Writing Lesson: Word Choice

Big Idea: Oh, The Places Youll Go As You Grow!

Goal: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of good word choice.

Standard:

1.SL.4.1Speaking audibly and using appropriate language, recite poems, rhymes, songs,
and stories, with careful attention to sensory detail when describing people, places, things,
and events.

1.W.3.3 Develop topics for stories or poems, using precise words to describe characters
and actions and temporal words to signal event order, with ideas organized into a
beginning, middle, and ending.

Objective:

Given a prompt, students will write a letter to someone that they know demonstrating proper
use of descriptive word choice.

Trait of Writing: Word Choice

Special Considerations (Adaptations, Accommodations, etc.):

Management of Time:
Anticipatory Set: 5 minutes
Lesson Presentation: 20 minutes
Writing Time: 20 minutes
Sharing Time: 10 minutes

Total: 55 minutes

Management of Materials:
-Pictures to show students
-Blank paper
-Cereal boxes
-White boards/dry erase markers
-Book

Management of Space: Students will be at their desks for all of the activities. I will call
them over to the living room for the read aloud so that they can see the story as I read and I
can keep an eye on their behavior.

Management of Behavior: If students are getting too loud or not listening, I will clap my
hands to a pattern and have students repeat it back to me. If that does not work I will go shut
off the lights and have students put their head down on their desk.

Minilesson: (Whole Group)

LESSON PRESENTATION (INPUT/OUTPUT)

Anticipatory Set:

Today, you are going to work with the partner next to you, and you are going to look at a
picture that I give you. When I give you the picture, I want you to think of words that
describe the picture. Think about the senses you would use if you were in the picture. What
would you see? What would you smell? What would you feel? Write down words on the
whiteboard that I give you that you think describe this picture.
(Pass out whiteboards/ dry erase markers and pictures)
You may begin working with your partner to come up with words that describe the picture!
If you were going to write about the picture, you should pick words that would help the
reader to see the picture. Ill give you 2 minutes to come up with as many words as you
can with your partner, and then you are going to share them with the class. (Allow students
time to work and have them share their answers with the class)

Purpose: We need to know how to use good word choice when we speak and in our writing
so that we can express our ideas clearly! We want people to be able to visualize what we are
writing and speaking about!

Introduce the Topic:

Today we are going to learn how to use good word choice in our writing! You can use nouns,
verbs, and adjectives when you are learning how to use word choice. Who can remind the
class what a noun is? (Call on student) How about a verb? (Call on student) And last, who
can tell the class what an adjective is? (Call on student) Very good class! Earlier in the
activity with the pictures, you guys picked words that described our 5 senses. Senses help us
to experience the world around us. Who can tell me what our 5 senses are? (Call on student)
Yes! They are sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell! We want to use words in our writing that
help readers feel like they can experience what you are writing about without having to
actually be there.

Share Examples (Read Aloud) (Listening)

Read the The Great Fuzz Frenzy.

What are some things that you noticed about the story? What did you like? What did you not
like? (Call on students to answer)
You probably noticed that the story used a lot of fun words! Lets go back and find some
words that made the story more exciting!
(Go back and look at the first couple pages that show the sound of the tennis ball and talk
about how those express one of the five senses. We are able to think about the sound it would
be making)
(Flip to the page where the words boomed, gutless, and growled are used and have students
verbally express how those words can help us visualize the text. Why descriptive words are
important).

Provide Information (Model)

Okay, I want you to practice writing two sentences with good word choice on your own. I
have placed a box of cereal on your desk. You are going to write two sentences that describe
it. For example, I have a box of Fruit Loops on my desk. For my two sentences I might
write: (write on board)
1. The fruit loops are in a colorful box that is shaped like a rectangle.
2. The circular fruit loops smell very fruity.

I used descriptive words such as colorful, rectangle, circular, and fruity. These words would
help the reader visualize the shape and smell of the fruit loops. Now you guys give it a try!
Write down your sentences on the blank sheet of paper that I gave you. (Give students time to
work)

-I will walk around as students complete this activity and observe them as they write their
sentences. This will allow me to assess how well they are understanding the concept of word
choice. If they do not appear to be using good word choice, I will give them extra guidance
and help them brainstorm descriptive words about their cereal. I may even review what
nouns, verbs, and adjectives are with them once more.

Writing:

Now that we have had some practice, we are going to write a letter. Earlier in our science
lesson we learned about what kinds of things plants need in order to survive. Who remembers
what 4 things plants need in order to survive? (Call on student) Yes, they need sunshine, air,
water, and soil! You are going to write to someone in your family, or a friend, and tell them
tell them how to take care of the new plant that they got! I am sure they need to know how to
take care of their plant so that it does not die! As you write you are going to use as many
descriptive words as you can! Remember to include words that relate to the 5 senses!

Conference: I will pull students one at a time to the back of the room. I plan on only
conferencing with about 6 to 7 students each time that they write. There will be further
prompts in the future that they will be working on, and I can conference with a new set of
students then.

Sharing: (Whole Group) (Speaking/Reading): After students finish writing, I will have 5
students volunteer to come to the front of the class and read their letter. After each student
gets done reading, I will ask them which words caught their attention to help them visualize
what was being written about. I will call on a few students to share their words.

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT:

Formative: Students will be formatively be assessed by me during conferences in the form of a
checklist.
Summative: Students will do a final writing assignment at the end of our writing unit and share it with
the class.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
a. Blooms Taxonomy
b. Gardners Multiple Intelligences
7. Did students have enough time to write their letter? Would more or less time have been
beneficial?
8. How could I have better challenged high ability students?