Students analyze how writers employ literary devices to arouse the senses in this lesson. At the end of the lesson, students are going to: 
- find the sensory details in many literary pieces.
- identify the method used to create the details.
- determine the connection between the author's intention and the sensory details.
- determine the application of literary devices such as personification, metaphor, alliteration, hyperbole, simile, and imagery.
- practice evaluating these literary devices' effects.
- gather and examine illustrations of vivid sensory details.
- write sensory information.
- evaluate and reflect on their creations as well as those of their peers.

- In what ways does text interaction encourage thought and action?

- Author’s Purpose: The author’s intent is either to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people, or to persuade or convince their audience to do or not do something. 
- Hyperbole: An exaggeration or overstatement (e.g., I was so embarrassed I could have died.) 
- Imagery: A word or group of words in a literary work that appeals to one or more of the senses: sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell; figurative language. The use of images serves to intensify the impact of the work. 
- Literary Devices: Tools used by the author to enliven and provide a voice to the writing (e.g., dialogue, alliteration). 
- Metaphor: A figure of speech that expresses an idea through the image of another object. Metaphors suggest the essence of the first object by identifying it with certain qualities of the second object. An example is “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun” in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Here, Juliet, the first object, is identified with the qualities of the second object, the sun. 
- Personification: An object or abstract idea given human qualities or human form (e.g., Flowers danced about the lawn.). 
- Simile: A comparison of two unlike things in which a word of comparison (like or as) is used (e.g., She eats like a bird.).

- Truman Capote. (1967). The Thanksgiving Visitor. Random House. (Use the two paragraphs on pp. 62–63, beginning “Breakfast was our principal meal . . .”) 
- Ernest Hemingway. (1964). A Moveable Feast. Charles Scribner’s Sons. (Use the first two paragraphs of “A False Spring,” p. 49.)
- John Steinbeck. (1962). Travels with Charley. Viking Press. http://www.route99.org/books/travelswithcharlie.html (the edited excerpt beginning “I came out on this trip to learn something of America,” which is from pp. 139–142 of the book.)
- “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/rtt.html 
- a collection of pictures of a variety of scenes, at least one for each group
- copies of Sensory Details in Fiction and Literary Nonfiction (L-L-6-1_Sensory Details in Fiction and Literary Nonfiction and KEY)

- As you commence the unit, gather the students' answers to obtain a summary of their comprehension of the utilization of sensory details. 
- Keep an eye on the groups while the students analyze the passages, offering assistance to any that need it and identifying any specific students who may require more support. Give the entire class or individuals who need extra practice a more in-depth review of imagery and figurative language.
- The opportunity for individual assessment is provided by the presentation of the individually prepared example of sensory appeal (along with the explanation). Give students feedback so they can evaluate their progress about the lesson's objective.

Scaffolding, Active Engagement, Modeling, and Explicit Instruction 
W: Go over the literary devices that will be employed, give students hands-on practice with them, and ask them to consider how these devices relate to the methods used in literature to evoke sensory appeal. Based on a portfolio of assignments from the three lessons in the unit, the performance evaluation for the unit is determined. 
H: Assign students to work in groups, share ideas, and produce original illustrations of sensory appeal along with captions for the examples. 
E: Let groups share their work and assist students in comprehending and evaluating the use of sensory appeal in literature. 
R: Give students the chance to compare their opinions with those of others.
E: As students present their examples of sensory appeal, ask them to focus on the process of creation and the intended reaction of the audience.
T: Assign students the chance to demonstrate their grasp of the creation and application of sensory appeal on an individual, small-group, and class-wide basis.
O: Based on a prior understanding of literary devices, the lesson starts with a discussion of a sensory appeal example. Next, students identify and explain examples before creating and explaining their own, both individually and in groups.

Topic: How do writers use sensory devices to evoke strong emotions in readers? 

On the interactive whiteboard or board, write the following sentences:

Robin felt cold. 
The icy wind tore at Robin's thin jacket and flung sleeve pellets into his face. 

