While descriptive writing can be used across disciplines, a main point of it is to document a specific element, observation, or other phenomena in rich details. That way, readers can visualize the phenomenon based on the text.
When planning a descriptive writing activity, decide on the following:
1. What type of information will students convey based on their description?
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- While rich details will be part of the writing, decide if students are going to be purely describing a phenomena or if the description is included within an analysis, documentary, or other piece of writing
2. What long will the writing be?
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- Make sure to set a word limit or range, such as up to 200 words or between 175-225 words. Knowing these expectations helps students plan their writing.
3. How will the writing be assessed?
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- Letting students know if their writing will be evaluated using a rubric, by completion, or in another way lets them further understand the expectations.