EDN461Goodbeginnings

Author:KellyGrimm
Datecreated:02/12/201612:11PMCSTDatemodified:02/14/20163:15PMCST

Demographic/ContextualInformation
Grade/Level

Grade4

NumberofStudents

28

DateofLesson

ThursdayFebruary18,2016

LessonStartTime

10:30AM

Howmanyminutesisthe
lesson

40minutes

Course/Subject

LanguageArts(English)

Unit/Theme

NarrativeWriting

TitleofLesson

Howtowriteagoodbeginning

WhereintheUnitdoesthis
Lessonoccur?

Beginning

Structure(s)/Groupingforthe
Lesson

Wholegroup
Onetoone
independent

StudentCharacteristicsthat
NeedtobeConsidered

Studentsliketotalk
Studentlosefocusquicklyifitisslowpaced
Studentsneedrepeateddirections
Giftedstudentsneedactivitiesthatwillchallengethem
Strugglingreadersbenefitmorefromareadaloudthanhavingtoreadindependently

ListtheNeedsofStudents
withIEPs

N/A

ListtheNeedsofStudents
with504Plans

N/A

I.WhatIsTheCentralFocusOfYourLesson?WhatAreYourObjectivesForStudentLearning?WhyAreThey
AppropriateForTheseStudentsAtThisTime?
CentralFocus/BigIdea

Thecentralfocusofthisunitishowtowriteanarrativestory.Withinthisunit,studentswilldeveloptheirwritingskillsby
participatinginactivitiesthatwillteachthemouttolayoutanarrativeandincludedetailsthroughoutthestoryto
engagethereader.

Rationale/Context

Thislessoncomesatthebeginningoftheunitaftertheintroductorylessonfornarrativewriting.Inthepreviouslesson
theclasswasintroducetothecharacteristicsofanarrativeandinthislessonwearefocussingonhowtowriteagood
beginningtoanarrative.Inthenextlessons,studentswillbelearninghowtowriteagoodendingandhowtobringall
oftheirwritingtogethertocreateanarrative.

PriorKnowledgeand
Conceptions

Priorknowledge:
Narrativewriting
Characteristicsofapersonalnarrative

Priorskills:
Writingcompletesentences
Writingapaper

PriorVocabulary:
Narrative

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Personalnarrative
Standards

USACommonCoreStateStandards(June2010)
Subject:EnglishLanguageArts&LiteracyinHistory/SocialStudies,Science,andTechnicalSubjects
Grade:Grade4students:
Strand:Writing
Domain:
TextTypesandPurposes
Indicator:
3.a.Orientthereaderbyestablishingasituationandintroducinganarratorand/orcharactersorganizeanevent
sequencethatunfoldsnaturally.
Indicator:
3.e.Provideaconclusionthatfollowsfromthenarratedexperiencesorevents.

AcademicLanguageDemands
Vocabulary
Dialogue
Leadin
Onomatopoeia
Introduction
Functions

Studentswillidentifythetypeofleadinthatisusedinthesampleintroductoryparagraph.

SyntaxandDiscourse(1
Required)

Studentwillwritelikeanauthorbycreateanintroductoryparagraphthatincludesaleadinsentenceandsetsupthe
storyfortheirreader.

OBJECTIVE1

SWBATidentifythetypeofleadinthesentenceusesontheirworksheet.

Tool(s)UsedforAssessment

Objective1willbeassessedwhenstudentsworkinpairstodeterminethetypeofbeginningstheauthorusedontheir
worksheet.

EvidenceandAssessmentof
StudentLearning

Studentswillmakeprogresstowardsobjectiveonewhentheycompletetheirworksheet.Theywillprogressifthey
correctlyanswerthetypeofleadinthatisincludedinthestory.

ExpectationsforStudent
Learning

Exceeds:Studentscorrectlyansweredall5oftheleadinquestions.

Meets:Studentsanswer24leadinquestionscorrectly.

Below:Studentonlyanswers1leadinquestioncorrectly.