Say, "The same idea is conveyed in both sentences: Robin is cold. What distinctions do you notice between the two sentences, besides their length? Scrutinize them and make a list of the differences. Give as much detail as you can." Ask volunteers to share their observations after a few minutes. (Visual and tactile elements are used in the second sentence. The imagery appeals to the senses of sight and touch. In the second sentence, powerful, active verbs are combined with concrete nouns. Personification is also used.)

Part 1

Go over the imagery with the class and remind them that it stimulates one or more senses. "Why does the second sentence work better for readers than the first one?" (more specificity, more detail, ease of seeing and feeling what's happening, and increased interest) "What made the author select these specific details, in your opinion? What effect do the writer's word choices have on readers?" (to convey to readers that Robin feels like a victim of the cold; to show that the cold poses a genuine threat to Robin.) As you commence the unit, gather the students' answers to obtain a quick summary.

Say, "We're going to look at some more writing samples. All of these are passages taken from literature, both fiction and nonfiction. After reading each one, have a group discussion about it and complete the following tasks:

List all of the literary devices the author employs, such as personification and imagery.
Choose a sample from the passage that best demonstrates each device.
Determine the author's intentions based on these details."

Give each small group a copy of Sensory Details in Fiction and Literary Nonfiction (L-L-6-1_Sensory Details in Fiction and Literary Nonfiction and KEY). After assigning them to read the worksheet, have them complete passages from the first three short stories in the Materials list or any other stories they choose. Finish one example with the class to offer assistance, if necessary.

Move around the room while the groups are working and offer more assistance if necessary. After about twenty minutes, have three groups discuss the excerpts and take questions or comments from the class. As students speak, jot down on the board or interactive whiteboard a list of the literary devices and strategies they recognize.

Part 2

Give every group a picture from a magazine or a copy of a scene. "Each group will write a paragraph scene. Use a range of other literary techniques to enhance its sensory imagery and make it as rich as you can. Use the list on the board as a guide. Use the magazine image as the focal point of your scene. Following your writing, enumerate the devices you employed and provide examples and a brief justification for each one."

While the groups are working, walk around and assist students as needed. After that, assign groups to swap pieces of work and give each other feedback on paragraphs.

Part 3

Read aloud or assign students to read "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," which contains Kipling's account of Nag, the black cobra. Talk about the following instances of the description's sensory appeal:

The writer employs auditory ("a low hiss—a horrifying cold sound") and visual ("thick grass at the foot of the bush") sensory details.

To accentuate these terrifying features of Nag's appearance, Kipling employs alliteration, such as "five feet long from tongue to tail" and "big black cobra."

Readers get the impression that they are watching the cobra unfold with Rikki-Tikki thanks to the vivid sensory details.

Nag's movements are light and dangerously quick, as evidenced by the comparison he makes between how he balances himself and how "a dandelion tuft balances in the wind."

The purpose of all these details is to evoke for readers the sense of Nag's power and the danger he poses, as well as the "wicked snake's eyes that never change their expression."

Allow students to begin collecting examples of effective sensory appeal, ranging in length from a sentence to a paragraph. Students ought to have a minimum of twelve examples by the end of the unit. Ask students to add the following to each instance they give:

an overview of the author's technique for crafting powerful sensory details
an illustration for every tool or method
an assessment of the likely purpose of the author's use of sensory detail for readers

Provide books for students to peruse at their leisure, and encourage them to consider potential examples from their reading. Direct students to websites like http://www.classicshorts.com as well.

Extension:

If students require more learning opportunities, they can go over the definitions of the basic literary terms that are being used and then focus on how the use of imagery along with other devices or techniques creates a sensory appeal (see Image in Poetry in Related Resources).

John Masefield's poem "Sea Fever," which has a lot of sensory appeal, is a good choice for students who need extra learning opportunities (see Related Resources). Determine which literary devices the author has used in small groups.

Students who are perhaps going above and beyond the requirements can either add to or make their examples of sensory appeal.