1st Grade Descriptive Writing Lesson!
This is a three day lesson for first graders that combines reading and writing standards! I like that this lesson we created involves a read aloud with a mentor text, collaboration amongst student writers, and some inquiry on similes. This is a practical lesson that can be used in varying types of classrooms!
Jordan Moore, Madison Maier
LLED 7320
Spring 2017
4/18/2017
Mentor Text Project: Descriptive Writing Lesson
Grade level: 1st
Standards:
Reading: ELAGSE1RL4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
ELAGSE1RL7: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
ELAGSE1RL2: Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
Writing: ELAGSE1W3: Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.
Mentor Text: “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen
Technology: A smart board will be utilized on the second and third day of the lesson. We chose to use a smartboard because it is a type of technology that teachers are likely to have in their classroom.
Grammar/ Mechanics: There is a mini lesson on punctuation of proper nouns included in day 3 of the lesson.
Writing Piece: During this lesson, students will complete a story about a favorite trip that includes descriptive language and uses similes. Sensory details will be generated for this writing on the first day. These details will be recorded in a graphic organizer. Students will use their sensory details to write similes on the second day. And students will write their story on the third day.
Lesson Plans
Day 1
Learning Objectives:
- Students can identify sensory details in text.
- Students can use sensory details to describe an experience
Standards:
- ELAGSE1RL4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
- ELAGSE1RL7: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
- ELAGSE1W3: Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.
Materials:
- Chart paper or dry erase board
- “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen
- Graphic organizer
- Pencils
Lesson Introduction- “Before” 10-15 mins
Students are asked to sit on the carpet in front of the whiteboard.
Introduce the book, “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen, by telling students:
- “We are going to be exploring how sensory details are used in stories and how we can use them in our own writing. These are words that appeal to the senses and help us imagine what the writing is telling about.”
- “Who can remind us what one of the five senses is?” (call on students until all five senses have been mentioned)
- “We are going to read this book, “Owl Moon.” I want you to pay special attention to the different sensory details that you hear in the story and we are going to share them afterwards.”
Read book
After reading the book, ask students for sensory details that they heard in the story. (3 min)
Learning Activities- “During” 25 mins
Then students generate details for a new topic (5 mins)
- “In the book, the author tells us the sensory details of the girl and her father’s experience going owling. We recently went on a field trip to the zoo, let’s see if we can generate some sensory details from our trip to the zoo. What did we hear? What did we see? What did we smell? What did we taste? What did we touch? What was the weather like?
Call on students to share sensory details and add them to a web styled graphic organizer on an chart paper with one color of marker.
After students have shared, invite student to think about a trip that they have taken.
- “Now you are going to have a turn to think about some sensory details from a trip you went on. It could be your trip to a restaurant, or a trip to your favorite place, or maybe someone’s house.Everyone take a minute and think about a trip that was memorable to you. Think about something that you remember a lot about.”
After about 1 minute, ask students who have a trip in mind to share.
After several students share, pass out graphic organizer, and let students generate their own details (15 minutes)
- “I am going to give you a piece of paper with a web on it like the one we used for our zoo trip. Write your trip in the middle and then write you different details in the circles around it.”
Closure- “After” 5 mins
Students are asked to to “turn and share their work with a neighbor”. After a few minutes, teachers asks students to join her on the carpet for whole group sharing. Teacher selects 3-5 students one at a time to stand up and share their topic and descriptions with the class.
Day 2
Learning Objectives:
- Students can identify a simile
- Students can use sensory words to generate their own similes
Standards:
- ELAGSE1RL4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
- ELAGSE1RL7: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
- ELAGSE1RL2: Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
- ELAGSE1W3: Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.
Materials:
- Chart paper web about the zoo from the previous day
- Slide with examples of similes from the book
- Student’s webs from the previous day
Lesson Introduction- “Before” 15 mins
-Teacher reminds students of the “Owl Moon” and asks a student to retell the story.
-Teacher uses smartboard to show slides with different similes from the book and reads them.
-Teacher asks students what they notice- guides students to point out that similes are comparisons using “like” or “as”
-Teacher tells students they are going to generate similes from the details they wrote down yesterday.
-Teacher prompts students to come up with similes about the zoo trip. For example: “Let’s start with the way the zoo smelled.” Teacher reads the descriptions from the day before and then asks students what they could compare the smell to.
- Teacher continues this and then asks students to generate similes.
- Teacher records similes is a different color from the day before.
Learning Activities- “During” 25 mins
-Students go back to their desk to generate similes of their own.
-Students add their similes to their graphic organizer.
-As the teacher circulates the classroom, she should point out an example of a simile she observes to the whole class.
Closure- “After” 5 mins
Students are told that they may take this time to conference or share work with a classmate.
They are reminded that all conversations going on should be about their writing.
Day 3
Learning Objectives:
- Students can use illustrations to add detail or imagery to their writing
- Students can complete a narrative/informative/or explanatory piece on the topic they have chosen
- Students use similes in their own writing to add details and appeal to readers’ senses
- Students can add detail in their writing
Standards:
- ELAGSE1RL4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
- ELAGSE1RL7: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
- ELAGSE1W3: Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.
Materials:
- Writing journal
- Pencils and crayons
- Chart paper web about the zoo from the previous day
- Slide with examples of similes from the book
- Student’s webs from the previous day
Lesson Introduction- “Before” 10-15 mins
Students are asked to come sit on the carpet.
Teacher and students work together to write a story about their trip to the zoo, including details and similes.
Teacher does a mini-lesson on capitalizing proper nouns. This includes students practicing identifying and capitalizing proper nouns in the story of the zoo. Teacher invites students to come up to the smart board to make the correct changes.
Once the story is written, different students are invited to come up to the board to underline the similes in the story.
Learning Activities- “During” 15 mins
Students are asked to return to their seats to write the story about their own trip. Students are encouraged to include several similes and correct capitalization and punctuation in their writing pieces. They are asked to look back through their work and make sure they have correct usage of proper nouns, and that they have added similes in their writing.
Closure- “After” 5-10 mins
Students return to the carpet for sharing time. Students first share with a partner, then volunteers are asked to raise their hands to share their writing. Teacher will select 3-5 students to share.