples…….....................................................8

Reflective Journal: Personal Reflection...................................................10

Explanation of Findings

Claim #1..................................................................................................11

Claim #2..................................................................................................13

Claim #3..................................................................................................14

Reflection and Implications for Future Practice...............................................15

Appendices......................................................................................................17

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Context: As a Professional Development Intern through the Pennsylvania State

University, I am currently working in a self-contained fourth grade classroom at

Radio Park Elementary School, in the State College Area School District. The fourth

grade classroom consists of twenty-four students, of which twelve are boys and

twelve are girls. Each child has a unique personality and overall the class is very

social. Of the twenty-four students, there is one African American boy, one Chinese

boy, one Chinese girl, one biracial girl (half African American, half Caucasian), two

Indian boys, one Bangladesh boy, one Hispanic boy, and sixteen Caucasian

students.

One girl is diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and

on medication. Another boy is diagnosed with ADHD but is not on medication and

had a 504 Behavioral Plan that was recently discarded as not needed anymore. One

boy had a physical altercation with another boy at recess and was appropriately

reprimanded. Another girl has a difficult time with self-control and has had some

minor altercations with a few classmates. For example, she scratched a boy in line

because she wanted him to move. Overall the majority of students behave

appropriately and as expected for fourth graders.

Two students receive IST services for writing. Five students are in Title 1,

three students (2 girls, 1 boy) are in Title 1 for math and reading, one girl is in Title 1

for only math, and another boy is in Title 1 for only reading. A majority of the class

(16 students) takes instrumental lessons. Four students (2 girls, 2 boys) spend

Tuesday afternoons in enrichment for the Festival of the Arts unit. Five students (3

girls, 2 boys) are in the advanced math class. The majority of the class is at the

fourth grade reading and writing level, with a few students above and a few below

the fourth grade standard. For the past two months the students have been

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participating in Reader’s Workshop on a daily basis. The students are categorized

into three groups based on academic level. Five out of the six students in the lowest

group are the students receiving Title 1 services.

Overall, the students cooperate with each other and get along. For the most

part the girls and boys do not mix socially (the girls are friends with the girls and the

boys are friends with the boys). Two students see the guidance counselor for

emotional support. Two girls are best friends and tend to be exclusive. There are no

students who are antisocial or loners. Two students are quieter than the others but

when encouraged to participate do so. To a large extent, the students talk and

cooperate with each other and have friends in the class as well as in other classes.

Wondering:

Writing is such an integral part in the development of learners. It is

incorporated in all subjects and is an important life skill to have. While I was teaching

the poetry unit I saw the children excited about writing, and their work was creative.

The dilemma was that this creativity didn’t carry over into other types of writing.

When student wrote paragraphs their work lacked detail and imagery. Without detail

and imagery the writing was bland and uninteresting. This revelation led me to my

main wondering in my inquiry study.

Main Wondering:

“How can I enhance detail and imagery in student writing?”

- In this study detail refers to the number of adjectives used in a writing

assignment. Imagery refers to the use of figurative language (simile,

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metaphor, personification, alliteration, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia) in

a writing assignment.

Sub-Questions:

1. How will students’ like or dislike for writing change after the interventions?

2. How will a student’s writing level affect their use of detail and imagery?

3. How will providing students with the tools to enhance their writing carry

over into other subjects?

Data Collection and Analysis Process

Summary of Data Collection:

To gain ample amounts of data and evidence to support my claims I used

three different data collection methods. I administered a pre and post student survey

to gain knowledge about students’ opinions on writing, how often students write

outside of class, and the type of writing they enjoy. A collection of artifacts was

examined to determine if detail and imagery increased based on the number of

adjectives and figurative language written. The use of a reflective journal allowed me

to take notes on behaviors and attitudes during the interventions. Each collection

method served a different role in my inquiry. The survey allowed me to gain

knowledge from the perspective of the writer, the artifact collection supplied me with

tangible evidence, and the reflective journal provided me with observation of student

behavior. The combination of the three data collection methods supplied me with

strong data and evidence that I was able to employ to support my claims.

To gain meticulous and thorough evidence I chose to focus my analysis on

the work of 9 students. To guarantee that the study was comprehensive 3 students

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from each sub group (low, middle, high) were chosen. The children were placed in

the appropriate subgroup based on their reading groups. The reading groups were

determined in the beginning of the year based on the Aims Web test. I chose to

divide the students based on their reading groups because their reading groups are

credible, and reading and writing correlate. Within each subgroup I randomly chose

three students, totaling my focus group to nine students.

Survey: Pre and Post Student Survey

To gain an understanding of how the learners view writing I administered a

pre and post survey. Both surveys were created on Survey Monkey, a survey

website. The link was emailed to the students’ school email, and using the class set

of laptops the students logged on and completed the survey during morning work. All

24 students took the pre survey, which was given on February 25, 2011 before any

interventions were put into action. The pre survey asked each student if they like to

write, their opinion of themselves as a writer (bad, not very good, ok, good, or great),

their confidence in writing, the number of times they wrote since January (outside of

school), what type of writing they enjoy (poetry, letters, emails, short stories, plays,

or other), and the writing area they would like to improve (see appendix A). Six of the

seven questions were multiple choice. The question asking for the writing area to

improve was a free response question.

