Jen Lawrence
English I/II
SecondPeriod
June 17, 2009
Time: 50 minutes (8:45 to 9:35am)
Objective: TSW demonstrate a basic understanding of brainstorming and apply brainstorming techniques to generate ideas for various essay topics. (DOK 3, English II, 3A)
Materials: overhead projector, vis-à-vis pen, brainstorming notesprinted on transparency, dry erase markers, butcher paper, Sharpie “Flip Chart” markers, tape, brainstorming worksheet copies (x12), 1 bag of Hershey’s kisses candy, 4 topic note cards
8:45am:
TTW welcome class, TTW have student introduce bellringer.
BELLRINGER
Write three topics you would like to write an essay about.
1.
2.
3.
(3 minutes)
8:48am:
Set:
- TTW review: Last period you learned about PEGO. “Someone tell me what PEGO stands for? And what do PEGOs help us do?” “Okay, a PEGO helps us organize our writing, right? Why is it important for an essay to be organized?”
- Involve the learner: TTWhave someone read the bellringer, and ______, read me one of your essay topics. What kinds of things would you include in an essay about ______. And someone else, raise your hand and tell me another topic you would like to write about.”
3. Connect to reality:TTW tell class, “today we are planning a barbeque (TTW call student to write on the board), and we need to make a list of everything we will need. Raise your hand and tell me one thing we’ll need for a barbeque…” [“Having a barbecue requires a lot of thought. Having a bunch of people over for a meal requires a plan. You must think about the supplies you will need, the food you will prepare, and the people you will invite, before you ever start having a barbecue.”
“Writing an essay is very similar to having a barbecue. It requires a plan. Before you begin writing, you must think about what you are going to write about. It helps to make a list of the ideas you have for writing your particular essay.”
“We call this process brainstorming.”
4.State objective: “This period we will build upon Mr. Beaty’s lesson about the PEGO before an essay by brainstorming for ideas.” By the end of class, you will be able to begin with a simple topic and think of many, many ideas to include in writing about that topic.
- Agenda: First we will take notes about brainstorming (what they are and what they do), go over a few examples and talk about them a little bit, then we will practice brainstorming in groups,asking questions to gathermany ideas. Then, you will work independently, brainstorming about something on your own.
(10 minutes)
Procedures: (8:58)
Modeling
- TTW display notes on brainstorming.
- remind students to continually copy notes as transparency moves up
- go over each example/point thoroughly before moving on
- TTW then have the students close their notebooks and put hands ON binders – TTW now ask the students to answer questions of what they just wrote down.(5 minutes)
- TTW ask student to help distribute personalized index cards (with topics) to first person in each row, having the writing turned over until directions are given.
(8 minutes)
TRANSITION: “You may leave the notes you just took on your desk to use, and we are going to get into groups by row. Pens down and all eyes on me until I finish all the directions.”
Group Practice(9:06)
IV. TTW first explain directions for group activity thoroughly.
V. TTW have rows get together (4 groups x 3 students), instruct group to choose a scribe, tell them that they will flip their card when I say begin, and brainstorm ideas just like we did for the barbeque. Please number each separate idea. You will have seven minutes—when I call time, I want to see all pencils down. Whichever team has the most ideas, each member will get five extra tickets.”
[Note cards: 1) Your sixteenth birthday party. 2) A hip-hop concert in Chicago. 3) High school football game. 4) The Fourth of July.]
(7 minutes)
TTW review topics, ask for examples, calculate winner, give tickets--
TRANSITION: “Okay class, now we will do some independent practice brainstorming on our own. We will do two activities. You may use your notes to help you. TTW call on one student to read directions from board. TTW have student pass out “kisses” while instructing. “You will each receive an item on your desk. I want you to take five minutes and write as many details as you can about this object. Sometimes essays are not about events or plans, but about just one thing. This will help us practice.” “Any questions about what you are to do? If there are no questions, you may begin now (on your own paper). I will be collecting this at the end of class, so you have about five minutes to work.”
Individual Practice(9:15am)
VI. TTW collect “kisses” assignment. TTW instruct students to work individually on worksheet until four minutes before the bell. At this time, collect all (completed) student work. (12 minutes)
[If time runs short, have students “freeze, pens down, look at me” begin closure, then have students finish working if time allows…]
Closure: (9:30am)
- TTW restate the day’s objectives. (TTW ask student to read objective from the board.)
- Review day’s learning: Today we learned that brainstorming is an important step in the writing process. Brainstorming is… (TTW ask student)
- TTW ask: “Can someone give me a word you used in brainstorming about the Hershey’s “kiss”? (x2 or 3, check time?)
- Preview next lesson: This is very important because next period you will be learning about more figurative language, and the better you are at thinking of ideas quickly, the better you will understand different ways to use these ideas like in figurative language.
Assessment:
Informal- TTWlisten to the students discuss and respond (M) during group activity (brainstorm for event) and check for identification and understanding of brainstorming concept (C).
Formal- TTW collect (M) the “kiss” brainstorm activity, grade for effort (C), and record each grade in the gradebook (D). TTW collect worksheet (M), grade for accuracy, and record each grade in gradebook (D). TTW also assessstudents (M) with an exam at the end of the week (C) and record scores in gradebook (D).