Grades 4–5
60+ Minutes
Poetry
VideosNAOMI KU lives in downtown LA in an apartment. When she’s not at 826LA, she’s usually at her middle school called Thomas Starr King. On the weekends, she walks across her street to an urban community garden. Some of her hobbies include playing video games with friends and family and reading! She hopes her poem inspires people to think about their favorite desserts and helps them imagine the image in their heads using all their senses.
Congratulations to 826 Digital Writers’ Showcase Finalist, Naomi Ku! Watch her video and see the lesson below to learn how to write a story about YOUR favorite food. Read more about Naomi and the other finalists at www.826national.org/826-digital-writers-showcase-2023-finalists
STEP 1
First, watch the video and follow along with the Mentor Text on page 1 of the Pumpkin Pie!!!: Favorite Food Stories — Handout. When you’re done, answer this question in your writing journal: “What is your favorite food? Why is this your favorite food?” Then, underline at least 5 of the sensory words that can be found in the Mentor Text. Sensory words describe elements of people, places, and things that align with the 5 senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch/feeling.
STEP 2
Answer the questions on page 2 of the handout to start thinking about your favorite food.
STEP 3
Now that you’ve identified your favorite food, create a list of sensory words that describe your food on page 3. There’s a vocabulary list on page 4 if you need some help thinking of words. Try to avoid words like “yummy” or “delicious,” since they’re not very specific.
STEP 4
Write a narrative that tells the story of your favorite food! Include the descriptive details that you wrote about on page 2 and include the sensory details your brainstormed on page 3. If you need more space to finish your narrative, continue in your writing journal.
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