For each multiple-choice question Survey Monkey calculated the percentage

of each answer and highlight the largest percentage (the answer chosen the most). I

then went through each question and looked at the highlighted percentage, as well

as the percentages of the other answers. I then determined if the highest percentage

was an outlier, or if another answer was close to the highest percentage. When

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answering the questions about enjoying writing, 47.1% chose “it is ok” and 37.5%

chose “I like it”. For the second question, 41.7% say they are an “ok” writer and

41.7% say they are a “good” writer. 45.8% of the class say they are a “little

confident” in their writing, and 54.2% say they are “very confident” in their writing.

Since January 33.3% of the class has written 3-5 times and 20.8% of the class has

written 6-10 times for enjoyment. The majority of students enjoy writing poetry

(29.2%), emails (25%), and short stories (25%). When analyzing the free response

question I looked at each individual answer, majority of students wanted to improve

on handwriting and editing. I was able to use some of the data collected in pre

survey to consider the types of writing I would implement in the interventions. I also

used the pre survey data as a baseline to compare to the post survey data.

The post survey was given on April 18, 2011 after the final intervention had

been completed. The post survey questions include many of the same questions as

the pre survey, but also had a few different questions. The post survey asked each

student if they like to write, their opinion of themselves as a writer (bad, not very

good, ok, good, or great), their confidence in writing, the number of times they write a

week (outside of school), their favorite type of writing (poetry, letters, emails, short

stories, plays, or other), their opinion of the improvement of their writing since

January, and their favorite writing assignment (see appendix B). The post survey

included 7 multiple-choice questions and 1 free response question (favorite writing

assignment question).

Identical to the pre survey, the percentages of each answer to each question

were calculated by Survey Monkey. 54% of the class say writing is ok and 25% say

they like it. 37% believe they are a good writer and 29% say they are ok. When

asked about confidence in writing, 66.7% say they are a little confident and 29.2%

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say they are very confident in their writing. 41.7% say they write about once or twice

a week outside of school. Emails (25%) and short stories (29.2%) are the favorite

types of writing. 58.3% of the class believes their writing has improved since January

and 41.7% believes it has stayed the same. Similar to the pre test, I analyzed the

free response question by looking at each individual answer. In my analysis I found

that 5 out of 24 students chose the sketch artist intervention as their favorite writing

assignment, the remaining students chose a range of other writing assignments. The

post survey was administered to the class as a way of collecting student opinions of

writing, and determining if there were any significant changes after the execution of

the interventions.

Artifacts: Student Writing Samples

The collection of artifacts occurred before, during, and after the interventions.

As previously stated, artifacts of 9 students, 3 of each sub group, were collected and

analyzed. The pre writing assessments that were collected include the midyear

writing assessment, and a paragraph from a word study homework packet. The

midyear writing assessment required students to pick their favorite season and write

about what they hear and see in that season (see appendix C). The word study

homework asked students to write a paragraph about their favorite summer vacation

(see appendix D).

During the first intervention I read the students a passage (see appendix E),

and we discussed the excellent examples of imagery used in the passage about a

watershed. Students then closed their eyes and I read them an imagery exercise

passage (see appendix F). The students were asked to imagine themselves on a

trip. As the trip progressed the students were asked to use their five senses to

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cognitively explore the area they traveled to. We then discussed the use of the five

senses and what they visualized. Lastly, each student created a writing piece or

drawing to represent his or her story (see appendix G). This drawing or piece of

writing was then collected as an artifact. The second intervention included the

students sitting in a circle and closing their eyes to visualize a perfect Saturday

morning. The students then opened their eyes and wrote down phrases (on a chart)

in the following categories: see, hear, taste, smell, and touch (see appendix H).

Each student then picked one of the phrases to share with the class. The charts

were then collected to be analyzed. The last artifact collected in this category is the

sketch artist paragraphs (see appendix I). After modeling the exercise as a class

each student received a picture of a different African animal on a Google Doc. Their

assignment was to write a detailed description of the photograph. Each student then

received a classmate’s description, and they drew the animal from the description,

never having seen the photograph.

The post assessment included the collection of the Nigeria flipbook and the

Ghana postcard. These two assignments were given after the interventions ended

and were collected as a way to see if the interventions carried over into the subject

of social studies. Students individually read an informational book about Nigeria and

completed a graphic organizer to classify the facts. They then used the graphic

organizer to write 2-3 sentences for each topic (school, weather, and work). For a

different assignment students read the book, “Kofi and His Magic” by Maya Angelou.

They then wrote a postcard to a friend or family member as if they were traveling

with Kofi through Ghana (see appendix K). The Nigeria flipbook and Ghana postcard

were collected as post assessment artifacts.

