Title: Caring for the Environment Time: One 60-minute session Grade: 4th Grade Standards: L.4.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.4.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. SL.4.3. Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points. SL.4.4. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. W.4.1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. W.4.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience Abstract: Students have complied facts, have background knowledge on caring for the environment, and now need to compose a persuasive essay. In Language Arts, they have been working on persuasive essays and the writing process. They will use their classroom resources to complete the writing process on their own. Overview: Students have completed their brainstorming process deciding what exactly they would like to discuss regarding caring for environment. Students will now need to organize their thoughts and begin writing their persuasive essays. Students will be expected to use the Paragraph Blueprint handout, but can use it in the way they chose. Classroom resources can be used; posters, handouts from ELA, past essays, etc. Classical music will play in the background to set the tone of the classroom and allow students the calm needed for the writing process. A draft of students persuasive essay on why it is important to care for the environment should be completed during this lesson.
Research: Wiesendanger, K., Perry, J., & Braun, G. (2011). Suggest-Choose-Plan-Compose: A Strategy to Help Students Learn to Write. The Reading Teacher, 64(6), (451 455). Students often times need help generating ideas and organizing thoughts when working towards composing essays. Suggest-Choose-Plan-Compose strategy helps to organize students and set them on the right path when creatively writing and constructing. Engaging students and using the Suggest-Choose-Plan-Compose strategy students will produce well crafted writing. Donovan, C.A., & Smolkin, L.B. (2011). Supporting Informational Writing in the Elementary Grades. The Reading Teacher, 64(6), (406 416). An increase in reading informational books leads to an increase in informational writing at the elementary level. Many examples at multiple development levels give a good idea as to how to support students in their writing process. Has students development through grade levels their informational writing will development along with them. Student Objectives: Students will: Identify topic sentences, main ideas, supportive details, and concluding sentences through five well-developed paragraphs. Develop word choice skills and sentence structure awareness during the writing of their drafts. Apply knowledge of appropriate spelling, capitalization, punctuations, and essay structure. Develop and draw upon persuasive essay writing knowledge from previous lessons taught during ELA class. Logically identify important facts and quotes, if applicable, to support their essay.
Resources: Paragraph Blueprint handout Website for live classical music (http://www.live365.com/index.live) Headphones (students who do not wish to listen to music) Preparation: 1. Make copies of Paragraph Blueprint handout (have enough or every student to use 5) 2. Make headphones readily available for students who wish to use them. 3. Preview website for live classical music to chose which live feed to listen to (http://www.live365.com/index.live) Instructions & Activities: 1. Directions: 60 minutes a. Students will be told that they will be writing a draft of their persuasive easy on the importance of caring for the environment. b. Students will be given 5 minutes to gather necessary materials they will need in order to write their essay. (Sharpen pencils, Paragraph blueprint handout (1-5 copies depending on student choice), past resources from ELA class, loose-leaf paper, headphones, etc.) This will deter from students getting up constantly and disrupting others, students may move around if necessary, but lowering the amount ahead of time will lead to a quieter work area. c. Once students have gathered all of their materials the music will be put on low in the background and students will begin writing their drafts. d. If students complete their draft before others, they are encouraged to do a self-edit and make necessary corrections. e. Sustained Silent Reading will take place as students finish their drafts. Extension/Modification: Students who do not complete the essay during the 60 minutes allotted time can finish the draft during the last 15 minutes of the school day when students are normally allowed to work on homework. If the essay is still not completed, they will finish the essay when they arrive at school the next day before the morning bell. The essay may not be taken home.
Student Assessment: Students will be assessed on their work habits and behavior. Students should be diligently working and focused on the task, completion of the essay should not be an issue for any student. The completion of this draft weighs on the editing process to come and the final product of a student podcast.
Paragraph Blueprint Name: Date: Directions: Complete the blueprint bellow. You may choose to do this once for an overview of your whole essay or you may do these five times to outline each individual paragraph. Main Idea, Introductory Paragraph, or Topic Sentence Concluding Paragraph or Sentence