Writing:

What is a Paragraph?
Day 1

Objectives:
Students will identify what the different parts are in a paragraph, where they
fit, and what they do.
Students will use sentence strips that I have created to determine where they
make the most sense in a paragraph.

Teacher Actions:
Have a discussion with students about what a paragraph is and what they
help us do in our writing.
Use a whole-class example with the sentence strips. Have students talk about
what all of the sentences have in common. Then have them make suggestions
for where they should be arranged in our paragraph. What does our first
sentence do? What do our middle sentences do? What does our last sentence
do?
Once students have arranged the paragraph, have them compare it to the
anchor chart. Does our paragraph follow the same guidelines?
Create groups for writing a paragraph. Give them sentence strips that they
must rearrange in order to make a logical paragraph. Talk about how they
will organize it in a way that makes the most sense. Refer back to anchor
chart to have a discussion about how they arranged it.

Student Actions:
Students will share prior knowledge about what a paragraph is and what it
helps us do in our writing.
Students will participate in a whole-class example with the sentence strips.
They will discuss where the sentences make the most sense and why.
Students will compare the whole-class model to the anchor chart.
Students will rearrange their own sentence strips to match the guidelines
written on the anchor chart. They will have a discussion with classmates
about why they put their sentences where they did in the paragraph.

Assessment:
Prior knowledge discussion
Whole-class sentence strips
Group sentence strips

Writing: Writing Your Own Paragraph

Day 2

Objectives:
Students will write a paragraph about an amusement park using the proper
sequence and format for a paragraph.
Teacher Actions:
Review the anchor chart about what a paragraph should contain and in what
sequence.
Show the picture of the amusement park on the ELMO. Have students
brainstorm how they could organize their thoughts in a paragraph with
regards to the picture.
Hand out the Hamburger Paragraph. Review what parts should be included
in each part of the organizer.
Have students write a rough draft about the amusement park picture in the
Hamburger Paragraph Organizer. Check students work (spelling can be off,
but capitalization and punctuation should be correct).
Walk around to confer with students who need extra support.
Student Actions:
Discuss what a paragraph should do and what should be included in each
part.
Brainstorm writing for the amusement park picture.
Write rough draft on Hamburger Paragraph organizer.
Assessment:
Anchor Chart Review
Hamburger Paragraph

Writing: Nouns
Day 3

Objectives:
Students will define what a noun is.
Students will generate vocabulary that relates to a theme or topic, and
categorize it as a Person, Place, or Thing.

Teacher Actions:
Use ixl.com Warm-Up for nouns.
Read a Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink. Have a conversation about what it means
to be a noun and what different kinds of nouns there are (proper, pronoun).
Create a three-column chart with the words Person/Place/Thing above each
of the columns. Talk about what students have been learning in Social
Studies. Have them brainstorm what vocabulary they have been using that is
a noun. Write it under Person, Place, or Thing depending on what the word
is.
o Person: citizen, volunteer
o Place: Animal Rescue League, Food Bank, Homeless Shelter
o Thing: Silver Cord, rights, responsibilities
If time permits, have students pair up and come up with a theme of their
own. Then students will generate words and put them in the appropriate
spot on their own list. Themes could be a book they have read, a movie, a
sport, etc.

Student Actions:
Complete ixl.com warm-up.
Read A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink.
Participate in class discussion about what it means to be a noun.
Brainstorm people, place, and things for chart as a class.
Generate a list with a partner.

Assessment:
Ixl.com warm-up
Class Discussion/Whole-Class List
Partner List

Writing: Adjectives
Day 4

Objectives:
Students will be able to define what an adjective is.
Students will be able to generate their own adjectives when describing
different pictures.
Students will be able to articulate why we use adjectives in language.

Teacher Actions:
Have students complete the ixl.com Warm-Up for Adjectives.
Put up a picture of a puppy for students on the overhead. Have students start
listing words to describe the puppy. Write good, descriptive words on the
board for kids to see. Discuss how these are adjectives because they describe
the dog, or the noun. Ask students why they think adjectives are important
and when we use adjectives in our own lives.
o Choosing drinks, food, selecting a team during PE, understanding
weather, describing ones feelings, directions, etc.
Read Hairy, Scary, Ordinary to students. Talk about what different adjectives
they notice throughout the book and why its important to integrate into
their writing.
Put up a picture of chocolate chip cookies and have students independently
write a list of at least 5 words that describe their cookies. Emphasize that
they should be descriptive. Do some sharing at the end of class.

Student Actions:
Students will complete the ixl.com Warm-Up.
Students will generate and share descriptive words for the puppy and cookie
picture.
Students will share why we use adjectives and how we have used them in
casual conversation.
Students will read Hairy, Scary, Ordinary.

Assessment:
Ixl.com Warm-Up
Class-generated words/ Student-generated words
Class discussion

Writing: Verbs
Day 5

Objectives:
Students will define what a verb is.
Students will create a list of verbs that are similar in definition.