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The artifacts from the pre, during, and post assessment were collected and

organized in a binder. The binder was divided into 3 sections (pre, during, post), and

each section was then divided into 3 subsections based on the 3 subgroups (low,

middle, high). The writing was analyzed based on the percent of adjectives and the

number of figurative language used. “Detail” refers to the number of adjectives used

and “imagery” refers to the amount of figurative language used. The number of

adjectives in the piece of work was counted and then divided by the number of total

words (see appendix M). The number of figurative language used was also counted

and written on the chart. Figurative language included similes, metaphors,

personification, alliteration, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia. The mind travel artifact

was not analyzed using this system because the drawings did not have words, and

therefore could not be calculated this way. Instead the intervention was analyzed

through the reflective journal.

Reflective Journal: Personal Reflections

During each intervention I wrote down quick notes about student responses to

the activity. Once the lesson was completed I sat down and reflected on it. I wrote a

short reflection about my thoughts and reactions to the intervention. In addition to my

personal reflection I kept a reflective journal where I wrote down the date, activity,

setting, my observations, and my inferences/judgments. When I referred to a specific

student I used a code so that the identity of the student remains anonymous. By

reflecting on each intervention and writing down my observations I was able to keep

track of each individual intervention, and my reaction as well as the students’

reactions to it.

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When it was time to analyze the data I went through each artifact I collected in

the “during” stage and looked at my journal reflections and notes that I had taken

during that intervention. I found this extremely helpful, because during some of the

interventions a class discussion played a big part in the teaching of imagery and

detail. The reflective journal highlighted behaviors and reactions of students that are

not apparent through the other methods of data collection.

Explanation of Findings (See appendix M)

The analysis of artifacts, survey questions, and reflection journal entries

resulted in the identification of patterns and trends. Through these findings I am

better able to understand the relationship between student writing and detail and

imagery. The three claims described below parallel to my initial wondering question:

How can I enhance detail and imagery in student writing?”

Claim 1: When students are focused on the specific writing concept of imagery, the

measurable quantity (detail and figurative language) increases for that assignment.

To investigate my main wondering I collect artifacts at three different points

over the eleven-week span. I collected two writing pieces before any interventions

were implemented. After each of the three interventions I collected the writing piece

that coincided. I also collected two writing pieces at the conclusion of my inquiry,

after all interventions had been implemented. The collection and analysis of these

artifacts directed me to the conclusion that the amount of detail and imagery

significantly increases when students were focused on adding more adjectives and

figurative language.

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When comparing the percentage of adjectives used in the pre, during, and

post assessments, the percent increased the most during the assessment (see

appendix M). The total percent of adjectives used in the pre assessment was 2.99%.

Within the pre assessment, the percent of adjectives used in the Season

Assessment was 3.57% and in the word study paragraph was 1.97% (See appendix

M for Pre Assessment). The total percent of adjectives used in the artifacts collected

during the assessment was 13.07% (See appendix M for during assessment). The

percent of adjectives used in the Saturday Morning activity was 18.64% and in the

Sketch Artist paragraph it was 12.18%. This is a significant increase of 10.08% from

the pre assessment to the during assessment artifact collection. The interventions of

mini lessons were immediately taught before each during assessment. After the

students participated in the mini lesson they were given one of the three during

assessments. For each mini lesson the focus was on using detail or imagery in

student writing.

The amount of figurative language also increased from one simile in the pre

assessment to five similes in the during assessment (See appendix M for Total

Findings). The number of figurative language instances increased by four from the

pre to the during assessment. When analyzing my reflections I noticed that it was

difficult for students to think of figurative language examples, but similes were the

easiest (See appendix L). I noted that students were saying, “I can’t think of any”

when referring to figurative language, but adjectives were shared immediately.

The percent of adjectives increased in all three-sub groups (See appendix

M). Although the base line percent collected in the pre assessment data was

different for each sub group, all three groups showed a significant increase in the

amount of adjectives used when the activity focused on detail and imagery. The low

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group increased from 2.05% to 12.3%, the middle group increased from 4.01% to

9.56%, and the high group increased from 3.04% to 18.27%.

Based on the data described above, evidence concludes that the percent of

adjectives has increased from the pre assessment to the during assessment. Since I

have concluded that the percent of adjectives has increased, I can determine that for

a writing assignment, detail and figurative language increases when the specific

writing concept of imagery is focused on.

• Claim 2: Overtime if students aren’t prompted to use detail and figurative

language in their writing then it isn’t apparent.

The collection of post assessment artifacts was used to determine if the mini

lessons of imagery would carry over into other subjects. After comparing the data

collected from the pre and during assessments to the data collected from the post

assessments I can conclude that detail and figurative language are not evident when

students aren’t prompted.

The percent of adjectives used increased from 2.99% to 13.07% from the pre

assessment data to the during assessment data. The post assessment data conveys

that the percent of adjectives used is 5.83%. Therefore the percent of adjectives

used decreased from 13.07% in the during assessment to 5.83% in the post

assessment. This is a decrease of 7.24%. Although the percent of adjectives used

increased from 2.99% in the pre assessment to 5.83% in the post assessment, I

determined this as not a significant difference, because it was less than a 3%

difference.

