Writer's Workshop Literacy Hour Lesson Plan

When writing lesson plans for language arts, it is important that teachers utilize the Literacy Hour plans, which comprises some key areas students should engage in (Opening, Focus Lesson, Extending, Follow up).

Here are a few tips to consider when writing these lessons:

•  When writing the objectives of the lessons, educators should ensure they include the degree and condition. It should also include at least one objective from each domain which are Cognitive, Behavioral/ Psychomotor, Expressive/ Affective.
• Educators should allow for some sort of peer/ group work which lightens the teacher's load as some students learn from their peers.
• Teachers should sit with students whether in groups, individual or whole class to offer scaffolding or insights. 
• The follow-up section at the end of the lesson will guide the teacher and students about what comes next.

See a sample of a Writer's Workshop Literacy Hour Lesson Plan below.  

SUBJECT: Language Arts

TOPIC: The Writing Process – Adverbs

GRADE:  Grade Three (3)                                   No. of students: 16

TIME: One (1) hour

OBJECTIVES: With 90% accuracy students should be able to:

1.     Identify at least 5 adverbs in a given passage. – Cognitive

2.    Create a descriptive paragraph that includes at least ten different adverbs used effectively throughout their writing. – Behavioral/ Psychomotor

3.     Demonstrate pride in their writing by sharing their work with their peers. -Expressive/ Affective

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE:

§  Students are aware of what an adverb is.

§  Students are able to identify an advert in a given sentence.

§  Students have basic knowledge of writing complete sentences with subject-verb agreement.

CONTENT:

• Adverbs are words that provide additional information or describe verbs.
• Examples sentences:

James missed the bus this morning because he walked slowly.

Orencia performed a lovely dance.

• ▪    List of adverbs: Lightly, gracefully, quickly, quietly, furiously, angrily, accidentally, mysteriously, kindly, etc.

   STRATEGIES & SKILLS:  Direct instruction (mini-lessons), guided practice, independent writing, peer-sharing, and self-editing. Using descriptive language, proper punctuation, sentence structure, revising, and editing.

   MATERIALS: whiteboard, markers, writing journals, pencils, erasers, Sample paragraph (Sentence strips), visual aids (charts addressing capitalization, punctuation and subject-verb agreement).

 OPENING:

Step 1: In groups of 4, students will be given a few sentence strips which must be combined as a class to tell a story. For example the first sentence would state, It all began when Josh landed safely on the moon.

 FOCUS LESSON (10-15 minutes):

 Mini-Lesson Topic: Utilizing adverbs and correct punctuation in writing and sentence structure.

• Activity:
• The teacher will ask students to point out the adverbs from the story created from sentence strips (e.g. slowly, quietly, loudly) and point out correct punctuation (capital letters, periods and commas).
• The teacher will model how to write a simple clear paragraph using the words suggested by students.
• The teacher will remind students that the sentence structure (subject-verb agreement) and the use of capital letters and appropriate punctuation.

  WRITING TIME (20-30 minutes):

• Activity: Students will choose a familiar experience from their memory (e.g. playing with their dog, going to the doctor's office, watching their favorite show) to write a paragraph consisting of 6 different adverbs.
• The teacher will provide individual feedback, helping students use adverbs and correct their sentence structure and punctuation.
• The students will independently write a paragraph, using appropriate capitalization and correct punctuation. Students will also revise their paragraph making the necessary editing.

SHARING (5-10 minutes):

• Activity: Students will share their paragraphs with their peers. Encourage peers to give positive feedback (e.g., "I like how you described the speed of your dog vs. cat.").
• Students will practice reading their writing aloud and their pairs will practice active listening.

EXTENDING

• Students take home their descriptive paragraphs where they may be placed on the wall and seen by others.

ASSESSMENT 

The teacher observes the students’ use of paragraph construction, sentence structure, and punctuation, providing immediate feedback and assistance where needed. This will save time for intervention and scaffolding, helping students correct errors and develop stronger writing skills.

CLOSURE

Reflect on the day's writing experience. Students will be asked, "What did you learn about adverbs in their writing today?" "Why is it important to use adverbs when writing?" Reinforce the idea of using adverbs to bring writing to life.

FOLLOW UP

The teacher will give a brief review session on what adverbs are and their functions in sentences. Organize students into small groups to brainstorm familiar experiences they might want to write a story about. Encourage them to think creatively and share ideas within their groups. Each group can list potential experiences that could incorporate various adverbs and present their final products.

TEACHER EVALUATION

 

 

By Jaylene Peters