Multicultural Literature Unit

Katrina Booth

4/18/2018

Beloved: Imagery

Mini-Lesson on imagery
*Lesson plan based on an 80-minute class

Purpose/rationale:

My 10th grade class is working through their multicultural unit. They are reading a total of 5
multicultural texts and working on various writing, reading, presentation, and analytic skills in
response to each text. Throughout their unit students will be focusing on their creative writing
skills. In this unit, I wanted to include the book Beloved by Toni Morrison. However, because of
the advanced content I didn’t want students reading the full text. Instead, I decided to include
this multicultural text as an example of imagery. I chose to use Morrison’s text because she
writes in a beautiful and poetic way. She uses vivid imagery and incorporates details that bring
the story, it’s characters, and her scenes to life.

Teaching imagery to students is important in helping them to bring their writing to life.
Teaching students how to convey their images to readers will enhance student’s writing.

Famous author, Stephen King wrote, “Imagery does not occur on the writer’s page; it occurs in
the reader’s mind. To describe everything is to supply a photograph in words; to indicate the
points which seem the most vivid and important to you, the writer, is to allow the reader to
flesh out your sketch into a portrait” (King, 2010). In order to allow readers into their minds,
students must be able to create images for their readers. They must appeal to their senses.
Imagery creates a vivid scene for readers. Great imagery leaves a writer’s work in their reader’s
minds.

Beloved is filled with great imagery throughout. Morrison use symbols and description in a way
that enhances each of a reader’s senses. By showing students examples of Morrison’s work
they will work to emulate her style and write in a way that engages their reader’s senses. They
will see examples and work to create their own examples.

Today’s mini lesson will focus on what imagery is and how to incorporate it into their creative
writings. Prior to today’s lesson, students were introduced to characteristics of creative writing.
They began to work on imagery by rewriting sentences. Today’s lesson will be specifically
Multicultural Literature Unit

focused in imagery. Students will be using Morrison’s work to inspire their own create
strategies and writings.

For each of the five senses students will see examples from Beloved and then create their own
writings following the template of the quotes. This practice will help students to see examples
of each sense and then allow them to model after these writings to encourage a deeper
understanding of what it means to develop imagery that engages the five senses.

Students will also focus on different figures of speech, such as, metaphors and similes to learn
how these writing techniques can enhance their imagery.

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.D

Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid
picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters

Objectives:

Students Will Be Able To…

 Define imagery
 Utilize details to convey pictures that engage the five senses
 Identify precise words/phrases in Morrison’s Beloved quotes that create imagery

Materials:

 Choice of 3 different writing prompts from “642 Things to Write About”

 Laptops
 Notebooks/Pencils – if laptops are not available

Anticipatory set:

As students enter the classroom they will see three creative writing prompts written on the
board. This is something students will have been participating in since classes began. Today’s
writing prompts will be taken out of “642 Things to Write About” and students will complete
their responses in their class journals (Appendix A).