The activities used in the post assessments were taken from the social studies

unit of Africa. Both assignments were from different writing activities pertaining to

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Africa, and neither activities’ main focus was detail and figurative language. This is

dissimilar to the during assessments, which were driven by imagery lessons.

Based on the evidence gathered above, I can conclude that there is a decrease

in the percent of adjectives used from the writing immediately after the interventions

(during assessment) to the writing after all of the interventions (post assessment).

These findings verify that overtime detail and figurative language in student writing

isn’t apparent when students aren’t prompted.

• Claim 3: The implementation of interventions did not change their perceptions

of themselves as writers or their overall judgment of writing.

Through the analysis of survey results I have concluded that the interventions

of imagery did not change student perceptions of themselves as writers or their

overall judgment of writing. Students used laptops to complete a pre survey and a

post survey on the website, Survey Monkey. The pre survey was conducted

before any interventions were implemented, and the post survey was given after

all interventions were applied. The surveys had majority of the same questions

with a few additions to the post survey.

There was no significant difference in the percentage when answering if

students enjoy writing and the types of writing they enjoy. In the pre survey

41.7% of students say writing is ok and 37.5% say they like it. In the post survey

54.2% say writing is ok and 25% say they like it. In both surveys the majority of

students say they like poetry, emails, plays, and short stories.

When looking at students’ self-perceptions of themselves as writers there was

insignificant difference between the pre survey and post survey. In the pre survey

41.7% believe they are an ok writer and 41.7% see themselves as a good writer.

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In the post survey 29.2% think of themselves as ok writers and 37.5% believe

themselves to be good writers. In the pre survey 54.2% of the class is very

confident in their writing and 45.8% is a little confident in their writing. In the post

survey 29.2% of the students are very confident in their writing and 66.7% are a

little confident in their writing. The percentage differences between the pre survey

and the post survey are not significantly different.

Although there is no significant increase in students’ self perception as

writers, the amount of writing students do outside of school has increased. On the

pre survey 25% of the class said that since January they have never written for

enjoyment. On the post survey students were asked how many times a week

they write for enjoyment. Out of 24 students only 1 student (4.2%) said he/she

has never written outside of class, and 41.7% says they write once or twice a

week.

The data collected and analyzed through the pre survey and post survey have

neither significantly increased nor decreased. These findings have determined

that the applied interventions did not change the students’ perceptions of

themselves as writers or their overall judgment of writing.

Reflections and Future Practice

The imagery interventions that I implemented over eleven weeks increased

the amount of adjectives and figurative language used in student writing when the

writing concept of imagery was focused on. I believe the increase in the amount of

adjectives makes the writing more descriptive and detailed. In my future classroom I

will use these interventions to help enhance detail and imagery in student writing. I

believe that the type of writing assignment may correlate to the amount of adjectives

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used. My theory is that an informational or persuasive piece of writing will have less

detail and imagery than a story or descriptive piece of writing. The post assessment

assignments were social studies informational writing pieces, and the percent of

adjectives decreased. This decrease may be because of the type of writing

compared was descriptive (during assessment) and informational (post assessment).

In the future I would like to test this theory by comparing the type of writing to the

number of adjectives used.

I believe the depth of my inquiry was restricted due to time constraints. With

more time I would be able to analyze the impact the interventions have on future

writing. I would like to collect post assessment data that is descriptive writing, such

as a story. I would then compare the percent of adjectives used in the post

assessment descriptive assignment to the during assessment descriptive

assignment. By comparing the same type of writing I believe I would acquire stronger

evidence, because it would eliminate the type of writing uncertainty explained above.

When reflecting on this inquiry, I wonder if the length of writing effects the

amount of adjectives or figurative language used. In my analysis I calculated the

percentage by dividing the number of adjectives by the number of words written. I

wonder if a longer piece of writing would have a higher percent of adjectives,

because there are more opportunities to include them.

Through the inquiry process I have learned ample amounts of information. I

have learned some successful ways to enhance detail and imagery in student

writing. Although I have learned a lot of information that will be helpful if the future, I

still have many wonderings. Specifically, I wonder if the type of writing and the length

of writing effect the amount of detail and figurative language used, and the effect the

interventions have over a longer period of time.

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Annotated Bibliography

Chen, Y. L., Liu, E.,Zhi Feng, Shih, R. C., Wu, C. T., & Yuan, S. M. (2011). Use of

peer feedback to enhance elementary students' writing through blogging.

United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01139.x

In this study students gave peer feedback through blogging. The research

indicates that the use of peer feedback through a blogging model is an effective way

to improve the quality of elementary students’ writing. The students also agreed that

providing feedback through blogging is beneficial for editing articles and improving

their writing. I found this article very valuable and it has given me the idea to use a

blog method to provide feedback to my student as they are writing.

