Students’ age range: 14-16

Main subject: Language arts and literature

Topic: Better Writers make better readers and better readers tend to produce better writings.

 

Description: Understanding that better writers make better readers and better readers tend to produce better writers, my desire will be to introduce each student to focus intently on the text. Students will be given a paragraph to read aloud, and then summarize in three to four sentences. A discussion will follow where students impart their understanding of the text. Students will be guided through the four experiences when they are engage in critical thinking during writing assignments. We will explore, their thinking, and whether or not their assumptions are valued or reliable guides for action. Evident through experiential, authoritative, and discipline research evidence. They will discover how different view points, determine if their assumptions are accurate. Thought and analysis are key areas to impart during critical thinking. Students will explore the three types of assumptions that everyone makes according to Stephen Brookfield: i) Paradigmatic - How we frame the world; ii) Prescriptive - How we think the world should work and how people behave; iii) Causal - Why things happen the way they do. Finally, students will uncover through writing assignments the different writing purpose. Areas such as Summarizing, Narrating, Responding, Arguing/Persuading, Examining/Investing, Analyzing, and Evaluation. To do this they will be persuaded to engage in critical writing by starting with small, easily completed activities, making sure that students analyze a paragraph or a single page, before moving onward to advance writings. Critical reading and writing will be fully practiced during each class session. Their critical thinking and writing skills will be discovered. Peer review will also be encourage. Students will model ways to critique contents by using popular texts. Strategies such as graphic organizers, questioning fast writing, group composition, changing view points, varying forms and cubing.

Students’ age range: 12-14

Main subject: Language arts and literature

Topic: Facts and opinions

 

Description: Teacher will inform students of the objectives of the lesson and following this, students will present their topic and main idea of their cultural event to the class.

Students will present their foldable flap book on their event to the class. Teacher will ask students to listen attentively to their classmates’ presentation to find out if the main idea which they wrote on the ice cream cone was the correct one. Students will also participate in a discussion on each event and the facts which they learnt from the event. They will also give any opinions on the events and if they agree with the writer’s opinions. A link will be made here, where the reiteration of opinions being something someone thinks or believe, will be made.


After the discussion, the teacher will share out a letter on a cultural event in Barbados. Students will follow as the teacher reads the letter. After this, following teacher guidelines of placing the facts along with their own opinions of the event, students will write a letter to a friend inviting them to the cultural event on their foldable. Students will use correct grammar, punctuation, main idea and supporting details in paragraph and letter writing.

Students’ age range: 12-14

Main subject: Language arts and literature

Topic: Expository essay

 

Description: Steps:
1. Students where introduce to the topic by asking to share how an individual may go about making a cake or making a paper boat. They shared they responses openly.
2. The use of a PowerPoint presentation was used to give students information on the whole concept of expository essay.
3. A sample expository essay was mounted on the board for the students to examine and analyze each paragraph. For each of the paragraphs they will be required to identify the main idea.
4. Students were presented with the topic 'Exercise'. They were instructed to sit quietly and think about one question they would like to be answer from the topic. After a few seconds, they peered with the person closest to them and discussed the question they came with. They were given the option to merge their questions, choose the best question between them or come up with a new question altogether. Following the discussion different peers were selected to share with the class the question they came up with. Their responses were written on the board.
5. The class then decide on one question to be used as the key question to the topic. A thesis statement was developed form that chosen question and recorded on the board. From the thesis statement the students brainstorm three strong points to be discussed in the body paragraphs. The chosen points were written on the board.
6. The teacher and the students went through step by step in writing a expository essay together on the board.
7. The students were then given several other topics in which they choose on to write a expository essay in groups of three. They were encourage to discuss the topic and share their different ideas/information about the topic before they write the essay. The teacher went around form group to group to offer support and/or clarification to the students.

Students’ age range: 12-14

Main subject: Language arts and literature

Topic: Literal Level Comprehension

 

Description: Teacher will elicit from students what a main idea is
Students will respond by sharing what they know about main idea
Teacher will present a short paragraph on the board.
Saturday at the Carnival
James and his sister Anna went to the carnival on Saturday. They rode the merry-go-round, the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel. James ate popcorn and a hot dog. Anna drank lemonade and ate an apple. They saw many exciting shows. They were tired when they went home.
Teacher and students will read the paragraph
Students will be asked to say what the paragraph is mainly about.
Teacher will guide students in discussing main ideas and supporting details.
Students will be asked to identify at least three of the details that support the main idea in the paragraphs.
Students will be asked to identify the main ideas of a number of paragraphs.

Students’ age range: 14-16

Main subject: Language arts and literature

Topic: Writing the Thesis Statement

 

Description: Each group of two students will be given a think-pair-share worksheet as well as a topic. (Topics include: the consequences of dropping out of school, why do you admire a person, why parents are sometimes strict, why do you enjoy a particular teacher, explain how moving from place to place affects teens, explain the major stressors in a teens life, explain why you like or don’t like working in a team?)

The teacher will explain the purpose of expository writing is to explain a topic in a logical and straightforward manner. Without bells and whistles, expository writing presents a fair and balanced analysis of a subject based on facts, with no references to the writer's opinions or emotions.

Encourage students to complete the think and pair section of the worksheet with their ideas and their partner's ideas on the topic.

Model a thesis statement for the group, ask them to explain what I just did and what purpose that would serve. Establish that a thesis statement is generally a complete sentence that outlines the writers stand and three main points to support that stand.

Project sample statements on the board and ask each group to evaluate what the statement includes or is missing.

Encourage students to return to their group and créate a thesis statement in the SHARE column that combines their ideas on the topic.