Words That Make You Feel Something
A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on finding the words a writer chose to make you feel or picture something.
Words That Make You Feel Something is a free 40-minute Grade 1 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.1.4 — find the words a writer chose to make you feel or picture something. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 1
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RL.1.4
Grade 1 · Reading: Literature
RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
Objective
Students will be able to find a word in a text that appeals to the senses or suggests a feeling.
Students are successful when they can
- Identifies a sensory or feeling word.
- Says which sense it appeals to, or which feeling.
- Compares it with a plainer word.
What you need
- A short text or poem with strong sensory language
- A five-senses chart
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — the plain version
5 min- Read a sentence twice: 'The wind blew' and 'The wind howled round the corner'.
- Ask which one they can hear.
Teach — which sense, which feeling
13 min- Read the text. Stop at a strong word and underline it.
- Ask which sense it belongs to: see, hear, touch, taste, smell.
- Do four more, filling the senses chart.
- Then find a word that names a feeling rather than a sense, and put it in its own place.
- For each one, swap in a plain word and read the sentence again. Ask what was lost.
“The writer could have said 'blew'. They said 'howled'. What did that buy?”
Guided practice — find five
12 min- Pairs find five strong words in a new text and place each on the chart.
- For one of them, they write the plain version underneath.
- Take feedback on the swaps rather than the finds.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the sensory-words page.
- The passage is on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Read one sentence and ask for the strongest word in it.
- Ask what it makes you see, hear or feel.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Chooses the longest word rather than the strongest.
Why: Length is a visible proxy for importance and requires no judgement.
Fix: Do the swap test. A long word that can be replaced with no loss was not doing the work.
Cannot say which sense a word belongs to.
Why: Many words appeal to more than one, and the chart implies a single home.
Fix: Allow a word in two columns. 'Crisp' is sound and touch, and saying so is a better answer than choosing.
Says a word made them feel something without saying what.
Why: The feeling is real and naming it is a separate and harder step.
Fix: Offer three feeling words to choose between. Choosing is easier than generating and gets to the same place.
If they are not there yet
- Use two senses rather than five.
- Give the word and ask only which sense.
If they finish early
- Rewrite a plain sentence using a strong word.
- Find a word that appeals to two senses.
- Find a sentence with no sensory words at all and say why the writer wrote it plainly.
Exit ticket
Find a word in this text that makes you see or hear something. Which is it, and what plain word could have replaced it?
What to look for: The plain alternative is the proof. Without it, the word may just be the longest one on the line.
Printable practice for RL.1.4
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Words That Show FeelingsRead the story, then answer the questions.
Questions about Words That Make You Feel Something
How long does the Words That Make You Feel Something lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Words That Make You Feel Something teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4 — RL.1.4, Reading: Literature for Grade 1: “Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.” In plain terms, find the words a writer chose to make you feel or picture something.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A short text or poem with strong sensory language, a five-senses chart and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: chooses the longest word rather than the strongest; cannot say which sense a word belongs to and says a word made them feel something without saying what. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Find a word in this text that makes you see or hear something. Which is it, and what plain word could have replaced it?.” The plain alternative is the proof. Without it, the word may just be the longest one on the line. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Words That Make You Feel Something?
Yes — 1 printable RL.1.4 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Words That Make You Feel Something free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RL.1.4 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.