Kentucky Reading and Writing C.9-10.3.f

ELAGrades 9–10Composition

The Standard

C.9-10.3: Use narratives strategically in other modes of writing, utilizing effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured sequences for an intended purpose, including but not limited to introducing an idea and/or supporting a claim.

sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting and/or characters.

Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing (2025) · Text Types and Purpose

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students choose details a reader can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel. They use those details to make a place, event, or person clear in the reader’s mind.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can turn “The hallway was scary” into a scene with flickering lights and footsteps echoing behind a character. The details fit the moment rather than appearing as a list of senses.
Common Misconceptions: Students may add more adjectives when they need more specific details. They may try to include all five senses, even when some do not fit the scene.
How to Assess It: Ask students to write four sentences about entering a crowded cafeteria. Have them underline two details from different senses that help a reader picture it.

Lesson moves

Have students crumple and smooth a sheet of paper, then write three sentences using its sound and texture in a scene.
Ask students to compare “The hallway was scary” with “The lights buzzed above her, and shoes squeaked behind her.” Which creates more tension, and why?
Put “The cafeteria was loud” and “The bread was good” on the board; teams replace each with a specific sensory detail.
Have students read a restaurant menu description, then rewrite one dish description using smell and texture without calling it “delicious.”

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