Show Don't Tell

In class lately we have been practicing our "Show Don't Tell" techniques. I read to the students the book, "Go Away, Big Green Monster" by Ed Emberley. As I was reading, I made it a point to not show the pictures on the pages so the students could not see. Students had a blank piece of manila construction paper and crayons/markers/colored pencils. As I read a page I instructed the students to draw how they thought, based on the book's description, the monster looked. At the end of the book I showed the monster to the students and they showed me their pictures. We then discussed ways that the author could have been a little more descriptive in his wording to make it easier to visualize. The students really seemed to get a kick out of this and hopefully the technique sticks with them of using elaborative detail in their writing!!