Identity 7, Writing Workshop 2: Building Paragraphs of Descriptive Narrative

Title: Building Paragraphs of Descriptive Narrative

Author: M. Hill

Subject: ELA

Grade: 6

Week: 2, Lesson 2

Unit/Lesson Plan #: Identity/7

Unit theme: Identity

Textbook references: Write Source 2000 p. 97-106, "Building Paragraphs"; "Names/Nombres" (PHL 115-119); "My Name" from House on Mango Street

Learning objectives:

- To identitfy the key parts of a descriptive paragraph (introduction, body, conclusion) and know the key components of each

- To understand the importance of organization in a paragraph

- To understand what it means to "show, not tell" in a descriptive narrative

- To begin to revise work by adding in details and organizing sentences.

Key Questions, Concepts, or Themes:

How can you (as a writer) show your reader what something is like through description?

What are the key components of a descriptive paragraph?

Stage 1:

JOURNAL: What are the important components (or parts) of a paragraph?

Stage 2:

[Prior to this lesson, students will have read "Building Paragraphs" from Write Source 2000.]  

 A. Students will be given paragraphs from "Names/Nombres" and House on Mango Street to label with the following terms: topic sentence, body, closing sentence.

B. As a class, we will discuss what each of these means, particularly focusing on the following details: 

• A GOOD TOPIC SENTENCE = an interesting subject + your specific feeling about it

•  DISCUSSION: What does "specific feeling" mean? (talk about what it means to include a feeling or opinion in a paragraph's topic sentence) 

• BODY contains elaborating details; is best when organized (chronologically, by location, by importance, etc.)

• CLOSING (CLINCHER) SENTENCE reminds readers of the subject and keeps them thinking!

• Personal details --> SHOW, DON'T TELL!
  • DISCUSSION: How do you SHOW with writing?  Have students revisit ideas from Writing Workshop 1 (Choose your words carefully!) and think about how those pieces used the "show, don't tell!" motto to guide their creation.  We will work together to rewrite sentences to show rather than tell.

Stage 3:

INTRO to REVISION: 

Students will revisit their draft from the previous evening by identifying all the pieces of a paragraph, and identifying places where they truly did show and not tell.  They will then have time to revise their work, adding as much descriptive language to SHOW as possible. 

 * This step may be added in various forms to the lesson (for example, it could be completed on a following day if needed)

Homework: N/A

Assessments: (attach/link copies)

__ Group assessment

_x_ Observation of process/student work

_x_ Self-assessment by student

__ Teacher generated assignment

__ Written project

__ Test/Quiz

_x_ Other: ___class discussion and interaction______________________________