Fleckenstein, K. S. (2004). Words made flesh: Fusing imagery and language in a

polymorphic literacy. College English, 66(6), 612-612. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/62126563?accountid=13158

Fleckenstein explains that polymorphic literacy is a combination of

Smagorinsky’s idea of composing and the New London Group’s concern with a

praxis of multiliteracies. Fleckenstein (2004) explains, “Smagorinsky advocates that

we replace writing across the curriculum with composing across the curriculum, in

which composing encompasses the production and interpretation of images as well

as words” (p. 615). The New London group advocates a shift in terminology and

pedagogy, using different medias to construct our meaning. Fleckenstein later

explains that creativity is more than words on a page and the use of alternative

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modes of expression can reveal that creativity. I have learned the importance of

allowing students to express their creativity in multiple ways. I plan on using this idea

in my intervention, giving students options instead of having them solely write.

Gorman, R., & Eastman, G. S. (2010). "I see what you mean": Using visuals to teach

metaphoric thinking in reading and writing. English Journal, 100(1), 92.

Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/749382234?accountid=13158

Gorman and Eastman begin the article by explaining that the figurative

language terms (metaphor, simile, allusion, personification, etc.) are often very

frustrating for hesitant writers. Gorman and Eastman (2010) state, “(It) can be

frustrating for students who are hesitant to venture into thinking patterns beyond

what is obviously and securely ‘right’” (p. 92). Throughout the article they explain

different ways to get writers to understand figurative language and become

comfortable with using it. Gorman and Eastman use visual stimuli to intrigue

students to write creatively. From this article I have learned that some students may

be intimidated to use figurative language. I believe that using visual stimuli will help

struggling students and will interest and excite them to write.

Kirk, J. (n.d.). How to teach imagery-a lesson plan . Retrieved from

http://www.ehow.com/how_4771394_teach-imagery-lesson-plan.html

Jay Kirk provides a lesson plan on teaching imagery to 9th grade students.

Kirk explains the importance of giving a definition of what imagery is. In the lesson

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plan Kirk has the students make a five column chart and label each column with one

sense (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell). Thinking about the 5 senses, he then

has the students imagine a Saturday morning. The students describe their Saturday

morning in the appropriate columns. They then share in a whole class discussion.

The students then go through the same process describing a Monday morning. Kirk

then explains that he compares the mood of a Saturday morning to the mood of a

Monday morning. I found this lesson to be very helpful and I plan on adapting it to

use as one of my imagery interventions.

Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. (2001, October 17). The lake pontchartrain

basin: a watershed. Retrieved from

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98805/lessons/chpt1/index.htm

This website was created by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, the

U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The website

includes multiple lessons to teach students about watersheds and Lake

Pontchartrain. One of the lessons describes the watershed using imagery. The

passage is an excellent example of detailed writing. This source is important in my

inquiry because I will be adapting it for my intervention. I will use this passage as an

example of good imagery. I will have the students close their eyes and visualize the

watershed by listening to me read it. I will then extend the lesson my having students

create their own story through visualization.

Laman, T. T. (2011). The functions of talk within a 4th-grade writing workshop:

Insights into understanding: JRCE Taylor & Francis Inc. Retrieved from

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http://search.proquest.com/docview/861817846?accountid=13158

Laman points out that high-stakes writing tests are increasing even though the

time teachers spend teaching writing is decreasing. Laman then proposes using

writing workshops as a way to create a shared learning space and develop a meta-

awareness of process and practices, and building writing identities. The journal

article examines academically tracked 4th-graders’ first-time engagement with writing

workshop structure. This article has introduced me to a way to engage learners and

the benefits of peer editing. This article has provided me with some ideas for my

inquiry interventions.

Patel, P., & Laud, L. (2009). Helping students to add detail and flair to their stories.

Preventing School Failure, 54(1), 2. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/228486338?accountid=13158

Patel and Laud conducted a case study measuring the effectiveness of a

writing strategy, with the focus on enhancing imagery in stories. The writing strategy

was implemented over a five week period on three students with severe writing

difficulties, two of which are identified as learning disabled, and the other undergoing

assessment. The teacher had the students use two graphic organizers to arrange

their ideas. The students also looked at two similar pieces of writing and identified

which piece of writing was more detailed and specifically where the details were.

After the intervention the students received a piece of their own writing (pre-

intervention) and edited it, with the focus on adding details. This article has supplied

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me with numerous ideas on different ways I can teach detail writing to my students. I

now have some different ideas on how I will implement the intervention.

Wilson, A. (2007). Finding a voice? do literary forms work creatively in teaching

poetry writing? Cambridge Journal of Education, 37(3), 441-457. Retrieved

from http://search.proquest.com/docview/62057729?accountid=13158

Throughout the journal article Wilson explains the use of different literary and

poetic forms as models to improve children writing. Wilson also warns the reader of

potential pitfalls of teaching poetry with literary forms. Wilson (2007) states, “Writing

is not easily defined compared with other activities. The conventions in writing are

not hard and fast ‘rules’” (p. 455). Wilson explains that good poetry pedagogy

should and can embody all the different views of writing. From this article I have

learned that no one approach is necessarily the “right” way to teach about imagery

and figurative language. I have also learned that it is not easy to define writing as

“good” or “correct” as it may be in other subjects, such as math.

