Language Arts · Grade 2

Active learning ideas

Imagery and Sensory Language in Poetry

Active learning helps grade 2 students connect abstract concepts like imagery to tangible experiences, turning word study into sensory exploration. When learners touch, taste, and listen, they build stronger mental images than when they only hear explanations about sight words. Poetry becomes more than lines on a page when students feel the textures and sounds they read about.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.4

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 30 min · Small Groups

Sensory Word Hunt: Poem Circles

Provide short poems printed on cards. In small groups, students underline words for each sense and draw quick sketches of the images they evoke. Groups share one example per sense with the class, noting how it helps visualization.

Differentiate between literal and figurative language in simple poems.

Facilitation Tip

During Sensory Word Hunt, circulate with a list of sensory words to model thinking aloud while underlining examples in poems. This shows students how to notice details they might otherwise skip.

What to look for

Present students with short poem excerpts. Ask them to underline words that appeal to a specific sense (e.g., 'underline words that describe sound'). Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining what image or feeling the words create.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Five Senses Stations: Build a Poem

Set up stations with objects for each sense, like textured fabrics, scented jars, or sound makers. Small groups collect 5-10 words per station, then combine them into a collaborative class poem about nature. Display and reread together.

Explain how sensory words help the reader visualize and feel the poem.

Facilitation Tip

In Five Senses Stations, place a small object at each station (e.g., cinnamon stick, pinecone) and ask students to describe it using only one sense at a time before writing. This builds precision in word choice.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a simple object (e.g., 'a ripe strawberry', 'a rainy day'). Ask them to write two sentences describing it using sensory language, with at least one sentence including a simile.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 40 min · Individual

Nature Walk and Imagery Write

Lead a short outdoor walk where students note sensory details in journals. Back in class, individuals draft a 4-6 line poem using their notes. Pairs swap and highlight strong imagery before sharing volunteers.

Design a poem that uses strong imagery to describe a natural scene.

Facilitation Tip

For Poetry Performance Pairs, provide sentence stems like 'I felt the poem when you said _____ because it made me think of _____' to guide peer feedback and reflection.

What to look for

Read a poem aloud. Ask students: 'Which words helped you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel something? How did those words make the poem more interesting than if it just said 'The flower was pretty'?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 25 min · Pairs

Poetry Performance Pairs: Sensory Dramatization

Pairs choose a poem and practice reading it with gestures and sounds to emphasize sensory words. Perform for the class, then audience identifies the senses appealed to and suggests improvements.

Differentiate between literal and figurative language in simple poems.

What to look for

Present students with short poem excerpts. Ask them to underline words that appeal to a specific sense (e.g., 'underline words that describe sound'). Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining what image or feeling the words create.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should focus on modeling curiosity about words and their effects rather than rushing to definitions. Avoid turning lessons into grammar drills; instead, keep the focus on how words feel, sound, and taste. Research shows young learners grasp figurative language best through playful repetition and real-world connections, not abstract rules. Use familiar objects and experiences as anchors to make abstract ideas concrete.

Students will confidently identify sensory words in poems and explain how they create pictures in the mind across all five senses. They will also begin to distinguish literal descriptions from figurative language like similes through guided practice and conversation. By the end, learners will choose more vivid words in their own writing based on sensory details.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sensory Word Hunt, watch for students who only circle words about sight.

  Prompt them to reread the poem while focusing on sound, smell, taste, and touch by asking, 'What did this word make you feel or imagine touching?' Use the poem's context to guide their attention to overlooked senses.

• During Five Senses Stations, some learners may think similes are untrue statements.

  Have students draw the image the simile creates (e.g., 'sweet as honey') on a sticky note and place it next to the object, then compare drawings to show how similes create strong shared feelings.

• During Nature Walk and Imagery Write, students may use any adjective as sensory language.

  Provide word cards with adjectives like 'big' or 'red' alongside sensory words like 'crunchy' or 'fresh'. Ask students to sort the cards into two piles and explain their choices as a group.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Inside-Outside Circle