EDLA 340 Lesson Plan Presentation

Name: Cassidy Ingraham Date: 3/29/17

Curriculum/Course: English Language Arts Grade Level: 5
Time/Period: 90-120 minutes Materials:
Computer/computer lab access
White board and markets
Narrowing graphic organizer
(attached)
Pencils/notebook paper
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.B
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic.
3-5.RI.4. understand that using information from a single Internet source might result in the
reporting of erroneous facts and that multiple sources should always be researched

Objectives (I can statements):

I can locate and utilize information from multiple Internet sources, and recognize the
importance of using more than one source to gain accurate information.
I can write an informative essay to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
I can develop a topic with facts, definitions, details, quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic and found in multiple researched sources.
Assessment (Formative, Summative):
Assess student participation by observation. Look over narrowing worksheets during one-on-
one student/teacher meetings, and check that each student has a useable, narrow topic for their
writing assignment.

Introduction/Hook:
In a computer lab, instruct students to navigate to the following website:
http://newdeal.feri.org/eleanor/er3a.htm
Give students 5-10 minutes to read the letters to Eleanor Roosevelt requesting clothes, shoes,
money, etc. written by children during the Great Depression.
Start a discussion about the experiences of children during the Great Depression. Relate this
discussion back to the book Esperanza Rising. Ask the following questions during the
discussion:
What do the children in the letters to Eleanor Roosevelt have in common with
Esperanza?
What do you think it would be like to grow up during the Great Depression?
How do our lives differ today compared to the lives of people living during the Great
Depression?
Allow students to share thoughts and ideas during the discussion.

Steps in the lesson:

Teach:
Introduce to students their next writing assignment. During this assignment, students will write
an informative essay about some sort of aspect of the Great Depression.
Explain:
As we have been learning, there were many events that took place leading up to and during
the Great Depression. So, writing about the entire Great Depression may be very difficult and
long! Thats why we are going to use a skill called narrowing. Does anyone think they know
what narrowing the topic means?
Allow one or two students to share their ideas.
Thats right, narrowing is when you narrow down your big topic to find a specific aspect of
the topic to write about.
Practice:
Everyones big idea for the writing assignment is the Great Depression. However, students
are able to choose what specific event/aspect of the Great Depression interests them, and they
will be able to write about that. Create a bubble map on the board, with the central circle being
the Great Depression.
As a class, come up with at least six aspects/events of the Great Depression to fill in the
branching bubbles. These may include children of the Great Depression, the stock market
crash of 1929, the end of World War I, unemployment rates, FDRs presidency, etc. The
bubble map should be formatted like this:

Ask the class: Can anyone think of any specific topics or events that relate to the Great
Depression?
Allow students to share, and fill in the bubble map on the board as they share.
Apply:
This portion of the lesson marks the beginning of the writing process.
Prewriting: Distribute the Narrowing the Topic worksheet. Each student should fill in the
first space with The Great Depression and narrow their topic from there. During this time,
students should use the computers to look up information and start their research. When they
have narrowed and approved their topic (each student will approve their topic in a brief one-
on-one meeting with the teacher), they should start gathering research on the topic they have
chosen. Remind students to look for information from multiple sources in order to find the
best, more accurate information.
Drafting: After students are given adequate time to gather their information, they may start
working on their rough drafts. Students may not finish the drafting stage by the end of this
class
Closure Activity/Wrap up:
Give students a chance to share their topic and any interesting facts they have already found.

Accommodation/Modifications:
What will I differentiate? (can be more than one) Content Process Product Environment
How will I differentiate?
During one-on-one student/teacher meetings, struggling students may need more individual
time or help choosing their topics. Students that are struggling to find a topic may have one
assigned to them. Struggling students may need help finding valid Internet sources, or may be
allowed to print off the sources in order to read/underline them to highlight the most important
information.
 Research Report : The Great Depression Informative Writing Assignment

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Organization of Information is very Information is Information is The information
Ideas organized with organized with organized, but appears to be
well-constructed well-constructed paragraphs are not disorganized. 8)
paragraphs and paragraphs. well-constructed.
subheadings.
Quality of Information clearly Information clearly Information clearly Information has
Information relates to the main relates to the main relates to the main little or nothing to
topic. It includes topic. It provides 1- topic. No details do with the main
several supporting 2 supporting and/or examples topic.
details and/or details and/or are given.
examples. examples.
Sources All sources All sources All sources Some sources are
(information and (information and (information and not accurately
graphics) are graphics) are graphics) are documented.
accurately accurately accurately
documented in the documented, but a documented, but
desired format. few are not in the many are not in
desired format. the desired format.
Mechanics Almost no A few grammatical A few grammatical Many grammatical,
grammatical, spelling, or spelling, or spelling, or
spelling or punctuation errors. punctuation errors. punctuation errors.
punctuation errors. Evidence of effort No evidence of
in the editing effort in the editing
phase of the phase of the
writing process. writing process.
Paragraph All paragraphs Most paragraphs Paragraphs Paragraphing
Construction include include included related structure was not
introductory introductory information but clear and
sentence, sentence, were typically not sentences were
explanations or explanations or constructed well. not typically
details, and details, and related within the
concluding concluding paragraphs.
sentence. sentence.

Source: Rubistar.com
 Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Revision Stage Checklist

Directions: Respond to the following yes or no questions.

1. Does my paper have a clear, attention-grabbing introduction?

2. Is the main idea of my paper clearly stated in my introduction?

3. Are my details clear?

4. Do I use transitions throughout my paper?

5. Should I add or take out parts?

6. Have I chosen the best words to use?

7. Is my writing organized and in a sensible order?

8. Do I have a clear conclusion that wraps things up?

 Writers Name: ___________________________________________Date: ______________________

Authors Name: ___________________________________________

Peer Editing Checklist

1. I have circled the words that might be misspelled.

2. I have checked that all sentences begin with capital letters.

3. I have checked that all sentences end with punctuation marks.

4. I have checked that all proper nouns begin with a capital letter.

The best part of this piece is

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Areas of improvement include

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Narrow the Topic