Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

!
!
!

Teacher: Elle Quist

Date:

Theme: Descriptive Writing Day 3: Adjectives

Grade: 6th

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
This is the third lesson of five in my Descriptive Writing Unit Plan. Today, the focus is incorporating interesting adjectives into
student writing. This is combined with a mini-lesson on synonyms as preparation for the Pivotal Places assignment. Students
also write the majority of a draft in class.
cognitiveR U Ap An E
C*

Learners will be able to:

!
!
!

Recognize boring adjectives in their own and others writing

Ap, Ev

Replace the boring adjectives in their writing with more appropriate synonyms

Ap, C

Define a synonym

Organize and manage a Google Docs page

Transition between group work, individual work, and full group instruction efficiently and effectively

!
!
!!
!

U, Ap

physical
development

socioemotiona
l

!!
!
!

!!
!!
!

X
X

Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.D
Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as pacing and description to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.D
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.B
Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, or other information and examples.
(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular
learners write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

Students must
-Understand how to operate basic functions of Google Docs (word processing technology)
-Be able to function and stay on task in pair work, full group work, and individual work.
-Know how to read
-Know what an adjective is
Pre-assessment (for learning):

Outline assessment
activities
(applicable to this lesson)

Formative (for learning):

-Students create word wheels to see other words to use in their writing.
Formative (as learning):
Summative (of learning):
Provide Multiple Means of
Representation

9-15-14

Provide Multiple Means of Action

and Expression

Provide Multiple Means of

Engagement

What barriers might this

lesson present?

!!

Provide options for perceptionmaking information perceptible

-information coming from lecture,
group discussion, creative project,
and individual conference.
Information learned through
typing,discussing, etc.

Provide options for physical actionincrease options for interaction

-students are creating adjective
wheelsgreat opportunity for
physical action.

Provide options for recruiting

interest- choice, relevance, value,
authenticity, minimize threats

Provide options for language,

mathematical expressions, and
symbols- clarify & connect
language

Provide options for expression and

communication- increase medium
of expression
-Working on worksheets, making
wheel creations, etcall different
means of expressing the
information.

Provide options for sustaining effort

and persistence- optimize challenge,
collaboration, mastery-oriented
feedback
-students conference with their
teacher for feedback

Provide options for comprehensionactivate, apply & highlight

-Students are taught material and
then asked to show it many
different ways: group discussion,
individual writing, project creation,
etc.

Provide options for executive

functions- coordinate short & long
term goals, monitor progress, and
modify strategies

Provide options for self-regulationexpectations, personal skills and

strategies, self-assessment &
reflection
Students must
_________________________ as
an exit ticket.

What will it take

neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your
students to do this lesson?

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and are they ready to use?

-Student laptops
-Warm-up sheet (synonyms)
-Wheel cut-outs
-front white board/maker
-projector/teacher laptop

!
How will your classroom
be set up for this lesson?

Rows/Table groups facing forward

III. The Plan

Time

!!

4 min

!!
!
!!
!!
!!
!!

4 min

4 min

9-15-14

Components

Motivation
(opening/
introduction/
engagement)

Describe teacher activities

AND
student activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
prompts.
Warm-up:
1) Write on the board that the warm-up is on the
back shelf (a half sheet w/ adjective synonyms
on it). Students grab it as they walk in and sit
down to complete it.

Warm-up:
1) Grab warm up sheet from the back, fill it out at
desk

Main Content:
1) Go through examples asking for student
answers. Ask why its important to know these
other words for words like good or nice?
(its boring, they say something a little
different, etc) Explain that these similar words
are called synonyms. Synonyms are words that
have similar meanings.
2) Invite students to open their laptops to their
Descriptive Writing Google Doc, begin a new
section titled Adjectives, and type the
synonym definition. Teacher should model
using his/her Google Doc projected on the
white board. Explain that interesting adjectives
(like synonyms) are important in writing
because they help us see what is happening/
where we are.

Main Content:
1) Raise hands to answer warm up questions.

!!
!!
!!
!!
!!
!!
!

2) Open laptops and type Synonym definition in,

listen to mini-lecture

!!
!!
!

3 min

!
!!

3)
Development
(the largest
component or
main body of
the lesson)

1 min

4)

8 min

!!
!!
!

5)

25
min

6)

!!

1 min

Closure
(conclusion,
culmination,
wrap-up)

where we are.
Explain that you are going to give a boring
adjective to each student. These words do not
give a clear picture of what is in our scene.
Even if we use sensory language (I smell good
food) we still don't get it without solid
adjectives. Give a few examples like this out
loud (say a sentence w/ poor adjectives, and
sub in synonyms to strengthen).
Hold up an example wheel, and show that they
will put the boring word in the middle with the
better synonyms coming off the sides. Make
sure they know that they may use a thesaurus
online.
Assign a word to each student from the Boring
Adjective sheet. Walk around to each desk
and ask students to write their word down on
their Google Doc to remember. While doing
this, pass our a wheel cut out to each student.
Explain that they will finish the wheel, and
then begin work on their drafts. Draft should
be nearly complete by the end of class.
Give students time to work on their wheel and
their drafts. Meanwhile, the teacher is
conferencing with each student for 1-2 minutes
at her desk to discuss their ideas/progress.

Exit Ticket:
1) Collect wheels to hang up before next class
period (on the wall).

!!
!!
!!
!!
!
!!
!!
!!
!!
!!

3) Listen to instructions

4) Watch/listen to instructions

5) Learn word, write it down, and prepare for

activity.

6) Create adjective wheel with interesting

synonyms and write the first draft of the Pivotal
Places essay and conference with the teacher for
1-2 minutes.
Exit Ticket:
1) Students hand in their word wheel

!!
!

Your reflection about the lesson, including evidence(s) of student learning and engagement, as well as ideas for improvement
for next time. (Write this after teaching the lesson, if you had a chance to teach it. If you did not teach this lesson, focus on the
process of preparing the lesson.)

I see evidence of student learning and engagement in this lesson in particular, because it pulls together visual art and
creativity with the written word. The wheel exercise 1) forces students to understand the concept individually, 2) makes
each student an expert on one overused word, 3) connects drawings and shape with written descriptive prose, and 4)
creates a class visual that we can use as reference for the rest of the year. Students are working for a purpose: to display
their work so they all can have a reference point on the wall. This ties in the real-world aspect as well, because students
are not completing mindless worksheets all class period.
Looking back, I wish I had thought to make the wheels more artistic. I wish I would have expanded this unit over
more than five days so that I could spend more time on the wheels, and then have a separate day for the rough draft
writing. Only having 25 minutes set aside for the wheel creation and working on rough drafts in class is tight,
especially for easily distractible 6th graders.

!!

9-15-14