OBJECTIVE2

SWBATcreateabeginningparagraphthatincludesaleadinandasetuptothestoryonthetopictheyhavechosenfor
theirnarrativeessay.

Tool(s)UsedforAssessment

Objective2isassessedwhenIwalkaroundtocheckinwiththestudentwhiletheyaredraftingtheirparagraphand
whentheclassparticipatesinthe2strengthsandagrowth.

EvidenceofStudentLearning

Studentswillprogresstowardsobjectivetwowhentheycompletetheirintroductoryparagraph.Studentswillmake
progressiftheyincludeeitheraleadinorincludeascenethatsetsupthestoryforthereader.Studentswillnotmake
progressiftheydonothaveeitheraleadinortheydonotsetupthestoryforthereader.

ExpectationsforStudent
Learning

Exceeds:Studenthasaleadinandsetsupthestoryforthereader.

Meets:Studenteitherhasaleadinorsetsupthestoryforthereader.

Below:Studentdoesnothavealeadinorsetsupthestoryforthereader.

II.HowWillYouSupportStudentsToMeetYourObjectives?ForEachSectionOfTheLessonSequence,Provide
ADetailed,StepByStepListingOfHowYouWillImplementTheInstructionalPlan.DescribeWhatYouWillDoIn
EachSegmentOfTheLesson,Including:InstructionalMethodsYouWillUse,TransitionStatementsYouWillMake
ThroughoutTheLesson,AndQuestionsYouWillAsk.
Introduction

Numberof
minutes
5

Introduction
Whatisapersonalnarrative?(astoryaboutyourself)

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Whatistheauthor'spurposeforwritinganarrative?(toentertain)

Brainstorm:Whatcanwewriteaboutinapersonalnarrative?(campingtrip,ride
atDisney,abirthday,firstdayof4thgrade,etc.)(Writetheseanswersonthe
board)

Lastweekwetalkedaboutpersonalnarratives,todaywearegoingtolookatthe
beginningsofanarrativeandlearnhowtowritebeginningsthatwillcaptureour
readers'attention.

InstructionalSequence

Numberof
minutes
30

Instructionalsequence
DirectInstruction:
Explain"thejoboftheintroductionistosetthescene,getyourreader'sattention,
andintroducethetopicathand."(SpearsWilson)
Therearemanywaystobeginastorybuttheclassisfocusingonthree
differenttypesofleadinstogainthereadersattention.
Listlistthingthatrelatetothetopic
Balloons,presents,abirthdaycake,litcandles'Iremembermy
tenthbirthday.
Openwithasounduseanonomatopoeiatobeginyourwriting.
Flash!Camerasweresnappingpicturesallaroundme.Thuswould
beadayIwouldneverforget
OpenwithdialogueStartwithaconversationbetweentwocharacters.
E.g.'Wakeup,you'regoingtobelate'Momyelledfromdownstairs
Model:
Beep,beep,beep!Thefirealarmwasgoingoff.TheprincipalMr.Minarovicwarned
usaboutthefiredrillearlierintheday.EventhoughIknewitwascoming,Iwasnot
preparedforittobesoloudthatIjumpedoutofmyseat.Theyalwaystoldusto
lineupasquicklyaspossiblesoasfastasajaguar,Ilinedupbehindmyfriend
Rosie.
Explainthatwithinthisexample,thereisaleadinandthisscenehassetupa
goodintroductiontotherestofthestory.
GuidedPractice:PassoutLeadinWorksheet
Readdirectionsaloudforstudents(Decidewhattypeofleadinthisisandwrite

itontheline.Thencreateyourownbasedonthetopicbelow.)
Explainthattheexampleswillbeaboutthefirstdayof4thgrade
Asawholeclassworkonthefirstproblemtogetherandcomeupwithan
exampletogether
Readthesentencealoud.
Whattypeofleadinisthis?(alist)
Whenwelistthingswhattypeofthingsshouldwelist?(thingsthat
directlydealwiththetopic)'
Doesanyonehaveanexampleofalistthatwecanusetodescribe
thefirstdayofschool?(pencils,books,newteacher)
Havestudentsworkwithpartnerstocompletethenext2problems

Independentwork:(10minutes)
Havestudentswritetheirownintroductoryparagraphbasedonatopicthat
wasbrainstormedinthebeginningofthelesson.

