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Task #9: Making a “Telling” Paragraph a “Showing” One

Standards: Students will write using specific details and elaboration.


Task: Independent Work - Making a “Telling” Paragraph a “Showing” One

- Give each student the following “telling” paragraph:
We went on a field trip today. We went to the Aquarium downtown. We saw dolphins, sharks, eels, and lots of fish. The fish were pretty. We had a lot of fun.

- Ask them to rewrite this paragraph, changing it into a “showing” paragraph.
- Collect their “showing” paragraphs and grade them with the Detail and Elaboration Rubric.


Criteria:

1. Writing with details and elaboration - Students will be specific in descriptions with details and will add elaboration to expand upon the information presented. (These can be examples that help a reader picture (and/or hear, smell, taste, or feel) the words that are written.)


Rubric:

Detail and Elaboration Rubric

Amount of ...	0 points	1 point	2 points
Sentences that Include Details to Make them More Specific	none or few	some	most or all
Sentences that have Added Elaboration to Expand Upon the Information Presented	none or few	some	most or all

Copyright 2013, Jon Mueller. Professor of Psychology, North Central College, Naperville, IL. Comments, questions or suggestions about this website should be sent to the author, Jon Mueller, at jfmueller@noctrl.edu.