Steffaney Wilcox

EDR 524: Integrated Content Literacy Unit Plan

Mini Lesson: Writing Strategy
Dr. Hunt

Mini Lesson Plan: Use Exquisite Corpse activity to write a story using the unit content
and vocabulary words. Exquisite Corpse:
http://readwrite.com/2011/02/21/exquisite_corpse_20_collaborative_story_writing_wi/

Introduction:
The content for this unit plan and thus this lesson plan is the time period of the
Holocaust for a 6th grade classroom. This strategy is aimed at providing students with
a structured format to write a clear and concise sentence using correct grammar,
punctuation, capitalization, and their content specific vocabulary. This will additionally
be a group project.

Provide Information:
The prior knowledge for this lesson would have been taught in previous classes
but reiterated for this mini lesson. Using a smartboard or writing on the board, the
teacher would remind the students of the key vocabulary terms and verbally remind
them of the important topics learned in previous classes which would aid the students in
completing the activity.

Vocabulary Words: Unity, Oppression, Community, Nationalism, Inclusive,

Propaganda

Purpose:
This mini lesson targets specific writing strategies such as using content specific
vocabulary words, using correct grammar and punctuation, and writing creatively within
a content unit plan. This is important because it gives students a different way to
express their knowledge of a content area, specifically the Holocaust. This lesson
integrates writing with learned content, assessing a students writing skills as well as
their understanding of the content.

Procedure (I do it):
In previous classes, I would teach the students the vocabulary terms and other
content specific to our study of the Holocaust, providing prior knowledge to this mini
lesson. At the beginning of this activity I would reiterate the vocabulary words and
remind the students to use information we had previously learned in class to provide
context. On the board I would rewrite the vocabulary words and their definitions to aid
students who may not remember 100% what they meant. I would then split the class
into two groups and give each a piece of blank paper. I would explain the exquisite
corpse activity and our goal of writing a story as a group, using each student to write
sentences of the story. At the end of the activity eac group would share their story out
loud with each other. Then we would share the stories with the rest of the class and
discuss how it felt to do the the activity. I would ask the following questions at the end
of the activity, reflecting upon the vocabulary word unity. Would it have been easier to
see what others wrote? How could being a unified group aid the creation of a story?
Was it easy to only be able to read one persons sentence?

Application (You do it):

Remind the students that this activity will draw upon the information they had
been learning in the past few days about the Holocaust, perhaps write about
what it would feel like to be in Germany during the war.
Pull up the vocabulary words and their definitions to remind students to think
about them while writing in the activity.
Demonstrate how to fold the paper to make sure each person can only see one
sentence at a time.
Split the classroom into two equal groups.
Give each group one sheet of paper and explain the guidelines of the activity.
Rules for the Activity:
1) Each student gets one minute to write their sentence, then they must pass it
along to the next student in their group, folding the paper over their sentence.
2) Each student should only be able to see one sentence, the previous students
sentence.
3) Once the last student in the group has completed their sentence, have one
student volunteer to read the entire story to their group.
4) Then wait for the other group to finish.
5) As a classroom, each group must read their story out loud.
6) Entire classroom discussion: As the teacher ask what it felt like to do the
activity. Was it hard? Was it easy? Does the story make sense? What could have
helped the story make more sense? Was it difficult to know what to write about when
you could only see one persons sentence? What could help you write a better story?
Ultimately move the conversation to how the students could have created a
better story if they were able to work as a group, including everyone and being
able to use everyones ideas. Without community it was difficult to reach the
 common goal of writing a story which made sense. Without unity within the
group, the group couldnt reach the common goal.

Assessment:
Assessment of this activity would include listening to the discussion after the
activity was finished, making sure all students are participating. Reviewing the
sentences students constructed could be used as well, in addition to their use of their
prior knowledge and vocabulary terms in their sentences. The ultimate goal of this
activity is that students understand the connection between the activity and the topics
learned in previous classes, in conjunction with the vocabulary words.

Conclusion:
This activity shows the importance of writing clear sentences which are a
requirement of writing a good story. The sentences must work together to create a fluid
story and writing a story as a group requires teamwork. Using the ideas of others can
create a better story, creating a better sense of community within the group. This
activity would be a way to continue teaching the importance of unity and how it is
needed in a plethora of situations.
 A Reminder of our Vocabulary Words & Definitions!

Unity: (Noun) being united or joined as a whole

Community: (Noun) a group of people living in the same

place and having similar characteristics or a feeling of
fellowship with others because of shared attitudes,
interests or goals

Propaganda: (Noun) information of a biased or

misleading nature, used to promote a certain idea or
political point of view

Inclusive: (Adjective) Including everyone or everything in

an idea or activity

Oppression: (Noun) Long term cruel or unjust treatment

of a certain group of people using control

Nationalism: (Noun) extreme form of love of ones

country, feeling it is better than other countries