Title: Writing Mini-Lessons

Topic: ABC Books

Grade Level: 1st

SOL(s):English 1.12

Time Frame: 10-20 minute mini-lessons over the course of several days

Note: This entire lesson was based on Kara Custis’ session

Student Learning Objective: The student will publish an alphabet book using the letters of their name.

Strategies and Activities:

  • Mentor Text (whole group)
  • Read aloud an example ABC Book
  • Allow students to read/”book look” several ABC books
  • Compile a list of ABC Book features (font style, bold text, pictures, title page, etc.)
  • Think Pair Share(John Strebe)
  • Teacher lists features said aloud by students (provide key vocabulary words as necessary)
  • Model Text (small group)- create a book about the teacher (Ms. Dean). Each page will contain a letter, and words that describe me starting with that letter.
  • Brainstorm book ideas
  • Alpha Boxes
  • Highlight just letters in the name
  • Think Pair Share words that describe the teacher for each letter
  • Teacher records ideas for each letter (these ideas will be transcribed onto sentence strips for next activity)
  • Sort words according to beginning letter
  • Students paste words onto large paper and add features to create each page of the book.
  • Share pages and discuss features
  • Create cover and assemble book
  • Student Planning (small group)
  • Alpha Boxes- students highlight letters in their name, then brainstorm words beginning with those letters that describe themselves
  • Small group will work together to fill in blanks if someone gets ‘stuck’
  • Writing, Revising, Editing (small group)
  • Students create each page of their book (letter and words)
  • Check that all words on each page begin with the correct letter
  • Correct spelling using appropriate methods (word wall, picture dictionary, etc.)
  • Publishing and Sharing (small group)
  • Trace over words/letters with marker
  • Illustrate
  • Create Cover
  • Read book aloud to small group

Assessment: Checklist of appropriate writing skills.

Differentiation: to make the activity more challenging have students choose one word per letter to expand into a sentence describing themselves. Be sure to include this extra step in the modeling stage as well as independent.

ABC Book Writing Genre

SOL 1.12 / a) generates ideas / c) uses descriptive words / f) uses correct spelling in final copy / g) shares writing
Student Names