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

Time Student is doing Teacher is doing

5 minutes Students will enter the Teacher will set a timer as
room and will put their she greets students. She
Multicultural Literature Unit
5 minutes
materials at their desk.
They will grab their journals
from the rack and then sit
at their seats. They will
complete the writing
prompt of their choice in
their journals. If they finish
their first prompt they will
move onto one of the other
two prompts and write on
that one. They will continue
writing until the timer goes
off.
Students will listen to the
introduction to the day’s
lesson. They will listen to
the summary of Beloved.
After the teacher discusses
what is expected of them,
they will ask any questions
they may have. They will
then get out their laptops
when prompted.
*If students don’t have
laptops, they may
handwrite their responses.
will remind students to get
their journals and begin
writing their prompts. She
will also remind students
that responses have to be
at least one full paragraph.
The teacher will remind
students that if they finish
their prompt before the 5
minutes is up they are to
pick a second prompt to
write about. The teacher
will get her PowerPoint
prepared and set up while
students write in their
journals. When the timer
dings the teacher will ask
students to close their
journals and put them in
their desks or off to the
side. She will move to the
front of the class and begin
with the lesson.
The teacher will start off
the lesson by saying,
“Today, we are going to be
working on a creative
writing skill. That skill is
imagery.” She will then give
a recap definition of
imagery, which will be
displayed on screen on the
PowerPoint. The teacher
will then give a brief
summary of the text
Beloved. She will explain
how the PowerPoint will
work – “Throughout today’s
lesson we will be looking at
various quotes from the
book Beloved. We will
break these down by
looking at how Morrison
appeals to all five of our
Multicultural Literature Unit
5 minutes: Taste
2 minutes: Write
Students will listen to the
discussion and quotes on
appealing to the sense of
taste. They will answer the
question by raising their
hand when the teacher
prompts.
Students will listen to the
prompt and write
sentences that emulate
Morrison’s work. Their
senses – taste, touch, smell,
hearing, and seeing. After
each sense, you will take 2
minutes to write your own
example that emulates
Morrison’s work. After we
look at her sensory details,
we will move onto a few
writing techniques that she
uses. These will be
metaphors and similes. You
will also then be
completing your own
metaphors and similes. Any
questions?”
After the teacher answers
the questions she will ask
students to take out their
laptops. If students don’t
have laptops she will ask
them to take out notebooks
and pencils.
The PowerPoint will start
out with examples of taste.
The teacher will read the
examples and ask the
students:
- What words or
phrases appeal to
your sense of taste
here?
The teacher will then tell
students to prepare to
emulate these quotes
based on the prompt on
the following slide on their
laptops.
The teacher will read the
prompt from the
PowerPoint aloud to
students and watch the
Multicultural Literature Unit
5 minutes: Touch
2 minutes: Write
5 minutes: Smell
2 minutes: Write
5 minutes: Hearing
2 minutes: Write
5 minutes: Seeing
2 minutes: Write
sentences should be
focused on appealing to
sense of taste.
Students will listen to the
discussion of the sense of
touch. They will answer the
question asked when
prompted by raising their
hands.
The students will listen to
the prompt and write
continuously for two
minutes emulating the
quotes by Morrison.
Students will listen to each
discussion for each of the
five senses. Answering the
question when prompted.
Students will write for two
minutes after each of the
senses, creating their own
writings based on the
prompts in the PowerPoint.
time as they write. She will
let them know when there
is 30 seconds left. She will
remind students that if they
have written one sentence
that they should continue
to write another one until
the time stops.
Once the timer has gone
off, the teacher will change
the slide and move on to
the next sense. The sense
of touch. The teacher will
read the quotes from the
book that illustrate touch.
She will ask the students:
- What words or
phrases appeal to
your sense of
touch?
She will then ask students
to prepare to write their
own sentences.
The teacher will read aloud
the prompt from the
PowerPoint and watch the
timer as students write.
Reminding them to write
continuously for the full
two minutes.
The teacher will continue
this process of five minutes
for discussion on each
PowerPoint slide with the
prompt and two minutes of
writing for each of the five
senses.
She will continue to ask:
- What
words/phrases
appeal to your
senses?
Multicultural Literature Unit
5 minutes: Metaphors
2 minutes: Write
5 minutes: Similes
2 minutes: Write
Students will listen to the
definition of metaphor and
consider what makes the
quote a metaphor.
Students will raise their
hands in order to respond
to the questions prompted
by the teacher.
Students will listen to the
prompt and will write for
two minutes in response.
Students will listen to the
definition of simile and
consider what makes those
quotes examples of similes.
They will raise their hands
to indicate that they want
to respond to the
prompted question.
Students will write in
response to the prompt for
two minutes.
During the two minutes,
the teacher will write an
example or two of her own
to share with the class
during debrief.
For the discussion of
metaphors, the teacher will
start with a definition of
metaphors and will then
give quote examples from
Beloved. She will then ask:
- What makes this
quote a metaphor?
- What
words/phrases does
the author use to
enhance her
imagery?
The teacher will read the
prompt from the
PowerPoint and ask
students to respond.
The teacher will give a
definition for similes. She
will read quotes from
Beloved. She will ask
students:
- What makes this
quote a simile?
- What
words/phrases or
ideas does the
author use to
enhance her
imagery in these
quotes?
The teacher will read the
prompt on the following
slide and ask students to
respond to it, and to write
continuously for the full
two minutes.
Multicultural Literature Unit
1 minute: Closing
Slide/Transition
10 minutes:
Debrief/Sharing time
5 minutes: Discuss
homework
5 minutes: Exit Slip
Students will finish writing The teacher will change to
and will ask any questions the closing slide and ask
that they have based on the students if they have any
PowerPoint presentation. questions before they go
into a debrief and share
time.
Students will answer the The teacher will turn off the
questions by raising their PowerPoint and initiate a
hands. Anyone who is group discussion on the
willing to share their ideas that were discussed
writings will raise their in the PowerPoint. She will
hands to volunteer to read ask students what they
some of what they wrote. If thought of Morrison’s
students do not volunteer writing. She will then ask
to share their writings, then for volunteers to share
they will listen to the different writings of their
teacher’s examples. If the own from the different
teacher calls on them then sections. If nobody is willing
they will share one of their to share the teacher will
writings with the class. share her examples and will
then call on a few people to
After the discussion, share theirs.
students will email their
responses from the At the end of the discussion
PowerPoint to the teacher. the teacher will ask
students to email her their
responses to the prompts
from the PowerPoint.
The students will listen to The teacher will discuss the
what is expected of them homework expectations
for homework and will ask with the class and ask for
any questions they may any questions.
have.
Students will complete The teacher will ask
their exit slip questions. students to complete the
They will then put their exit slip questions below in
journals in their bins and their journals:
pack up to leave. - How comfortable do
you feel with the
idea of using
imagery in writing?
- Would you like to
do another in-class
activity that
Multicultural Literature Unit

