Writing Lesson Plan · Grades 1–2

Writing With Senses Lesson

Teach early-elementary students to bring their writing to life with the five senses — hear, see, touch, taste, smell. Includes paired story examples, a fair-themed brainstorming worksheet, a draw-a-picture activity, and an answer key.

Lesson Overview

Writing With the Five Senses

Stories come alive when writers tap into the five senses. A sentence like Max wanted dinner tells the reader what happened, but Max smelled ham cooking and his belly growled lets the reader experience it. This lesson uses paired story examples to help young students see — and feel — the difference.

The lesson moves through three short activities. Students compare two stories and decide which one uses the senses, then they brainstorm sensory details for a familiar setting (a fair), and finally they write and illustrate their own story using the senses. The included answer key gives sample responses for the open-ended brainstorming activity.

How to Use This Lesson

1. Read the two short stories on page 1 aloud. Ask students to choose which one helps them see, hear, smell, taste, or feel what is happening. Discuss why one feels more real.

2. Move to the fair brainstorming activity on page 2. Have students fill in what they would hear, see, feel, taste, and smell at a fair. Share answers as a group.

3. Use pages 3 and 4 for the independent writing and drawing activity. Students write a short sensory story and draw a picture to match. Review the answer key on page 5 for sample responses.

Printable Resource

A classroom-ready PDF with everything in one printable resource.

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