Using Your Senses
Author's Clues
All About Visualization
Visualizing the Setting
Visualizing Characters
100
Which sentence helps you visualize better, and why?
A) “The dog ran.”
B) “The shaggy brown dog sprinted through the muddy field, barking loudly.”
B, because the author used descriptive sensory words.
100
What kinds of words help you visualize?
Descriptive words, sensory words or adjectives.
100
What is visualization?
The ability to create a picture or movie in your mind as you read.
100
What is the setting of a story?
Where and when the story takes place.
100
What is one way you can describe a character in a story?
You can describe a character by talking about their appearance, like what they look like, or their personality, like if they are kind, brave, or funny.
200
Which of the 5 senses help you most when visualizing a campfire scene?
Sight, smell and hearing
200
Why do the words the author uses matter when you’re creating mental images?
The word choice affects what you see and how clearly you can picture it.
200
Why is visualization helpful when reading?
It helps us understand, remember, and enjoy the story.
200
Why is the setting of a story important for understanding the plot or characters?
The setting shows where and when the story happens, and it helps us understand how the characters feel and why they do certain things. The setting impacts how the characters act and what happens in the story.
200
The author doesn't say what the character looks like, but you read that she stomps away and slams the door. What can you visualize about her?
She’s angry or frustrated—maybe arms crossed, frowning, etc.
300
What are the 5 senses?
Sight, hearing, smell, taste touch.
300
Find the words that help you picture this sentence: “She tiptoed across the creaky wooden floor”.
Tiptoed, creaky, and floor.
300
How is creating a movie in your mind different from creating a mental picture?
A mental picture is like a single image or snapshot of what you’re reading.
Creating a movie in your mind helps you follow the story better because you can imagine what’s happening over time, not just in one moment.
300
What setting did we practice visualizing in class?
A forest or a pond
300
Name 2 of the characters we practised visualizing in this unit.
The Green Giant, the Blue Giant, a snowman, a girl and her father at the hospital, and Ellio.
400
How does using more than one sense make your visualization stronger?
It creates a fuller, clearer picture in your mind.
400
What two clues from the author help us determine that Maya is nervous or scared?
“Maya’s hands shook as she stepped onto the stage. Her heart pounded, and she avoided looking at the crowd.”
The clues — shaking hands, pounding heart, avoiding eye contact — help the reader visualize her nervousness.
400
How does visualization help us understand a characters feelings?
You can imagine their tone, facial expressions, and actions.
400
You’re reading about a haunted house: “The house stood dark and abandoned on the hill, its windows shattered. A cold wind whistled through the broken doors, and the floor creaked with every step.”
How do you visualize this setting, and what mood or feeling does it create?
You might visualize a dark, spooky house on a hill, hear the wind howling and floorboards creaking, and feel a creepy, eerie mood of fear or suspense.
400
Why might two people imagine the same character differently after reading the same story?
Everyone uses their own background knowledge and imagination
Everyone's mental picture is different
500
Authors often use descriptive or sensory words to help readers create strong mental images.
Rewrite this plain sentence using at least 2 senses:
“The girl walked into the forest"
Answers will vary!
Ex) The girl walked into the dark forest where the smell of pine was strong, the ground was damp beneath her feet, and birds chirped overhead.
500
The author writes: “Ben’s stomach growled as he stared at the empty plate. He sighed and glanced at the clock again, tapping his foot.”
What two things can you infer about Ben, and which clues helped you figure that out?
He is hungry — his stomach growled, and he’s staring at an empty plate.
He is impatient or waiting — he’s sighing, checking the clock, and tapping his foot.
The author doesn’t say these things directly, but gives clues that help the reader understand how Ben is feeling and what he’s doing.
500
What is described video and how would it help someone who is visually impaired?
Described video is when a narrator explains what’s happening in a movie or show during the parts with no talking. They describe things like the setting, characters’ actions, and facial expressions.
This helps someone who is visually impaired because they can’t see the screen — but the descriptions help them visualize what’s happening in their mind.
500
If a story says, “Music played from the speakers, and balloons bobbed along the ceiling while people danced and laughed,” what setting do you see? Why?
A dance party—probably indoors, maybe a birthday or celebration.
The evidence: Music playing from speakers, balloons bobbing, and people dancing and laughing.
500
How might your mental image of a character change as you read more of the story?
You get new details that change how you picture them