Attribute Detectives Slides DETECTIVE MISSION
Kindergarten ESL
Attribute Detectives
Can you combine clues to describe the secret mystery object?
👀 Look Closely
🗣️ Say the Clues
✏️ Draw & Write
Detective Secret Rule
What is an Attribute?
An attribute tells us what something is like!
📏
SIZE
How big is it?
big small
🎨
COLOR
What color is it?
red yellow green
🧸
FEEL
How does it feel?
soft smooth
Say it together: "Size! Color! Feel!"
Step 1
Mix 2 Clues!
Size + Color
Detective Sentence Frame
It is [ SIZE ] and [ COLOR ] .
🐘
The Elephant
"It is big and gray."
🐥
The Chick
"It is small and yellow."
👂 Listen and repeat with your detective partner!
🔍
Mystery Clue #1
Which critter matches the clues?
GUESS IT!
Clue Card
"I am big, green, and bumpy."
🐸
Choice A
Small & Smooth Frog
🐊
Choice B
Big, Green & Bumpy Alligator!
🐛
Choice C
Small & Soft Caterpillar
Tell your partner: "It is Choice B because it is big, green, and bumpy!"
Step 2
Super Detective Sentence!
Combine 3 Clues!
Use 3 Attributes
My object is small , soft , and yellow .
🐥
What is it?
"It is a baby chick!"
📏 Small 🧸 Soft 🎨 Yellow
⭐ Three words give our listeners the full picture!
🕵️♀️
Your Detective Mission
Draw, speak, and write!
ACTIVITY TIME
1
Pick & Draw
Draw your secret critter or object on your sheet.
🎨
2
Write 2-3 Clues
Circle your words and write the sentence frame.
✏️
3
Tell Your Partner
Read your clues. Can your partner guess?
🗣️
🌟 Remember our magic word: AND connects our clues!
Mystery Critter Activity Sheet 🔍
Attribute Detectives: Clue File
Mission 1: Practice Combining Describing Words
Name:
Date:
Detective Word Bank Use these clues to help you write!
📏 SIZE
big small tiny
🎨 COLOR
red yellow green blue
🧸 FEEL
soft smooth bumpy
1 Look at each picture. Write two attribute words from the Word Bank.
🍓 Strawberry
Clues: How big? What color?
It is and .
(size: big or small) (color: red or blue)
🧸 Teddy Bear
Clues: How does it feel? What size?
It is and .
(feel: soft or bumpy) (size: big or small)
🐢 Turtle
⭐ Star Detective Challenge (3 Clues!)
The turtle is , , and .
Detective Partner Check:
I read my clues aloud My partner listened
🕵️
My Secret Critter File
Mission 2: Create, Describe, and Solve!
TOP SECRET 🤫
1 Draw your secret critter or object! Keep it secret!
Use color and texture details
Secret Drawing Area
Critter Name: _______________________ Detective: _______________________
2 Circle the attributes that describe your secret critter:
📏 Size:
big small long
🎨 Color:
red blue yellow green
🧸 Feel:
soft fuzzy bumpy
3 Write your clues! Combine your describing words:
Sentence 1: Start with "My critter is..."
Sentence 2: Start with "It is..." and use AND
🗣️
Detective Partner Reveal! Read your sentences out loud. Can your partner guess or draw your critter?
⭐ Mission Solved!
Attribute Detectives Teacher Guide 📋
Attribute Detectives: Teacher Guide
Kindergarten ESL • Oral Language & Descriptive Writing
45–60 Minutes
Focus Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.F & W.K.2; WIDA ELD Standard 1 & 2
Language Target
Combine 2+ descriptive words using conjunction "and"
Target Domains
Speaking (60%), Listening (20%), Writing (20%)
Tiered ESL Sentence Scaffolds (WIDA Levels 1–5)
Level 1: Entering
Word + Word / Pointing
"[Big] [red]."
Provide real tactile objects and visual attribute cards.
Level 2–3: Emerging
Full Sentence + 2 Attributes
"The [frog] is [small] and [green]."
Encourage verbal complete sentences before writing.
Level 4+: Bridging
3 Attributes + Elaboration
"It is [small], [yellow], and [fuzzy]."
Challenge students to explain "because..." or add textures.
1 Spark & TPR Kinesthetic Warm-Up (10 Mins)
Total Physical Response
Introduce the concept that detectives use their senses . Teach students full-body TPR gestures for key attribute categories:
📏 BIG / SMALL Arms wide / pinch index finger
🎨 COLOR Tap wrist like an artist palette
🧸 SOFT / FUZZY Gently stroke cheeks
🪨 BUMPY Tap knuckles up and down
2 Mystery Bag & Choral Modeling (15 Mins)
Slides 1–5
Pull real objects from an opaque "Mystery Bag" (e.g. large yellow sponge, tiny green rubber frog, soft white pom-pom). Model the thinking process:
Teacher Think-Aloud: "I touch it... it is soft! I look... it is yellow! How can I put these two clues together? Listen: It is soft AND yellow!"
Choral Repetition: Prompt the entire class to chant with TPR: "It is soft [stroke cheek] AND [clap hands] yellow [tap wrist]!"
Attribute Detectives • Instructional Design for Early Childhood ELLs Page 1 of 2
🎯
Guided Practice & Assessment
Application, Partner Talk, and Monitoring
Formative Guide
3 Partner Detective Talk Routine (15 Mins)
Talk Cards Manipulation
Pair students into "Detective Partners" (Partner A & Partner B). Distribute the cut-out Attribute Talk Cards .
Step 1: Build the Sentence Puzzle
Partners select two attribute cards (e.g. [BIG] + [GREEN]) and place the [AND] card in the middle to physically assemble their sentence.
Attribute Talk Cards ✂️
Attribute Talk Cards: Set 1
Cut-Out Sentence Builders & Size Manipulatives
Kindergarten Manipulatives
✂️ Directions for Teachers & Helpers: Cut along the dashed lines. Laminate for durability. Students arrange the tiles on their desk to build oral sentences!
Sentence Frame Base Strips
It is
[ Put Size Card ]
and
[ Put Color Card ]
.
My critter is
[ Put Feel Card ]
and
[ Put Color Card ]
.
Cut-Out Size Cards (Blue Badge) & Connectors
🐘 big Size
🐭 small Size
🐜 tiny Size
🐍 long Size
and Connector
and Connector
It is Starter
. Period
Attribute Detectives • Speaking Manipulatives Page 1 of 2
🎨
Attribute Talk Cards: Set 2
Color, Texture, and Mystery Object Picture Tiles
Cut & Match
Color Cards
red
blue
yellow
green
Texture / Feel Cards
🧸 soft
🪞 smooth
🐊 bumpy
🐥 fuzzy
Mystery Object Practice Cards
🐸 frog
🍎 apple
🐻 bear
🦆 duck
🎲
How to Play "Detective Sentence Match":
1. Player 1 secretly picks 1 Object Card and places 2 Attribute Cards on the frame."It is [size] and [color]!"
Attribute Detectives • Speaking Manipulatives Page 2 of 2