demonstrates
examples with you
writing your own
after?

Summary/Closure:

Students will end class with a debrief and discussion on the quotes from Beloved. There will be
an opportunity to share different examples of their own writing with the class. They will then
receive instructions for their homework and complete their exit slip questions in their journals.

Journals are graded with a pass/fail grade. They aren’t formal pieces of writing, but more as a
way for the teacher to check in and make sure that the students are doing their work and
following the instructions provided to them.

Assessment:

 Formal assessment: Students will pass in their responses from the PowerPoint. These
will be graded with a pass/fail grade. If students attempted to emulate and respond to
the prompts they will receive a passing grade. The teacher will give feedback to students
based on what they did well and where they could improve.

*This is an introductory lesson, students won’t be expected to have complete

understanding on how to incorporate imagery into their writing.

 Informal assessment: Informal assessment will be taken through observation during

PowerPoint prompts. Where students on task and focused? Did they write for the full
two minutes?

Homework/follow-up assignment:

Students will be asked to find different examples of sensory language in music. Students will
select a verse or line from a song for each of the five senses. Students will also be finding two
examples of metaphor in music and two examples of similes in music. They will have the song
title, artist, and quote from the music written down to share their findings with the teacher and
classmates in small group discussion for the next class.
Multicultural Literature Unit

Accommodations/adaptations:

Student with dyslexia:

 Student will receive a hard copy of writing prompts that will be on the board
 Student will receive a hard copy of the PowerPoint to help follow along during the
presentation

Student with mild autism

 Student will be provided with a timer in order to know when the writing time will be
completed
 Student will be allowed to have a fidget tool with when feeling upset (the teacher will
hold at her desk and will give the student if needed).
 The teacher will encourage this student to share their writings with the class during
discussion, but will not force the student if the student expresses they are
uncomfortable

Student with ADHD and anxiety

 Student will be provided with a schedule of the class events, so they are prepared for
the day.
 Student will be allowed to be excused to the guidance counselor if they begin to feel
uncomfortable and restless.
 Student will be given a fidget tool to use during the presentation to help them stay
focused
 The student will be provided with a timer during writings
 The student will be placed near the teacher during presentation so the teacher can
encourage the student to stay on task

Attachments/Appendices:

- 642 questions
- Imagery PowerPoint

Plan B:

If the lesson goes quicker than expected, then students will begin to work on their homework
during class time. If the lesson goes over the allotted time, then the teacher will shorten the
debrief and won’t ask students to share their work during group discussion. Instead, students
Multicultural Literature Unit

will just be given their homework and asked to answer the exit slip questions before they leave.
If the lesson was unable to be finished, the teacher will ask students to look over the rest of the
PowerPoint on their own and to bring their responses into class for the following class period.
Multicultural Literature Unit

Appendix A

642 Things to Write About

Journal Prompts

1.) Explain to your boss why you spent $5,000 during one business meeting and why he
should reimburse you…
2.) Extend a short interaction (e.g., paying for coffee, talking to a phone operator) as long
as possible…
3.) Tell the story of a time you lost an argument…