University of North Alabama Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Growing Our Academic Language Grade: English 8

Title: Date: TBD
CCRS Standard(s):
31. Integrate effective vocabulary into writing to create specific effects and communicate purposefully.

Individual Education Plan/504 Goal(s) and Benchmarks specific to this lesson (as directly indicated on
the plan):
All students will be supported by working in groups of 3-4. However, if a student needs to work alone, that will
also be accommodated. While students will be asked to physically write their stories, to accommodate any
physical or visual impairments, students will have access to their Chromebooks.
This template will serve as the official lesson planning document for the college. The categories within the template
represent the minimum requirements of a lesson plan and the rubric score will be based off those categories. Additional
categories may be added by faculty, staff, or the cooperating teachers.
Strategies
Daily Lesson The student will be able to integrate academic vocabulary into their writing to
Objective(s) compose a creative story.
Objectives are
measurable and
aligned with the
standard.

Introduction to Operating as a warm-up activity, students will be posed with the question, “What is
Lesson/ academic language?”. Using the question to prompt student thought, a conversation
Activating Thinking will be facilitated on the importance of academic language and how it contributes to
***Use knowledge of the quality of writing, specifically content-specific language. The purpose of the
students’ academic, discussion is to get students to draw on their prior knowledge of how and why they
social, and cultural integrate certain vocabulary into their writing to understand the value of their word
characteristics to meet choice.
diverse needs.

Body of Procedures:
Lesson/Teaching Introduction to Activity (10 min). Using a digital presentation, show students the
Strategies list of academic words and ask in what situation would they be used. After going
Body of Lesson/ through each word and definition, ensuring every student has an understanding of
Teaching Strategies the words, ask students to split into groups and write a short creative story using the
list of words. The story must be at least six sentences and each sentence can only
contain one of the academic words.

Transition into Groups (3 min). Students should be organized into groups of 3-4
by a numbering system. Each group will be tasked with writing one, collaborative
story.

Group Work (15 min).

Share (5 min). Ask each group to read their story aloud to the class. As students
present, evaluate their use of the vocabulary words. If a group misuses a word, use
it as a teaching moment and show the class how it would be used correctly.
Materials/Technology Materials:
Notebook Paper
Pencil
Technology:
 Powerpoint/Google Slides

Closure/ After all groups have presented, ask students what they learned from the activity
Summarizing and if it was beneficial to them. Using the last slide of the presentation, have
Strategies: students hold up a 1, 2, or 3 to poll the class on the activity.

Assessment/ Collaborative Story: Students will be assessed on their ability to work collaboratively
Evaluation to produce a story that appropriately utilizes the vocabulary words from the
academic language list. The purpose of the activity is to get students interacting with
new vocabulary, so students will be graded based on participation.

Reflection Students learn best by doing. Thus, by prompting students to integrate

new/unfamiliar vocabulary into their writing, they are much more likely to continue to
reuse those words. Students often avoid incorporating new words into their writing
because they are afraid of using them incorrectly. However, by having students
interact with new words in their writing, they are gaining experience and familiarity
with the words, which prompts them to add to their existing vocabulary. This type of
targeted vocabulary instruction is especially critical with academic vocabulary, for
because of the content-specific words, students are basically learning a new
language. Thus, students need practice to learn how to use the words and become
confident in their ability to integrate them into their more formal writing.