week 6 writing lesson plan.

Lesson Plan Template          

Activity-based lesson adjusted to common core    

           

Lesson topic:   Creating a written work based on the previous day’s literature lesson.

           

Grade  level:   2

           

Aim questions:            

1.        What   learning objectives/main ideas do students need to know  (maximum of 3)?

Students will write an opinion piece with a clear topic.

  Students will include reasons that support their opinions.

  Students will use linking words to connect their opinions and reasons.    

2.        What   common core skills will be introduced or reinforced during this lesson?

W.2.1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.     

3.        Which content area standards are addressed in this lesson?

Writing about literature       

4.        What   academic and content specific vocabulary  is introduced in this lesson?

Support, discuss, analyze, explain

5.        What   materials (e.g. activity sheet,  map, song) will I present to students?

Activity sheet: writing outline           

6.        What  activity, if any, will I use to settle students and establish a context (DO   

 NOW)?

Students are given ten minutes of free writing time to individually reflect on the video they watched the day before (refer to reading lesson plan). Students will offer to share their writings. These writings will not be graded.   

7.        How will I open the lesson (MOTIVATION) and capture student interest?

Class will play a writing game. Students will be divided into groups of four and given a sample essay that reflects on a literary work. Students will be given fifteen minutes to find as many mistakes or areas that need correction as possible. Each group will share what they found. If a two or more groups found the same error, they will cross it out and will not receive points for it. Groups will only receive points for errors that only their group found (similar to Boggle). The group with the most points wins.   

8.        What   additional Full class/group/individual activities will I use to help students discover what they need to learn (suggest three)? If there are group activities, how will student groups be organized?

Class: Teacher will present a narrated power point describing the requirements for the writing, explaining how the writing piece will be graded (using a rubric), and showing examples of both poor and excellent writing pieces.

Group: Students will be randomly partnered, and each pair will compile a list of linking words. Students will share their words with the class, and the teacher will write all the words on the board, adding some more, if necessary. Students will be able to refer to these words while writing.

Individual: Students will choose one character and his/her conflict and reaction to write about. They will then complete a writing outline, stating their thesis/opinion on whether or not the character reacted appropriately to the problem, and will bring three reasons/examples from the story to support their point. Once their outlines are approved by the teacher, they will work to create a short essay based on the outline.

9.        How will I differentiate instruction with multiple entry points for diverse learners? ELL’s and students with disabilities will be given easier and smaller writing assignments. They will be graded based on their capabilities. Teacher will walk around during quiet work and give them extra assistance.     

10.    What   HOT (High Order Thinking) questions will I ask to encourage students in analysis and discussion?

How can you prove that the character acted appropriately/inappropriately? Are your proofs strong and supported by logic? Why did you choose that specific character to write about?       

11.    How will I assess student mastery of the skills, content, and concepts taught in this lesson?

Writing outlines and essays will be graded. During independent work, teacher will walk around and take note of which students were having an easy time, and which ones were struggling.

12.    How will I bring the lesson to closure (Summary Questions)?

What are the components of opinion writing?

What techniques can we incorporate to improve our opinion writings?

What are examples of linking words?           

13.    How will I reinforce and extend student learning?

•      CLASS  APPLICTION/FOLLOW-UP – based on the problem they found with the school/class (refer to reading lesson), the class will work together to create a writing outline and essay describing the problem, suggesting a solution, and bringing strong reasons to prove that their solution is reasonable and effective.

•      ENRICHMENT  ACTIVITIES – students create a power point based on their writings.          

•      HOMEWORK – students will take their writings home and edit them.        

14.    What topics come next?      

TOMORROW – application of the last two lessons to students’ personal lives.

DAY     AFTER – creating an original story which includes a conflict and a resolution.

15.    How do I evaluate this lesson? (It is about to what extent your lesson successful is, which is different from student assessment itself. You can use student assessment results as one evidence for your lesson’s success though.)      

•      STRENGTHS – students must use critical thinking skills when writing their lesson, instructions clearly given over using power point 

•      WEAKNESSES – students may not yet have enough skills to write their own essays.

•      AREAS  to WORK – add scaffolding and teacher guidance.   

•      THINGS TO CHANGE – add lesson before this one, where teacher guides students in creating masterful writing pieces.