How

How to
to teach
teach writing
writing aa
composition
composition
Lesson plan used during research for a thesis paper by Dušica Đukić
The aim of the lesson was to teach second grade high school pupils
how to write a composition in English longer than five sentences
Approaches used were focus on form and explicit teaching, reference
“Process Writing” by Ron White and Valerie Arndt

teacher Dušica Đukić

 Step 1
Choose a topic
• The class was on Earth Day April, 22nd
2009.and the topic chosen was
POLLUTION
• Explain what is Earth Day. When it
was established? April, 22nd 1970.
• Elicit from the students words and
phrases connected with pollution
 Step 2
Introduce Brainstorming
• Explain to the students • For example
what brainstorming is
• Draw a spidergram on one Glass house effect
Temperature rising
half of the blackboard
• Pick a student to write
on the blackboard words Toxic waste
Smog

his/her classmates
Air pollution

associate with pollution pollution

or do it
yourself

Water pollution
Health problems
Rainforest disappearance
 Step 3
Composition Plan
• Ask the students to group the ideas they produced
during brainstorming and form a composition plan
• On the other half of the board write: Introduction,
Paragraph 1, 2, 3… and Conclusion
• Leave enough space in between so the students could
write ideas produced during brainstorming session
• Be sure to tell them that new ideas are more than
welcome
 Step 4
Introduction
• Ask the students what they would write in
the introduction, help but not too much,
inspire; e.g.
• A big problem of today
• Affects every living organism on the planet
and the planet as well
• Causes a number of problems
• Problems could be solved
 Step 5
Paragraph 1
• Choose one idea from the spidergram, e.g.
• Air pollution by CO2 from cars,
chimneys…
• Destruction of O3 layer
• Glass house effect, global warming
• Melting of the Polar caps
• Tell the students they do not have to use every idea from the
spidergram, and to make sure that they stick to one idea per
paragraph
 Step 6
Paragraph 2
• Water pollution
• CO2 from air with rain forms acid rains
• Devastation of rainforests by acid rains
and cutting,
• Chemicals dumped in rivers and lakes
contaminate soil
• Plant’s growth is reduced
 Step 7
Paragraph 3
• Health problems
• Toxic matters found in water, air and
soil get in our bodies
• E.g. smog causes asthma and other
breathing problems
• Numbers of people suffering from
terminal diseases rise
 Step 8
Conclusion
• Help the students to sum up the most
important ideas from the paragraphs and
state their opinion
• If we make an effort and change our
habits maybe things will get better.
• Be sure to tell them NEVER to write a
new idea in the conclusion, because it will
give a reader a sense of incompleteness.
 Step 9
Writing
• After completing the plan and discussing it with
the students pick a student who will write the
sentences on the board others will dictate to
him/her, or you can do it yourself if you feel that
any other option might be too time consuming
• Be sure to elicit the sentences from the students
• Ask them to rephrase the sentences themselves
• Do not interfere too much
• Good luck!!!
• P.S. it really worked and it is a great way to
practice sentence word order