Minilesson

Common Core Standard:1.W.5 With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to
questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

1st grade
Materials: Jamboard, Anchor Chart, Mentor text
Guiding Question(s): How can I add details to make my writing stronger?
Introduction
● Objective: I can add more details to my writing to make it more enjoyable to read.
Today we are going to reread the story, I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt, as a writer, I
want you to look for words and details that the author included in her writing that helps you picture the
message of her story. We are going to be paying special attention to how the words and details make us
feel. As we notice how they make us feel, we are thinking about how you can use them in your own
writing.
Modeling: We are going to begin by choosing some keywords that the author, Lisa Mccourt, used in her text to
help us understand the description of what the young boy is saying throughout the story. I will slowly turn the
pages and read to the students, I will emphasize the adjectives she is using to bring attention to how it helps the
story be more developed. Some examples of this are on page 2&3 I would point out how she used “big” and
“scary” to help the reader picture in their head how the ape might look. As well as on page 6&7 when she uses the
phrase “super smelly skunk.” As I read I will ask “myself” questions by “When she said big and scary, that detail
made me picture something really giant and frightening.” “I could use this in my writing by choosing descriptive
words to help the reader understand what I am trying to say in my writing.” “In this book the author chose to write
“super smelly skunk” because as a writer she knew that was more interesting than saying simply “skunk.” as well
as help you know what the skunk would smell like. I would rather read the first example.” I am going to
continue reading the book aloud and I want you to use your writing eyes to pick out ways she is adding words to
help her writing become stronger. As we read further we are going to use our 5 senses to brainstorm ways we can
be more descriptive. What are the five senses again? “See, hear, feel, smell, and taste”

● Page 8&9: Listen closely as I read this page. “Then I would give you a bath and sprinkle you with sweet-
smelling powder. And if you still smelled bad, I wouldn’t mind, and would hug you tight and whisper in
your ear, “I love you stinky face.” In what way did the author add more detail in her writing to help us as
the reader understand the message better? What words using your writing eyes can you find that are
descriptive that help you picture what she is saying. I noticed her using the word “sprinkle” . This made
me think the mom was being very kind and gentle while giving her “stinky” skunk a bath. I also noticed
her word choice of saying “whisper” so the reader understood in what tone her voice was as she spoke to
her son.

Page 10: “But mama, but mama, what if I were an alligator with big, sharp teeth that could bite your head off.”
What of the 5 senses did the author use here? “Big sharp teeth” Big is how they look, sharp is how they feel. This
helps you as the reader becomes more interested in the story.

As we are going through the details I will be referring to the anchor chart to help student identify in the ways the
other is incorporating it in their writing as well as encouraging them on how when they feel like as if they can’t
think of how and when to add details to refer to it to help them brainstorm. As I am sending them off to the “i do”
portion will reassure them by “you guys did a great job helping find the detail in our authors writing, now it’s
your turn to use your 5 senses to help add details to your writing. Let’s do one last example on the board. Okay,
let's write about an apple. What words can I use to describe an apple? Round? Red? Yummy? Big? Small?
Sweet?” Write on the board “The BIG ROUND APPLE WAS VERY YUMMY” I would underline all the
adjectives and leave it on the board for students to reference and they practiced.

Students Practice: Students will practice by as I am finishing reading the book I will hand out sticky notes and
allow them to write down the words that stood out to them. After I read each page I will ask students to raise their
hand and share. We will write the words on the board in the proper section dedicated to each of the 5 senses. We
will elaborate on how the word helps the writing and what other words we could have used to make it mean
something similar.

Closing:

I will have students grab their stories they previously wrote and begin adding “^” and writing above the writing
where they can add adjectives to develop their story more. I will remind them of the I can statement “I can add
more details to my writing to make it more enjoyable to read.” and tell them if they are struggling to ask
themselves the guiding question “How can I add details to make my writing stronger?”
As they are doing this I will be walking around the room providing encouragement and helping if students seem
frustrated. After the students are finished adding descriptive words to their previous story, I will partner them with
a student of similar level and allow them to read the story to them. They will read it twice, once before they
added the details and again after they added the details. I will then allow them to discuss their writing and see if
the “authors' message was conveyed how they wanted.” They will do this by asking their partner to share how
they understood the writing and if it matched what they were trying to say in the story.
 ○

Video Of Lesson
https://ant.umn.edu/ymjssnqvyd