Lesson Plan Title: Collaborative Writing

Concept / Topic to Teach: Creative/Descriptive Writing

Standards Addressed:

Concept 2: Drafting

• Drafting incorporates prewriting activities to create a first draft containing necessary elements for a specific purpose.

(W07-S1C2)

PO 2. Organize writing into a logical sequence that is clear to the audience.

Concept 3: Revising

• Revising includes evaluating and refining the rough draft for clarity and effectiveness. (Ask: Does this draft say what you want it to say?) (W07-S1C3)

PO 1. Evaluate the draft for use of ideas and content, organization, voice, word choice, and sentence fluency. (See Strand 2)

PO 2. Add details to the draft to more effectively accomplish the purpose.

PO 3. Delete irrelevant and/or redundant information from the draft to more effectively accomplish the purpose.

PO 4.Rearrange words, sentences, and paragraphs to clarify the meaning or to enhance the writing style.

PO 5. Add transitional words, phrases, and/or sentences to clarify meaning or enhance the writing style.

PO 6. Use a variety of sentence structures (i.e., simple, compound, complex) to improve sentence fluency in the draft.

PO 7. Apply appropriate tools or strategies (e.g., peer review, checklists, rubrics) to refine the draft.

PO 8. Use resources and reference materials to select more precise vocabulary.

Concept 4: Editing
• Editing includes proofreading and correcting the draft for conventions. (W07-S1C4)

PO 1. Identify punctuation, spelling, and grammar and usage errors in the draft. (See Strand 2)

PO 2. Use resources (e.g., dictionary, word lists, spelling/grammar checkers) to correct conventions.

PO 3. Apply proofreading marks to indicate errors in conventions.

PO 4. Apply appropriate tools or strategies (e.g., peer review, checklists, rubrics) to edit the draft.

Concept 5: Publishing
• Publishing involves formatting and presenting a final product for the intended audience.

(W07-S1C5)

PO 1. Prepare writing in a format (e.g., oral presentation, manuscript, multimedia) appropriate to audience and purpose.

PO 2. Use margins and spacing to enhance the final product.

PO 3. Use graphics (e.g., drawings, charts, graphs), when applicable, to enhance the final product.

PO 4. Write legibly.

General Goal(s): Students will work together as a team to, this assignment will provide them with an opportunity to utilize the writing process, utilize technology, and publish their final draft for their classmates on our class Wiki.

Specific Objectives: Studentswill work together to complete a piece of writing that contains a well defined, beginning middle and end. Students will revise their draft, until it is cohesive. Students will edit their writing, so that it is free of grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Students will publish their final draft on the class Wiki.

Required Materials: Computers for student use… This activity works well in a classroom laboratory setting, and also works well, as homework, if all students have reasonable access to a computer with internet service.

Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):

Students will complete a speed write that encourages them to think of the elements of story and/or the writing process. (Possible trigger words could be plot, setting, character, revision, editing, publishing, etc.)

Step-By-Step Procedures:

  1. Give students the assignment sheet, and discuss the criteria.
  2. Assign students to writing groups
  3. Be sure all group members understand the assignment.
  4. Review the major components of the project.
  5. Discuss the writing objectives (a story that contains a well defined beginning middle and end; that includes the elements of story, plot, setting, character.
  6. Have students draw a story starter for their group.
  7. Divide up the tasks among group members. Each member, however, shares responsibility for the whole product. Be prepared to take over some portion of the work if a group member is unable to do so.
  8. Set up schedules for updates and revising drafts.
  9. Prior to the final deadline hold a peer editing session.
  10. Publish final pieces to the classroom Wiki
  11. Each student is responsible for leaving feedback on another groups writing, via the discussion section of that groups Wiki.

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set): Students should write a brief reflection on the Class Wiki, in their group’s discussion section, in which they share their thoughts about this assignment, their contributions to the piece. They should also discuss the quality of their group’s final product, and share how this assignment has helped them to grow as a writer, and areas that they as writers still need to work on.