Whenstudentsarefinishedwiththeirparagraphhavestudentssharewith
partner.
Closure

Numberof
minutes
5

Closure
Sharingwith2complimentsand1growth
Have2volunteerssharetheirwork
Aftereachstudentsharesthencallonclassmatestogive2complimentsand
1growth(2peopleforcomplimentsand1personforgrowth)
Astheclassmatesshare,Writedownthecomplimentsandthegrowthonona
notepadandgivetothevolunteer.
Todaywelearnedabouthowtowriteagoodbeginningofanarrativeusingsix
differenttypesofbeginnings.Inthenextlessonwewillbediscussinghowtoto
createagoodendingtoyournarrative.

Differentiation/Extension

StudentswholiketotalkIprovidedopportunitiestoworkwithpartnersandtodiscusscharacteristicsofagood
beginning

StudentwholosefocusquicklyifitisslowpacedIkepttheactivitiesshort.

StudentswhoneedrepeateddirectionsIrepeatedthedirectionsandhavethemwrittendownforthestudents.

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GiftedstudentswhoneedactivitiesthatwillchallengethemIprovidedanopportunityforstudentstocreatetheir
introductoryparagraphsandaddsensorydetailstotheirwork.

StrugglingreadersbenefitmorefromareadaloudthanhavingtoreadindependentlyIreadthefirstproblemonthe
worksheetaloudandallowedstudentstoworkwithpartnersinwhichtheycantaketurnsreadingthesentencesaloud
toeachother.
WhatIfs

Whatif.....
Lessongoestolong:Cutdownonexamplesforstudentstoinvestigate
Lessongoestoshort:Startdiscussinghowtocreategoodendings
Studentscannotpickoutagoodbeginning:reviewwhatmakesagoodbeginningandthedifferenttypesthatwe
havediscussedandgothrougheachoptiononebyoneanddiscussifthesentenceusedoneofthedifferent
typesofbeginningswetalkedabout
Studentsdonotrememberwhatanarrativeis:Reviewwhatanarrativeiswiththeclassanddiscussthe
characteristicsinit
Studentsarepulledoutforintervention:Allowthemtoworkontheirbeginningatanothertime(morningworkfor
nextmorning)

ResourcesandMaterials
Materialsandresources:
Kraynak,Karen.Narrativewriting.YoungElementary.HomerGlen,IL.
Mooney.(2012,January26).Mrs.Mooney'sClassBlog.RetrievedFebruary14,2016,from
http://mrsmooney.edublogs.org/2012/01/26/makingourpersonalnarrativesevenbetter/
RochelleSpearsWilson,R.(n.d.).HowtoWriteanIntroductoryParagraphforaNarrative|TheClassroom|
Synonym.RetrievedFebruary14,2016,fromhttp://classroom.synonym.com/writeintroductoryparagraph
narrative1790.html
Attachments:
1. Leadinworksheet.docx

III.AnticipatedFeedbackOnStudentLearning
StudentFeedback

A.Whatthingsshouldwelistwhenwearetalkingabout______?Howelsecouldwestartyourparagraph?Howelse
canweengageyourreaders?Canyouaddmoredetailtoyourparagraphtomakeitmorelikethereaderistherewith
you?

B.Thefirstthreeexamplesoffeedbackwillhelpstudentsfurthertheirlearningbyguidingtheirworktobemeet
expectationsthatwillallowthereadertobecomeengagedwiththeirstory.Thelastexampleoffeedbackwillchallenge
mystudentstoimproveontheirsensorydetailstoallowreaderstovisualizewhatisgoingon.

Assessment/Rubrics

N/A

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