Sensory Experience and Writing

I would use a sensory experience to promote students to write or draw during the weeks before spring. In order to provide a point of concentration,  I would talk students by awakening some of their senses. I would do this through using descriptions of how a room looked in the morning, where the light was shining, how the air smelled, how the air felt-was it humid and wet or warm and dry, and I would also ask students to think about their emotions and connections to spring. Some students do not have the opportunity to go on vacation.It's important to bring experiences in to the classroom so that students are able to  visualize experiences and then write about  them.

I would start off with an example such as this:

Its days away from spring and you just woke up in a bedroom. The bedroom faces east towards the morning sun. The light enters your room through a bay window. The bay window has sheer white curtains and heavy cotton- like material that drapes over half of either side of the window. The light penetrates through the curtains causing them to look like they have small pin holes scattered throughout the material. The light  creeps through the curtains  and shines on the interior frame of the window. This creates a beam of light that shines through the room. The light enters the room and  illuminates the middle of the bedroom floor and creates a perpendicular pathway to the door. The rays of light bounce off the floor and make the door brighter than usual. Just as you put your two feet on the ground you inhale the smell of wet socks. You look towards the window and notice it’s cracked just enough for the earth’s spring scent to waft through the air when small gusts of wind blow. As you follow the illuminated path of the sparkling sunlight you feel the warmth of spring and the crispness of damp morning dew. Just as you reach the blinding brightness of the door you begin to smell the crispiness of bacon and the sweetness of strawberries and sugar. The smell pulls you down the hall and just as you put your hand to your mouth to yawn, you realize you are in Michigan beginning your spring break. As you laugh to yourself for thinking it was a school day you slowly pull yourself up to the table at the bed and breakfast and dig your toes into the carpet as you stretch back as far as your chair lets you. As you let your body slowly out from stretching and then back down you help yourself to a heaping pile of bacon with your  hands. You then pour yourself a glass of tangy and pulpy orange juice straight from a pitcher. You are ready to eat and begin your day. You are ready to enjoy your spring break, you are ready to be in Michigan on the beach. 

I would tell students to write or draw about what they were going to experience that day,  how they felt about being on vacation, what they would do at the beach, and why they were in Michigan, etc. I would also record a CD that had sound effects relating to the sensory experience that I am giving to provide a more authentic experience.