Observational Writing Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: W.5.2.A

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

When we write about what we experience and we see, it can be a huge lift to the people around us. Our audience doesn't have time to experience everything that is available around them. This is why writers will take time to break down what has happened in their own lives. The goal of explaining any observation is to put your audience in your own shoes and share a vivid recount of your life. These worksheets attempt to go a step forward in the observational process and take it to the next level.

Observational Writing Worksheets:

My Town – You get to create your own town and piece everything about it together for yourself.

The Scoop! – Decide what type of photos go with this story.

What's the News? – Jalyn preps a news story for you by gathering facts and sources.

Class Newspaper – Create your own paper for your neck of the woods.

Can You Give Me Directions? – Think you could make a map of your town?

Read All about it – In a newspaper or magazine, a human interest story is a story that talks about a person or people in an emotional way.

The New Kid in School – Choose one of the topics below and write a paragraph explaining it, as if you were answering a question that the new student asked you.

Organizing a Paragraph – Find a topic that you would like to know more about. Then use a reference book to gather facts about your topic.

Tell Me How To Do It – Choose one of the topics above and write a paragraph about it. Organize the paragraph in a way that will allow a reader to understand, step by step, how to complete the process. Use the back of this page if you need more space.

Tell Me All About It – The last sentence should be a concluding statement. Use the back of the page if you need more space.

What do you see? – Write an essay about what you saw on your way to school today.

Let Me Explain... – Use the organizer below to work out your ideas. Then use a separate sheet of paper to write your essay.

Wild Kingdom – Choose one of the animals below that you would like to know more about. Then use a reference book to gather facts about your topic.

Use Your Power of Observation – Take some time to look around your classroom. Let your eyes linger on various places and objects until one in particular captures your attention.

My Hero – Who is your hero? A hero doesn't have to be a real person. A hero can be a character in a book or a movie.

What Is Observational Writing?


Sometimes, we come across a piece of literary text of which every line is enriched with details and leaves a lasting impression on our imagination. Such a writing which is rich in details and imagery descriptions is usually called observational writing. Observational writings allow readers to make up a visual picture of whatever they are reading from the pages in their mind.


Reading a well written piece of observational writing makes us feel like we are physically present in the setting being described and are experiencing the events ourselves. Here are some of the evident and unique aspects of an observationally written text:


The Writer Has Experienced Whatever He or She Is Describing


Most of the well-known observational writers have actually been in a situation they are writing about or have been with a real life person whom they give a fictional name afterwards. The writers closely observe the event, its causes, the settings in which it happened, the weather, the time, the clothing and facial features of the people, and other such relevant details about an event. Then they write it down in great detail for the readers to feel like they are present in the same setting as the writer had been in the past.


Use of a Specific Verb Tense and Narrative


Observational writing usually uses first tense of verb in its language and is likely to be an event narrated by someone who has seen it through his or her own eyes. The usual narrative used in such writings is first person narrative, but can be an omniscient narration too.


Attention to Details


Since your job as an observational writer is to make the reader feel like he or she is a part of the situation being described, you have to write everything in great detail so that you do not miss out even the smallest point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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