Teacher Actions:
Ixl.com warm-up for Verbs
Students will review the other parts of speech we have talked about so far.
Transition discussion into talking about verbs. Talk about how we cannot
have a complete sentence without a verb. Have a discussion about how they
are our action words.
Read to Root, to Toot, to Parachute. Talk about how these are all action words
because someone or something can perform/do them.
Prepare a cup of five verbs. Have a student pick a verb from the cup. In a five-
column chart, have students write the verb at the top of the column. As a
class, generate some words that are verbs that mean a similar thing. (run,
trot, gallop, sprint, jog, etc.) Do as a class for the first one, and as partners for
the last three. Students must try to generate at least five words per column.
Have students do some sharing if time permits.
o Run, talk, laugh, cry,

Student Actions:
Complete the ixl.com warm-up for verbs
Discuss and share their knowledge of other parts of speech, including verbs.
Read to Root, to Toot, to Parachute.
Generate a list of verbs that are similar.
Share their lists.

Assessment:
Ixl.com warm-up
Whole-Class Discussion of Parts of Speech
Verb List

Writing: Revising Paragraphs for Verbs

Day 6

Objectives:
Students will identify weak verbs in their writing and replace them with
stronger action verbs.

Teacher Actions:
Review why we use verbs and how they help our writing. Talk about how we
need them in every sentence to show action.
Talk about what the word revision means. What do students know about the
revision process? Why is it important that we revise as writers?
Give students an example of a sentence such as I ran to the store for snacks
before my friends came over. Ask students to brainstorm words that could
be replaced for ran that are better action verbs. Have students share what
there words are and why they are better choices. Repeat this process for the
following:
o I ate my burrito fast because I was so hungry.
o I watched the movie closely because I didnt want to miss anything
important.
o I laid down on the couch because I was so tired.
Put a weak sample paragraph on the ELMO that is about the amusement
park. Challenge students to replace the weak verbs with stronger verbs that
do a better job of showing action. Have a discussion about why they are
better.
Have students look back in their writing. Have them find a verb that they
could make stronger in their amusement park paragraph.

Student Actions:
Review what a verb is and why we need it in our writing.
Have a discussion about what revision is and why it is an important process
as a writer.
Replace weak verbs with strong action verbs in practice sentences and
students Hamburger Paragraphs.

Assessment:
Replacement of weak verbs with strong action verbs in practice sentences
and in Hamburger Paragraph

Writing: Revising Paragraphs for Adjectives/Nouns

Day 7

Objectives:
Students will identify weak adjectives in their writing and replace them with
more descriptive adjectives.
Students will identify vague pronouns in their writing and replace them with
the appropriate noun/proper noun.

Teacher Actions:
Review what adjectives are. What do adjectives do for our writing? What
would our writing be like if we didnt use adjectives in them?
Give students vague sentences such as:
o The boy was happy that he passed his Math test.
Have students identify the adjective. What would be good alternatives for the
word happy? How do these words improve the message of the sentence?
Repeat the process with other sentences.
o The teacher was nice to the new students in her class.
o The dog was scared that it was left home alone.
Brainstorm adjectives with the class that are appropriate for talking about
amusement parks. Make a list on the board for students to refer back to when
revising their Hamburger Paragraph. Have them make edits on their
organizer.
Write the paragraph, They are really fun. I like them because they go fast
and can go upside-down. It is my favorite ride. Have students determine
what the they means. Have them discuss what would clarify our writing.
Talk about how pronouns should be substituted for nouns so that is clear to
the reader what the focus is.
Have students find and replace pronouns for nouns in writing so it is
understandable to the reader.

Student Actions:
Discuss what adjectives are and how they help improve our writing.
Replace weak adjectives with stronger adjectives in practice sentences and in
Hamburger Paragraph.
Brainstorm adjectives that are appropriate for talking about amusement
parks. Implement into Hamburger Paragraph to strengthen writing.
Replace pronouns for nouns in writing.

Assessment:
Discussion of what adjectives are and what they do for writing
Replacing weak adjectives for strong adjectives
Replace pronouns for nouns

Writing: Editing/Final Draft

Day 8

Objectives:
Students will edit writing for conventions.
Students will publish their writing into a final draft.

Teacher Actions:
Check students Hamburger Paragraph for stronger verbs, adjectives, and
nouns. After students have done their revision they will submit it to me for
editing. I will confer with them about what needs editing in their rough draft.
Have students write a complete Final Draft based off the Amusement Park
picture. Students may add their own picture if they wish. This should be final
product- worthy.

Student Actions:
Review work to make sure writing contains verbs, adjectives, and clear
nouns.
Submit Hamburger Paragraph with revisions to teacher. Have he/she edit for
content and for conventions.
Create a Final Draft after edits have been made. Create a picture to Final
Draft that illustrates the content of the writing.

Assessment:
Hamburger Paragraph Rough Draft
Final Draft after edits/revisions