Witherell, N.L., & McMackin, M.C. (2005). Teaching writing through

differentiated instruction. New York, NY: Scholastic.

In this book the authors; Witherell and McMackin focus on a two-step

approach to differentiated instruction in writing. Witherell and McMackin explain the

importance of targeting a skill and demonstrating that skill, and then providing

students with an activity that is at their individual level. The book provides ample

writing skills, including using figurative language. This book has given me some

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ideas on differentiating instruction in writing and an example of how to practice

figurative language.

Yancey, K. B. (2004). Using multiple technologies to teach writing. Educational

Leadership, 62(2), 38-38. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/62130862?accountid=13158

In this article the author, Kathleen Blake Yancey discusses the importance of

helping writers develop fluency and competence in a variety of technologies. She

gives multiple examples of teachers incorporating media in the different stages of the

writing process. In one example the teacher had the students create media

presentations on their research paper topics and present to a partner. The student

survey revealed that 90% of the students liked working together on the presentations

and believed that they learned more than they would have if they had not presented

to their peers. Yancey (2004) states, “Computer technologies can enhance student

writing in ways beyond…by drawing reluctant students into writing through the lure of

a medium considered fun and ‘cool’” (p. 39). This article has inspired me to use

media in my interventions to motivate student writing. I find that I have a handful of

reluctant student writers, and the use of media can potentially arouse their creative

writing. Throughout the article Yancey explained and showed evidence to the

benefits of incorporating media technologies in student writing.

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C

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Appendix D

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Appendix E

The Lake Pontchartrain Basin: A Watershed

Guided Imagery

Imagine you are a small stream, a mere trickle of bright clean water, snaking, twisting and turning on your way to the sunny southern coast. Your water spills over rocks and pebbles, smoothing the rough multicolored stones with the force of your rushing water. The soils and sediments you push along the bottom are reddish brown in color, arising from alluvial deposits containing iron compounds. Plop! Plop!... small rocks skip across your surface. Plop! Plop! Smooth stones first skim and then break the surface as they start to sink. Ripples mark the spot; each one larger than the first. The small boys and girls skimming stones turn their attention to other things, and you race down bluff terraces between craggy tree roots and sandy sediments to another dark pool. Here the woods smell of pine. The earth, moist and dark, is covered by thin brown needles and prickly cones. Beside you, a squirrel picks up a newly fallen cone and with great speed tears into the sticky interior in search of newly formed seeds, an afternoon snack perhaps. Your water is dark and quiet; the Native Americans name you, "Tangipahoa." Along your way to the lower coastal plain you now dip, rush, twist and turn, all the while collecting water from the land. Rain dampens green pasture land which harbors black and white dairy cows; it rolls off the purple thistle plants, and the glistening drops cascade over the dark green leaves, finally plunging to the rich moist ground. There, drops gather and form with other drops into a small rivulet which races to the water's edge. As this water enters your gradually enlarging stream, it feeds the bright green grasslike algae growing at the muddy edge-- where bubbles of oxygen float free like balloons during the late night hours--where tiny fish nip at the hairy wisps; snails crawl on the cushiony mat, and black water bugs scamper, dart and spring off the bouncy surface. You now enter Lake Pontchartrain: Lake Pontchartrain, the collecting basin of a large watershed. Not only the water from your own Tangipahoa watershed, but drainage from Lakes Maurepas and Borgne and other small rivers...the Amite, Tickfaw, Tchefuncte, Bogue Falaya, West Pearl Rivers and Bayou Lacombe all contribute water to the great lake, Lake Pontchartrain, where all converge to become one: The Lake Pontchartrain Basin.

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Appendix F For this exercise everyone must find your own comfortable space. I will be telling a story, in which the main character is you. As you listen to the story, you must imagine that it is actually happening to you. You should concentrate especially on your five senses--your sense of touch, your sense of smell, your sense of taste, your sense of sight and your sense of hearing. You will not be actually moving around or "acting out" the story--this isn't that kind of exercise. Instead, you will be using your senses in your imagination to EXPERIENCE the story.

It will be extremely important as our story unfolds that you DO NOT MAKE ANY SOUNDS. Your classmates will be trying very hard to listen to the sounds in their imaginations, and real sounds will make that very difficult. Similarly, of course, you must not move around or touch anyone else in the room. Concentrate on your senses in your imagination.

To begin our story, I want you to think of a place that is just yours. It might be your room, or if you share a room, your special part of the room. It might be a fort or a special place outside that you like. You will decide what the place is, but it should be a place that is private and special to you.

