Name: Katie Elder Grade Level: 2nd

Writing Mini Lesson

Mini Lesson Topic Adjective- adding descriptive words to characters of a story
Materials Mentor Text: Goblins in Green
Smart Board
Paper
Pencil and a colored pencil
Connection: In our writing workshop this week, we have been talking about
 Tell them what how authors used adjectives and how it gives the reader more
you taught in the feeling when reading. First, we talked about what an adjective is.
previous lesson. An adjective is a word added to a noun in a sentence to help give it
 How does this more detail to what it looks like or what kind of noun it is. Then,
idea connect? we looked at some books that had awesome adjectives in them.
The adjectives helped us paint pictures in our heads of what
specific things were like in the story. We highlighted the nouns in
the book and wrote them down in our WNB to use for later.
Today, we are going to look at another book called Goblins in
Green. This book is also filled with a great list of adjectives.
Explicit Instruction: Today we are going to create a character in our story. We will
 Tell them what create a character solely using words FIRST. After we create a
you will teach character using the adjectives, your partner will draw a picture of
today your character based on the adjective you provided.
 Show them
examples of how First, I will read Goblins in Green to you all. As I read, please
others use the write down and adjectives that really stick out to you in your
technique(s). WNB. I am going to also write down some adjectives that stick
out to me.
*I will read Goblins in Green, stopping to discuss my favorite
adjectives and noting how some adjectives are made up, but they
still stand out*

Secondly, I will write sentences using adjectives to create a

character for my story. I will use some adjectives I wrote down
from the mentor text (example: bright blue, denim, emerald,
flowered, green, jaunty, king-sized, multicolored, nifty, orange,
extraordinary). I will model how to incorporate adjectives in my
sentences to add description. Example: I will write about a goblin.
Starter sentence: The goblin is little. Edited sentence: The goblin
with green, mini pants and a orange, flowered shirt is a mini- sized
creature.
Thirdly, I will draw my dog according to my edited sentence. The
students and I will discuss how the words and picture match and
the difference between the starter sentence and edited sentence.

Guided Practice: The students and I will complete a similar activity to the one
 Engage them in above. This time, the students will give the teacher some of the
practicing you’re adjectives they have written down in their WNB. I will write down
Name: Katie Elder Grade Level: 2nd

your and/or about 10 adjectives collected from the students. Then, I will write
other(s). a noun on the board: The goblin
The students will help me create 2-3 sentences with the adjectives
they gave me to describe the boy. Example of edited sentence: The
red-haired globin tells funny jokes that make you cry so hard you
laugh. He is wearing an orange t-shirt with dark blue jeans and
black and white Nike shoes.

I will point out that there are adjectives describing what the goblin
looks like and his personality.

The students will then draw the character based on the sentences
written above.
Independent Practices: The students will think write a list of nouns for a character in their
 Remind students next story.
how the teaching The students will pick which noun they want to use. They will also
point can be used highlight 10 adjectives they want to use from the list they created.
in independent Then, the students will write at least 3 sentences describing their
writing. characters using adjectives from their list.
 Link mini-lesson After they have completed the sentences, they will find a partner
and writing lives. to draw a picture of their character.
Groups Wrap Up: I will tell the students again that adjectives are important to our
 Restate the writing because they give the story more description. Our words as
teaching point. writers make the reader feel a certain way about things happening
 Ask: Did you try in the story.
what was taught? I will ask the students how adding adjectives to their writing
Did it work for makes them feel about their writing. (Does it help you write more?
you? How it will Do you put more thought into your words?)
affect your future We will discuss the activity. How did you feel drawing a picture
writing? based on another authors work? Do you see the importance of
adding enough detail? How will this change your writing?

Self Check:
 I modeled writing for students.
 I used a mentor text.
 I used excerpts from the mentor texts. (used adjectives from throughout the book and
used goblins as basis of examples)
 I provided details as to what I was doing for each stage of the lesson.
 I provide details as to what the students were doing for each stage of the lesson.