The document provides a lesson on showing rather than telling in writing. It explains that showing uses specific details and actions to help readers visualize a scene, while telling states something without examples. An example is given of telling by saying "My mornings are crazy" versus showing through a detailed passage of a morning routine. The strategies for showing include describing actions, using action verbs, similes, metaphors, dialogue, and sensory details. The lesson emphasizes using showing to improve creative writing.

1. Writing Mini-Lesson
Show, Don’t Tell!

2. Show, Don’t Tell!
● Please shut your eyes while I read this
sentence to you:
● My mornings are crazy. It's hard to get
to school on time!
● What does that picture look like in your
mind?

3. Show, Don’t Tell!
● Please shut your eyes again and listen to this
sentence:
● I wake up to the loud buzz of my alarm clock at 7:00
a.m. I hit the sleep button three times before
dragging my sleepy self to the bathroom. I brush my
teeth. I take a cold shower, and blow dry my wet hair
fast as I can. I try on nearly every outfit in my closet. I
run down the stairs, feed my barking dog, and quickly
eat my oatmeal breakfast. I toss my books in my
backpack, grab my coat and gloves, and finally race
out the front door. I arrive at the bus stop just as the
bus drives away.
● Now what picture do you have in your head?

4. Show, Don’t Tell
My mornings are crazy. It's hard to get to school on
time!
TELLING
SHOWING
I wake up to the loud buzz of my alarm clock at 7:00 a.m. I
hit the sleep button three times before dragging my sleepy
self to the bathroom. I brush my teeth. I take a cold
shower, and blow dry my wet hair fast as I can. I try on
nearly every outfit in my closet. I run down the stairs, feed
my barking dog, and quickly eat my oatmeal breakfast. I
toss my books in my backpack, grab my coat and gloves,
and finally race out the front door. I arrive at the bus stop
just as the bus drives away.

5. Show, Don’t Tell
● Strategies writers use to SHOW what
is happening include:
■ describing the character’s actions.
■ using action verbs.
■ using similes and metaphors.
■ using dialogue.
■ Appealing to some of the five senses to
paint a picture of what is happening.

7. Guess The Emotion!
Bill's jaw was tense, and his fingers were in
tight fists. It looked as if steam was about to
pour out of his ears. The veins in his neck
were nearly popping out of his skin. He
stomped his feet out of the room and
slammed the door behind him.
mad, furious, angry
?
Click on the box below to reveal the emotion.

8. I had to go to the dentist. I was very nervous. I
was scared that it was going to hurt. I worried
about it all day long!
Your Turn

9. I had to go to the dentist. My stomach was in knots.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
I was sweating and my hands were
shaking. I closed my
eyes real tight. I tried not to think about
how much it was going to hurt. I could not
slow down my heart beat. It was going a mile a
minute. I tried to stop biting my nails, but I just
hated the idea of having a needle in
my mouth. Ouch!
Possible Answer

10. Use your new creative writing skills!
Write a diary entry about an event. Follow the
directions on page 18 of your textbook Make sure
to use your new skills to SHOW what happened at
the event, not TELL us what happened. Remember
to:
■ describe the character’s actions.
■ use action verbs.
■ use similes and metaphors.
■ use dialogue.
■ use the five senses to paint a picture of
what is happening.