Read the information about images on page 92 of your textbook. Then, draw a floor plan of your bedroom or another room in which you spend a lot of time. Once you have finished drawing a floor plan, write a paragraph using imagery to describe the room. Be sure to include sensory details—details that appeal to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—in your description. Share your paragraph and floor plan with a partner, and discuss whether your use of images creates a mental image in your partner’s mind.
1. Close your eyes and visualize the setting as your teacher reads the first column of text on page 94 aloud. Quickly draw a sketch of what you picture in your mind. To which sense(s) did the text most appeal? Make a five-column chart on a piece of paper with the five senses as categories: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch. Jot down some of the predominant images from the first column of text in the appropriate column in your chart.
2. Continue reading the essay on your own. As you read, continue to picture in your mind the images described by the author. Record the most striking images in your chart.
If you are having difficulty visualizing the setting, the characters, or the action, take a break in your reading. Read two or three paragraphs. Then put your book down, close your eyes, and try to visualize what you read. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures in your visualization. Then, record those items in your chart. When you feel like you have a firm picture of the text, continue reading and take another break to visualize. Keep taking breaks until you finish the text.
Share your chart with two or three other students. Compare the images that you found striking, and identify the senses to which the author most often appealed. Discuss with your group how you visualized certain scenes and actions.