From a Sea Captain’s View – Part 3
The Descriptive Paragraph
By Elaine Ernst Schneider
Objective(s): By the end of this lesson the student will be able to: demonstrate correct spelling, strong sentence structure, and standard punctuation; differentiate between narrative, descriptive, and expository types of paragraphs.
Pre Class Assignment: Completion/review of From a Sea Captain’s View Part 2
Resources/Equipment/Time Required:
Outline:
We have been studying the three basic types of paragraphs in writing: narrative, descriptive, and expository. Here is a review of each:
NARRATIVE: The narrative paragraph tells a story, just like a narrator in a play.
DESCRIPTIVE: The descriptive paragraph paints a picture. It describes a person, place, thing, or idea.
EXPOSITORY: The expository paragraph “exposes” things about a subject. It is also sometimes called an information paragraph because it gives information about a person, place, thing, or idea.
The last two lessons, you’ve been asked to write an expository paragraph and a narrative paragraph from the vantage point of the sea captain.
Now, using the same information, write a descriptive paragraph that tells what Amsterdam was like from the viewpoint of the sea captain.
Sometimes a descriptive paragraph is also called a spatial paragraph. That is because its purpose is to paint a picture for the reader. Try to cover every detail from the ground or water of the sea to the sky. Fill in everything much like an artist uses a brush to paint in the surroundings.
Appeal to the senses. When the reader has read your paragraph, he or she should be able to see the sky, smell the sea air, and taste the salt water hanging on the breeze. Make the reader long to feel the wind in his or her hair. Describe the sounds of the harbor so keenly that they come alive as your paragraph unfolds.
The Topic:
Amsterdam – From a Sea Captain’s View
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