Course: / ELA
Grade Level: / 9-12
Duration: / 30 minutes multiple days
Lesson Overview and Rationale:
This cooperative group writing workshop activity is best when completed after a study trip or a “being there” experience (i.e. to the zoo). A lesson on developing student’s descriptive writing using the 5 senses.
Essential Questions and Focus Points:Must have photos that had been taken during the field trip.
What was your favorite thing about the field trip and Why?
What was your least favorite thing about the field trip and why?
How did the experience make you feel?
Student Objectives:State an opinion and provide reasons to support that opinion
Identify real-life problems and propose solutions to those problems
Imagine different audiences and write with a specific audience in mind
Revise their writing by adding details and examples
Edit their writing to make sure it’s easy to read
Student Assessment and Evaluation:During this activity, students will be assessed formally through the use of NovoPRO and informally through discussion. Writing assignment.
Agenda:Prior Knowledge:
Students must have prior knowledge and instruction regarding: NovoPro Frontloading—Students must have prior experience using NovoPro within the classroom, specifically with regards to the quizzing functions. Use of MLA (APA, Chicago, etc.)—It is anticipated that this activity will be used as a continuation of a prior lesson on or as review of quotations and paraphrases and how they can be used within writing, as well as how they must be constructed and cited properly.
Less than 5 Minutes: Group the students in sets of 4 – 5.
5Minutes: Pass out photos of things the class saw or did on the study trip.
10Minutes: As a whole group, brainstorm list of things that were saw or done on the trip. Teacher or student records on board.
5-10 minutes: Assign each group a sense and instruct students to list all the words/phrases they can think of that come to mind from the study trip associated with that sense. (Example: Sight-slimy green water, fierce alligators, Indian village, long snakes) Taste was not used in ours, so I assigned Sight to two groups.
10-15Minutes: When each group is finished, have the presenter of the group share with the class. Post all sense charts from each group on the board.
10Minutes: Ask the class if there is anything missing.
15Minutes: As a whole group, decide on 3 – 4 topic sentences that might make a great beginning to describe the study trip.
20Minutes: Assign class to write a one page narrative description of the class study trip. You may want to instruct them to use a certain number of words/phrases off the list if you feel it is necessary.
You will be amazed at how your students writing is more vivid and detailed after this successful writing lesson.
Materials Needed:Chart paper
Photos of a recent study trip
Markers
Photos taken during the field trip
Additional Resources: