Anna Reid

Teaching and Learning 322

March 8, 2016
Writing Lesson Plan
Section 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment
Instructional Plan Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to get students engaged in
each others writing, while providing effective feedback. One challenge presented in this
lesson is having the students speak empathetically and effectively about one anothers
work. The students participate by giving stars and wishes to their peers. This is the first
lesson in this unit.
State/National Learning Standards:
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas
and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.D
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events
precisely.
Content Objectives and Alignment to State Learning Standards:
SWBAT identify strengths (stars) and wishes (areas that need more elaboration) in their
peers writing. (W.4.3.D)
SWBAT revise their writing using the feedback from their peers. (CCRA.W.5)
SWBAT voice their stars and wishes in a peer conference. (SL.4.1)
Language Objectives:
SWBAT define stars and wishes
Previous Learning Experiences: Since the beginning of this 4th grade unit, this class has
been working on adding elaboration and detail in their writing. Two weeks prior to this
assignment, students wrote a piece about their favorite place to visit while working on the
organizational trait of writing. Students were not given any instruction about adding
elaboration or detail prior to this piece of writing.
Planning for Student Learning Needs: I will instruct my paraprofessional to sit in on a
peer conference with my four ELL students. She will assist them in understanding what
the difference is between a star and a wish, as well as help them identify examples in
their pieces of writing. She will be sure to accommodate the students by using both
Spanish and English.

Assessment: I will assess my ELL students in the same way I will assess my other
students by taking anecdotal notes as they complete their peer conferences. I may have
my paraprofessional assist my ELL students with the exit slip, however, there will be
pictures that may assist them in completing the exit slip on their own.
Assessment Strategies (Informal and Formal)
Content/Language Objectives
Assessment Strategies
SWBAT identify strengths (stars) and
Informal: Teacher will walk around the
wishes (areas that need more elaboration)
classroom as the peer conferences are
in their peers writing. (W.4.3.D)
taking place and will take anecdotal notes.
SWBAT revise their writing using the
feedback from their peers. (CCRA.W.5)
SWBAT voice their stars and wishes in a
peer conference and be able to define a star
and a wish. (SL.4.1)
Student Voice:
K-12 Students will be able
to:

Informal: This will be an ongoing

assessment, as I will have students revise
their piece of writing after the peer
conference.
Informal: Item on exit slip. What is a star
and what is a wish when it comes to peer
writing conferences?

Student-based evidence to
be collected:

Explain and understand

student learning targets.

Exit Slip

Monitor their own learning

progress toward the
learning targets.

Revised piece of writing

Description of how students

will reflect on their
learning:
Each student will define
what a star and a wish is in
writing.
Each student will take their
peers comments and revise
their writing.

Grouping of Students for Instruction:

Whole Class: This lesson will begin as a whole class discussion about adding elaboration
and detail in their own writing. I will guide the students through a sample piece of writing
and together as a class we will define what a star and a wish is in writing. Then, we will
identify 3 stars and 3 wishes in the sample piece. We will also discuss why peer
conferences are helpful.
Small Group: Students will be split into pairs to carry out a peer conference using the
information we just covered as a whole class. Students will identify 3 stars and 3 wishes
in their peers writing.
Individual: Students will then take their feedback from their peer and revise their piece
of writing.
Whole class: After the students have revised their writing, we will come back together as
a whole class and have a discussion on the advantages/disadvantages of this activity. Was
it helpful?

Section 2: Instruction and Engaging Students in Learning

Introduction: Students will be reminded that this is the first lesson in this unit. However,
we will discuss the previous writing traits we have covered like focus and organization.
Students will be introduced to elaboration and detail and why it is important to have in
our writing.
Questions:
Why is it important to have elaboration and detail in our writing?
How do you elaborate in writing?
How do you add more detail to a piece of writing?
How do you determine when a piece of writing needs more detail or elaboration?
Learning Steps and Activities
1. Transition from introduction by
reading an excerpt out of the book,
Charlottes Web Discuss thoughts
or images students had while
reading the passage.
2. Ask questions 1-4.
3. Teacher will then explain what a
star and a wish is. Then the teacher
will model how to find these in the
Charlottes Web excerpt.
4. Together as a class, we will find
three stars and three wishes from a
different piece of sample writing.
Students will have to turn and talk
to their neighbor before discussing
their stars and wishes.
5. Next, students will draw numbers to
determine their peer conference
group. Students will then have to
conduct a peer conference while
finding three stars and three wishes
in another students piece of
writing.
6. After the peer conferences, students
will then be given time to revise
their writing using the three wishes
from their peer.
7. Students will then complete the exit
slip, showing that they know what a
star and a wish is when it comes to

Supporting Theories/Principles
Constructivism: Constructing their own
knowledge about elaboration and details
through mental thoughts and images.
Piaget: Adding to existing schema about
elaboration
Bandura: Observational learning
Students learn by observing teacher
Vygotsky: Importance of language
Students have a chance to talk through
ideas with a partner.

Constructivism: Teachers arrange groups so

that students have a chance to work
together while building and constructing
new knowledge.

Constructivism: Students actively engage

in the learning process instead of passively
absorbing information.
Vygotsky: Importance of Language
Students talk through a problem internally
as a self-guiding function

writing.
Closure:
Discuss why elaboration and detail are important in a piece of writing.
Remind the class that we will do another activity with elaboration and detail next week.
Independent Practice: Students will be asked to practice finding stars and wishes in
another excerpt from the class book, Charlottes Web. They will highlight the stars in the
excerpt worksheet and they will write three wonders on the same provided worksheet.
Instructional Materials:
Charlottes Web
Students own piece of writing about their favorite place to visit
Exit slips
Handout with helpful tips about adding elaboration and detail to writing
Independent practice worksheet
Acknowledgment:
English Language Arts Standards Writing Grade 4. (n.d.). Retrieved March 09, 2016,
from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/4/
Rog, L. J. (2011). Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching Intermediate Writing, grades 4-6.
International Literacy Association.