LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

JMU Elementary Education Program

Jennifer Hunt
Ms. McCoy, 3rd grade, Linville Edom Elementary School
Monday October 30, 2017 at 2:10-2:50 pm
Lesson Plan was submitted to the Cooperating Teacher on October 24, 2017

TITLE OF LESSON (Writing Focus): Adding details to writing by using descriptive imagery adjectives

RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING

3.9: The student will write for a variety of purposes.
b. Use a variety of prewriting strategies
f. Include details that elaborate the main idea

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

UNDERSTAND The students will understand that they can look for good sentences to model
their own writing on in books. The students will specifically understand that they can look through
the mentor text In the Footsteps of the Mummy for good examples of descriptive imagery
adjectives.

KNOW The students will know that adding descriptive imagery can make their writing more
exciting and the reader can more easily visualize their story.

DO The students will add at least four quality descriptive adjectives to one paragraph on their
planning sheet.

ASSESSING LEARNING
I will assess the students learning both informally and formally. I will take observational notes while listening
to the students conversations about their writing. I will also take notes while conferencing with students
during the writing time. During these informal discussions I will take note if students are completing my
Know objectives. The students should be able to visualize their writing if they close their eyes, just as we
did during the reading of the mentor text. During the final conversations at the tables the students will be
asked how they utilized descriptive imagery in their writing plan. Here the students will demonstrate that
they know the benefits of adding descriptive imagery. At the end of the day I will take a qualitative record of
the students planning page to see how many times the students attempted and succeeded in using
descriptive imagery. These observations will be written on the attached rubric page. If a student uses at
least four descriptive adjective words in one planned paragraph than they will receive a 1. If the student
uses three descriptive adjectives in one planned paragraph they will receive a 2. If the students use two
descriptive adjectives in one planned paragraph they will receive a 3. If the student uses one or no
descriptive adjectives in one planned paragraph they will receive a 4.

CONTEXT OF LESSON
I will be teaching the students about the benefits of descriptive imagery words in their writing. Using these
imagery words will create a more engaging and visual writing. When I was in the classroom on October 17 I
observed that the students were beginning to write observations using their senses. A major purpose of
descriptive writing is to create those descriptions that target the five senses. When the students began to
write their paper on their senses observations my CT and I would go around and encourage students to
begin adding adjectives to their writing. Some of the students used adjectives in every sentence that did not
make much sense in the context of the nouns they were describing. Some students did not use any
adjectives and only a few utilized adjectives affectively in their writing. Seeing the benefit of descriptive
words in a mentor text will allow the students to see an authentic example of this method.

I came up with this idea by consulting with my Cooperating Teacher as well as with the other practicum
student in my school Kori. When talking with my Cooperating Teacher she provided us with a prewriting
sheet for a Halloween paper. Due to Immersion Week occurring over Halloween my CT wanted me to do
something with the Halloween paper for writing with a focus on descriptive imagery writing. Knowing our
topic and writing activity Kori and I went to the ETMC to find an appropriate mentor text. Kori found the
book In The Footsteps of The Mummy by: Katie Roden. The book is appropriate for this lesson for three
reasons: the books has very vivid descriptive language that really brings the book to life; the story is
centered around mummies which are appropriate for a Halloween themed lesson; and the students just
finished a unit on Egypt in Social Studies and the students will be able to connect to a story about a
mummy through that.

MATERIALS NEEDED
In the Footsteps of The Mummy Written by: Katie Roden and Illustrated by: Susanna Addario,
Francesca DOttavi, Lorenzo Pieri, Paola Ravaglia, and Stephen Sweet
Good examples of sentences on long strips of paper
The students will be using the provided planning sheet

PROCEDURE
CONNECT Call students to the carpet. Does everyone remember
when we walked to the front of the school two weeks
ago and we took notes on things we observed with our
five senses? Today I want you guys to focus on those
visual details and think how they can make your writings
more descriptive. Hold up the book. We are going to
look at examples from this book that we have read to
Before see how adding visual descriptive details to our writing
can make them more engaging and exciting. Now we
are only going to read one page of this book because
we have already read it out loud. As I am reading the
page I want everyone to close their eyes and visualize
the story in your head. I want you to focus on how the
descriptive imagery can make the story come to life in
your head.
TEACH Read Page 6. There are many examples of descriptive
imagery on this page. Talk with a partner about some
During examples of descriptive imagery you heard. As the
students are discussing listen and take notes. Can two
partners tell me what examples they came up with?
 Allow two pairs of students to share what they observed.
Do you see how adding descriptive imagery can make
your writings engaging and exciting? For writing today
we are going to begin planning our next paper. This
paper will be a Halloween paper and the planning
sheets are already on your desks. For your paper today
you are going to be writing about a strange noise
coming from your closet The planning sheet you will be
using is the same sheet as we have been using for
writing. You are planning a beginning and middle
paragraphs, with three details to support your opening
sentence. Now as you are planning your paper I want
you to think about how you can include descriptive
imagery in your writings. My goal for you all is to include
four descriptive imagery words in at least one of your
two paragraphs. If you want to see the book again for
examples raise your hand and I will bring it to you. If you
finish planning your draft early today you can begin to
write your draft. The paper for your draft is at the front of
the room where it always is. If everyone understands
what we are doing give me a thumbs up. Make sure
everyone has their thumb up. Okay you can go work on
planning your paper now.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT As the students are writing at their seats I will walk
around and help students who are having difficulty with
the task.
After LINK Have students put their papers at the edge of their desk
and listen. Good work today everyone. I want you to
quickly share at your table groups how you added
descriptive imagery to your writing plan today. Allow the
students time to share. Does anyone want to share with
the whole group something they wrote? We have time
for two students to share. Allow the two students to
share. So today we have worked on using descriptive
imagery in our writings to add details. Remember what
we worked on today in future writings. You guys can
start packing up to go home now.

DIFFERENTIATION
Some students may need some extra support when thinking about descriptive imagery. Before the lesson I
will write out some great sentence examples from the book on long strips of paper. If I notice that a student
is having difficulty with the task I will give them one of the strips of paper to have on their desk for reference
and inspiration. If students finish their plan early they can begin writing their draft for the paper.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Some students may have difficulty adding the descriptive imagery to their writings. If this happens I will give
them the examples on the long strips of paper. If this does not work I will conference individually with the
student to help them brainstorm ideas for their writing.
Observation Form

Students Observations of and understanding

Names
Rubric

Students Names 4 Area of 3 Developing 2 Meeting 1 Exceeding

& Comments Concern
The writer added The writer used at The writer
The writer did not at least 2 least 3 descriptive successful added
use any descriptive imagery words in at least four
descriptive imagery words to one planned descriptive
imagery words in one planned paragraph. These imagery words to
one planned paragraph. These words generally one paragraph in
paragraph. They two words do not make sense in the their planned
stuck to very basic make much sense context of the writing. The words
sentences with a in the context of sentence and tone made sense in the
noun and verb. the sentence and of writing. context of the
tone of writing. sentence and tone
of the writing.