Imagine that you are in your special place now. Look around. Look CAREFULLY. Use your sense of sight to take in all of the details you can--even the ones you may never have noticed before. Maybe there are little cracks in the ceiling, if there is a ceiling. Maybe there are colors or textures you've never noticed before. It's amazing how many things we see every day but never really SEE. Now listen. Listen to all the special sounds in your special place. Even a very quiet place has lots of sounds if you really listen. Maybe there is the sound of your house shifting. Maybe there is traffic away in the distance. I don't know. You must listen for the special sounds of YOUR place. And smells. Nearly everything in the world has its own smell. Maybe you've never noticed the smells of your special place, but I'll bet they feel comfortable and safe. See if you can identify several smells. Wood has a smell. Earth has a smell. Your place probably smells like you, too. Really breathe in the smells of your special place. The air may even have a taste--see if it does. Now take your hand and touch various things in your space. Feel the textures and temperatures of your space. Are the surfaces rough or smooth? Warm or cool? Damp or dry? Really explore your space with your sense of touch.

Now, as you sit in your special place, I want you to think of a trip you would like to take. Think of someplace else you might like to go. It might be someplace very close by or someplace halfway around the world. You must

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choose for yourself. As you sit in your space, go over in your mind how you would have to travel to get to this other place. For some of you, the whole trip could be made on foot. Some of you will realize you'd have to take a car, and some probably even a plane or a boat. For all I know, some of you might need a spaceship. But I want you to carefully think of all the steps your travel would take. For instance, if you would have to take a plane, you would first have to get in a car or a taxi, then drive to the airport, etc. Think of ALL the steps.

We've decided to take the trip. It is time to pack our bags. Since only you know where you're going and how long you'll be gone, only you know what you will need to pack. So get out a suitcase or bag--whatever seems appropriate--and begin to pack. As you place each item in the suitcase or bag, examine it carefully with your five senses. What color is it? Does it have a smell? Is it heavy or light? If you shake it, does it make a sound? Does it have a texture? We're going to take the time to really pack carefully.

Now that we're going to begin our actual trip, you may find you have to speed up or slow down time in order to keep up with the story. If your trip is very short, you may have to slow down time, but most of us will probably have to speed up time.

Imagine you are now on the first leg of your journey. I don't know what that is--it will be different for each of you. But as you travel along, use your five senses. What are the sights you see? The sounds you hear? The smells you smell? What physical sensations are there? Are there any taste sensations? Really EXPERIENCE this part of the journey.

Okay, now here's where some of you may need to speed up or slow down time. Imaging your are exactly half way to your destination. Many of you are probably in a different kind of transport now, though some of you may be in the same one. Once again, use your five senses. What do you see? Hear? Taste? Smell? Feel?

Now let's imagine we have arrived just outside our destination. That may mean different things for each of you. If your destination has a gate or is indoors behind a door, imagine you are just outside the door or gate. If your destination is just a general place--say, the desert--imagine you are in some sort of transport, about to step out, and "into" the place. In any case, before we enter our destination, we're going to stop and use our senses again. From outside, what does the place look like? Sound like? Smell like? What do you think it will feel like inside?

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Okay, it's finally time to enter. Once inside, I don't know what you're going to do--I don't even know where you are. But as we take some time just to experience this new place, remember to carefully consider what your five senses are telling you. There will probably be lots of new sights, sounds, sensations, smells, and tastes to experience.

As you do whatever it is you came here to do, I want you to think for a minute. Who is the VERY LAST person you would ever expect to meet in this place? The MOST UNLIKELY person to ever be here? In your mind's eye, recall what this person looks like, sounds like, etc.

Suddenly you look up, and there they are! You are certainly surprised to see them, but I don't know whether it's a good surprise or a bad surprise. I don't know who they are or how you feel about them. You may be glad to see them, or you may wish they would go away. As you look at them, and try to see as many details as you can, they speak. Listen to their voice. What does it sound like? What are they saying?

I don't know if you speak back, or if you do, what you say. I don't know what, if anything, the two of you do. This part of the story is up to you.

Finally the person leaves. I don't know why, but you do. I don't know whether you caused them to leave, but you do. I don't know whether you're glad or sad to see them go. But at any rate, now that they're gone you realize it's time for you to go, too. As you leave the place, take one last look. Try to remember all of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch sensations you can for your trip home.

We're going to compress time again, and imagine we're half way home. What sights do you see? What smells do you smell? What sounds do you hear? What tastes do you taste? What sensations do you feel?

Something has gone wrong. I don't know what it is--that's up to you, but something pretty serious. I don't know if the problem is something you can see or not. Maybe the problem has a sound associated with it. Maybe there is a smell. You can probably feel something as well. Whatever the problem is, no one seems to know what to do about it.

Finally you are able to solve the problem. I don't know how you did it. Does your solution have any sounds or smells associated with it? What do you see and feel? At any rate, you certainly feel relief, as we once again speed up or slow down time to arrive just outside our special place--home.

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Before you go inside, see how many details of your special place you can recall. Then when you go in you will see how many of them you remembered correctly. It's been a long day, and a long trip, and you are tired. So you go into your special place and sleep.

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Appendix G

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Appendix H

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Appendix I

Crocodile My picture is a close up of a crocodile’s eye. The eye is yellowish with a small black slit in the middle, which makes him look menacing. Above the eye there are two arcs, one is a hard shell-like cover over the eye, and the other is a bony rock-like line of bumpy skin above the first arc. His skin is black with dots of greenish yellow like a black rock with algae on it (probably for camouflage). There is a smooth slimy rock in front of his eye that goes across the bottom of

the picture.

