Show Me, Don't Tell Me

The written word has a magical way of evoking the most descriptive images in one's mind. Encourage scholars to write descriptively with a worksheet that challenges young writers to show, not tell, what traits make up a character. 

One of the most famous short stories, Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," is the focus of this resource. Learners read the story, respond to several text-based questions, and brainstorm ideas about a question relating to the text as...

It's grammar time! Class members practice telling time in English with a series of clock illustrations. They then use the prompts to discuss the time of day, including English colloquialisms, with partners or group members.

As part of a study of narrative writing, young story tellers are asked to revise 20 telling sentences and create showing ones.

Middle schoolers learn to show, not tell, in their narrative writing. A slide show takes them through the process of choosing strong, descriptive words, and then provides writing prompts for them to use as practice. The first two pages...

Clarify how to use the pronouns I and me correctly. Point out the relationship between the pronouns and the subject and predicate of a sentences. After class members have some background information, go through the samples in the slide...

Clarify your kids' writing with a video about pronouns, specifically me, myself, and I. As kids watch the short video, they see cute robots demonstrate the proper use of each pronoun, as well as the definitions of reflexive and intensive...

A game show style instructional activity prompts young writers to use descriptive language in their writing. Parts of speech include specific nouns, adjectives, and strong verbs, all of which they need to know in order to master the...

After each of three viewings of a 45-second video, aspiring writers employ vivid adjectives and precise, strong verbs to "show, don't tell." First they compose a single sentence, then three, and finally a five-sentence paragraph. Repeat...

Model for young writers how to create pictures in the minds of readers with a series of slides that demonstrate how sensory appeals enliven writing. The presentation includes opportunities for viewers to practice showing writing.