Showing, Not Telling

Lesson Overview

This 60-minute lesson supports Year 7 students in developing creative writing skills by focusing on the technique of 'Show, Don't Tell'. Students will learn how to use descriptive language and sensory details to convey emotions and settings effectively, rather than simply telling the reader. The lesson aligns with the NSW English Curriculum achievement standards, fostering language choices and literary techniques suitable for their developmental stage.

NSW Curriculum Alignment

• Content Descriptions:

• ACELA1549: Understand how to vary vocabulary choices to suit audience and purpose

• ACELT1612: Create literary texts that experiment with structures, ideas, and stylistic features of selected texts

• ACELY1720: Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, choosing text structures, language features and images appropriate to purpose and audience

• Achievement Standard Reference:

• By the end of Year 7, students create written texts for different purposes and audiences, using literary devices and language features to develop and link ideas. They experiment with language to engage and influence audiences, including describing settings, characters and events vividly.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson students will be able to:

1. Explain the difference between showing and telling in writing.
2. Identify and use descriptive language and sensory details to "show" emotions and scenes.
3. Apply 'Show, Don't Tell' techniques in a short creative writing task.
4. Reflect on the effectiveness of descriptive language in engaging readers.

Success Criteria

Students will demonstrate success when they:

• Can distinguish between examples of telling and showing in writing.
• Use at least three different sensory details (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) in their writing.
• Include dialogue, action, or description to convey emotions rather than simply stating feelings.
• Produce a creative paragraph that vividly describes a scene or emotion using 'Show, Don't Tell' principles.

Materials Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Example texts with telling vs showing sentences
• Writing journals or paper
• Sensory words list handout
• Visual aids representing emotions/scenes
• Timer or clock

Lesson Activities

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief discussion: ask students if they know the difference between "telling" and "showing" in stories.
• Write two sentences on the whiteboard:
• Telling: "She was angry."
• Showing: "Her face turned red, and her fists clenched tightly."
• Discuss how the second sentence creates a stronger image and emotion.
• Share the learning objectives and success criteria for the lesson.

2. Guided Teaching (15 minutes)

• Present examples of telling vs showing passages on the board or projector.
• Break down descriptive language and sensory details in the showing examples.
• Distribute a Sensory Words List that includes vocabulary for all five senses to help students expand their descriptive language.
• Show how writers use action, physical sensations, and dialogue to "show" emotions and settings.
• Model rewriting a telling sentence as a showing sentence with sensory details.

3. Collaborative Practice (15 minutes)

• In pairs, students receive a list of telling sentences (focused on emotions or scenes).
• Each pair rewrites these sentences to show the emotion or scene, using sensory details and descriptive language.
• Circulate to assist pairs, providing prompts or vocabulary where necessary.

4. Independent Writing Task (15 minutes)

• Students write their own short creative paragraph (5–7 sentences) about a chosen emotion or scene, applying ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ techniques.
• Encourage them to use sensory details from the word bank and include dialogue or actions.
• Provide additional scaffolding for students with lower literacy or dysgraphia — e.g., scribe support or sentence starters.
• For the student with vision impairment, ensure accessible text materials and allow oral responses or voice-to-text tools as needed.

5. Reflection and Sharing (5 minutes)

• Invite a few students to share their writing aloud or with a peer.
• Facilitate a brief discussion highlighting effective showing examples.
• Summarise key takeaways and revisit success criteria to self-assess.

Differentiation Strategies

• For Low Literacy Students: Provide sentence starters or structured templates for writing. Use oral brainstorming and allow voice recording or scribing for drafting. Simplify vocabulary as needed.
• For Students with Dysgraphia: Allow typing where possible, or scribe their ideas. Permit oral responses.
• For Students with ADHD: Break tasks into smaller steps with clear, frequent reminders. Use timers for focused writing chunks and movement breaks.
• For Vision Impairment: Use large print or Braille versions of materials where possible; allow use of screen reading software and oral communication options.
• Support for EAL/D Students: Use visuals and concrete examples. Emphasise key vocabulary and model examples repeatedly.

Extension Activities for High Achievers

• Challenge advanced writers to include figurative language (similes, metaphors) to enhance sensory details.
• Invite them to write two contrasting paragraphs on the same scene — one that tells and one that shows — then analyse the differences in effect.
• Encourage writing a short story segment incorporating ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ with varied characters and settings, experimenting with narrative voice.
• Provide peer-teaching opportunities where advanced students mentor others on descriptive techniques.

Assessment

• Formative: Observation during pair activities and individual writing task, checking use of sensory details and descriptive language.
• Summative: Evaluate the creative paragraphs using the success criteria focusing on effective showing techniques.
• Self-Assessment: Students reflect on their use of descriptive language and how it changed their writing.
• Teacher Feedback: Provide targeted written or oral feedback, highlighting strengths and suggestions for further use of ‘showing’ techniques.

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This lesson prioritises active, scaffolded learning and uses sensory language as a tool to engage Year 7 students while respecting their diverse learning needs. It aligns with NSW syllabus goals of enhancing students' imaginative writing capabilities through deliberate language choices and structured writing practice.