Concise descriptive writing--a game

This game/activity can take 5 minutes or an entire class period. Use it when the lesson falls short and you have a few minutes at the end of a period so as not to waste any valuable class time.

1. Have each student get out a piece of paper and quickly write a 15 word sentence on the paper.

2. Have the students pass their paper to the person behind them and the person in the very back give his or hers to the person in the front. Students read the sentence on the paper in front of them and have 20 seconds to draw a picture of the sentence. Students fold the sentence over so that it can't be seen but the picture can be and pass the paper to the person behind them.

3. Students look at the picture in front of them and write a 10 word sentence. Students fold the paper so that only their sentence is showing. Students pass the paper again.

4. Students read the sentence in front of them and have 20 seconds to draw a picture of the sentence. Students fold that paper and pass it back.

5. Students look at the picture and write a 5 word sentence describing the picture in front of them, fold the paper, and pass it back for one final drawing.

6. Continue this reducing the number of words the sentence can be until...well until you're ready for it to be over. I wouldn't go much passed what I've described above: students get bored.

7. Have students unveil their drawings and sentences. The group with final picture that most closely resembles the oringinal sentence wins!