Lesson Plan: Introductions

Literacy Minilesson

Objective
SWBAT write an introduction for their how-to book IOT supply some information about
their informational topic

Connected Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2
Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory
texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about
the topic.

Part 1: Mini Lesson (10-15 minutes) :

Connection: You have been working so hard on your books, and many of you
started your new books on classroom routines last time we were
writing! Those books are going to be given to the kindergarteners
next year at the very beginning of the year before they know
anything about the classroom. Do you think they know what
morning meeting is? Or what writing time is? So before you start
telling them about the steps for doing something, you need to tell
your reader a little about your topic.

Today I want to teach you that how-to books usually start with a
page to introduce the topic and tell your reader a little about it.

Teach: The first page of books is usually an introduction page. An

introduction tells your reader information about a topic if they
know. Here’s how you do it. Imagine your reader knows nothing
about your topic. Then start your book by writing what you think
they need to know to understand the rest of your book! So let’s
practice with my book about rolling down the hill. Do you
remember this book? Do you think you would understand this if
you didn’t know anything about Adaire and the hills outside? I
am going to try to write an introduction and I want you decide if
it would help you if you didn’t know anything about the hills.

Example 1: Let me teach you about rolling down hills.

 Example 2: There are rubber hills on our playground and kids
love to roll down them during recess.

Which one tells more information to help your reader know what
you are talking about?

Active Practice: Introductions also make the reader want to read the rest of your
book! So you can put in why you wrote about your topic or why
someone might want to learn how to do it! Turn-and-talk and tell
your partner what we could add to this introduction to make
your reader want to keep reading.

Link: Remember, as you are working today and everyday, you can add
an introduction to your writing to give your reader information
they need about your topic before you start telling your steps.

Part 2: Independent Work (20-25 minutes) :

Students will be released into independent work where they will continue to work
independently on their how-to pieces. This will allow them to immediately apply what they
have learned to their current books. I will be conferencing with individual students on their
writing, helping them track progress on their writing goals as well as implement the mini
lesson.

I will start each conference as I always do, by asking students, “what are you working on as
a writer today?” If students mention introductions, I will ask them questions that add
progressively more scaffolding: What are you going to write about? What might your
reader need to know? What is [topic], can you explain it? When/where/how does someone
do [topic]? Etc. If a student does not know what to work on or add to their work, I will
prompt them to write an introduction by asking, “what did we talk about today?” and
reexplaining as necessary then moving on to the questions above.

Part 3: Share (5 minutes) :

After independent work, students will gather on the carpet, and I will choose a student to
come up and share their work with the class. The student I chose will be one who has
effectively implemented the lesson. I hope to highlight an introduction that gave some
information about the context of the topic as well as made the topic exciting and appealing
so readers would want to keep reading. Additionally, I will have students comment on what
was strong about this students’ introductions and ask all students to nonverbally indicate if
they tried to write an introduction.
Classroom Arrangement & Management & Materials Issues:

● Transitions:
○ They will be seated on the rug for the mini lesson. Writing Workshop occurs
right after lunch, so they will enter the room and go right to the rug, and take
deep breaths (as we always do after lunch to calm our bodies and minds).
○ After the mini lesson, they will be released by table color to get their writing
folder and then find a spot in the room to work quietly. This is a routine they
are accustomed to.

● Seating:
○ During the mini lesson and Share, students will be in their assigned spots on
the rug. During Independent Work, students are able to sit wherever they
like in the room, including the tables, the floor anywhere, and various special
chairs around the room. This is a routine that has been established in the
classroom.

● Materials:
○ During the mini lesson, I will need a book I previously started about rolling
down the hills at recess. This will be on the teacher rocking chair.
○ Students will get their writing folders and pencil boxes or pencils from their
table bins after being released from the mini lesson.

● Expectations:
○ During the mini lesson and Share, voices should be off and eyes should be on
me or the speaker. I will set this expectation at the beginning and give
reminders and positive narration as necessary. As they turn-and-talk, they
are expected to use whisper voices that only their partners can hear and
allow both partners to voice their opinions. I will provide a reminder of this
and correct if necessary.
○ During Independent Work, the students will be working quietly, staying
silent unless they need to ask a friend a question, which is encouraged to
create an environment of using your peers as resources. This expectation is
reinforced by a writing stamina chart in which students are timed on how
long they can work quietly and progress up the chart. They have a goal of 25
minutes of quiet writing time.

● Individual management concerns:

 ○ On the rug, students who have trouble focusing are seated near the teacher’s
rocking chair. If students have trouble focusing during the mini lesson, I will
ask them to sit at a certain place in the classroom where they will be away
from other students and more able to focus during Independent Work. If any
students are chatting or become unfocused during Independent Work, I will
give them two reminders and then ask them to return to their seat to finish
working.

Accommodations and Differentiation:

Writing Workshop is inherently differentiated. It allows students to work on their writing

at their own level and pace. The way Writing Workshop is run allows students to work on
the same pieces day after day, eliminating time constraints and creating a more
differentiated model of writing. Additionally, through individual writing conferences
throughout Writing Workshop, I am able to give targeted feedback and track progress over
time by taking notes during each conference.

During the active practice portion of the mini lesson, there will be ways for differentiation
embedded for students who do not understand the lesson. As they turn-and-talk, students
will be able to gain support and assistance from their rug partners, and I will check in with
students who I anticipate will be confused. For students who are finished early, I will
challenge them by prompting them to think of more information that could help readers on
that page.