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Appendix J

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Appendix K

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Appendix L

Reflections DATE ACTIVITY SETTING OBSERVATION INFERS/

JUDGES

3/14 Mind Travel Classroom Students were quiet when I read them the passage E shared a very descriptive part of his trip G added a lot of detail to her drawing Al chose to do a poem

Students found the activity to be relaxing and majority of students chose to draw

3/17 Saturday Morning

Back carpet in circle

Children were excited for activity. K was very eager to share- raised her hand multiple times, eyes bulging. Harder for children to think of similes than adjectives- but similes are easier then metaphors

Children enjoy imagery activities. May be easier for kids to think of ideas then for them to write them down

3/22 Sketch Artist Back carpet and then laptops

JB’s hand raised a lot, G calls out a few times with ideas

JB and G are eager to share ideas

4/1 Sketch Artist Tables -M asking for help to draw a rhino - J asking me what the sentence in his descriptive sentence is saying -C asks for help with drawing her descriptive sentence -C, A, JL, and K have to leave for Title 1.

-Hard for students to draw some had a difficult understanding what others had written -Title 1 students had less time to work

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Appendix M

PRE ASSESSMENT NAME Season Assessment Word Study

Word FL Adj. % Word FL Adj. %

High

Student 1 154 - 2 1.3 50 - 2 4

Student 2 103 - 9 8.7 89 - 2 2.2

Student 3 258 - 7 2.7 102 - 1 .98

Middle

Student 1 125 - 4 3.2 147 - 2 1.4

Student 2 119 - 8 6.7 70 - 2 2.9

Student 3 119 - 8 6.7 69 - 2 2.9

Low

Student 1 188 S 0 0 78 - 2 2.6

Student 2 197 - 8 4.1 95 - 0 0

Student 3 111 - 3 2.7 63 - 2 3.2

Adj./word Figurative Language Season Assessment 3.57% 1 (Simile)

Word Study 1.97% 0

KEY: Word= Total words in piece of writing FL= Figurative Language S= Simile Adj.= Number of adjectives %= Adj. divided by word

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During ASSESSMENT NAME Saturday Morning Sketch Artist

Word FL Adj. % Word FL Adj. %

High

Student 1 32 - 9 28.1 126 - 15 11.9

Student 2 14 - 2 14.3 158 - 37 23.4

Student 3 97 S 15 15.5

Middle

Student 1 13 - 1 7.7 230 - 19 8.3

Student 2 23 - 6 26.1 176 S 10 5.7

Student 3 42 S 6 14.3 81 S 12 14.8

Low

Student 1 10 - 2 20 83 - 9 10.8

Student 2 33 - 4 12.2 87 S 7 8

Student 3 10 - 3 30 86 - 13 15.1

Adj./word Figurative Language Saturday Morning 18.64% 1 (Simile)

Sketch Artist 12.18% 4 (Simile)

KEY: Word= Total words in piece of writing FL= Figurative Language S= Simile Adj.= Number of adjectives %= Adj. divided by word

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POST ASSESSMENT NAME Nigeria Postcard

Word FL Adj. % Word FL Adj. %

High

Student 1 81 - 4 4.9 105 - 2 1.9

Student 2 114 - 12 10.5 103 - 6 5.8

Student 3 84 - 9 10.7 135 - 4 3

Middle

Student 1 77 - 9 11.7 81 - 0 0

Student 2 114 - 8 7 78 - 1 1.3

Student 3 86 - 9 10.5 89 - 5 5.6

Low

Student 1 85 - 6 7.1 108 - 1 1

Student 2 97 - 11 11.3 90 - 3 3.3

Student 3 60 - 4 6.7 77 - 3 3.9

Adj./word Figurative Language Nigeria 9.02% 0

Postcard 2.89% 0

KEY: Word= Total words in piece of writing FL= Figurative Language S= Simile Adj.= Number of adjectives %= Adj. divided by word

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TOTAL FINDINGS

Student PRE DURING POST High Student 1 2% 15.2% 3.2% Student 2 5.7% 22.7% 8.3% Student 3 2.2% 15.5% 5.9% Group 3.04% 18.27% 6.94% Middle Student 1 2.2% 8.2% 5.7% Student 2 5.3% 8% 4.7% Student 3 5.3% 14.8% 8% Group 4.01% 9.56% 6.1% Low Student 1 .8% 11.8% 3.6% Student 2 2.7% 9.2% 7.5% Student 3 2.9% 16.7% 5.1% Group 2.05% 12.3% 5.42%

Pre Assessment Percent of Adjectives

Figurative Language

Season Assessment 3.57% 1 (Simile) Word Study 1.97% 0 Total 2.99% 1 (Simile) During Assessment Saturday Morning 18.64% 1 (Simile) Sketch Artist 12.18% 4 (Simile) Total 13.07% 5 (Simile) Post Assessment Nigeria 9.02% 0 Postcard 2.89% 0 Total 5.83% 0

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