243 Writing Group Lesson

Rylie Day, Lauren Fey, Lauren Hsu, Hannah Jones, Maddie Mitchell, Katie Soderstrom
Description:
● Instructional Level: Grade 2
● Topic: Coming up with topics for writing friendly letters that use temporal words to
signal the order of events.
● Standards:
o 2.W.3.3: ​Develop topics for friendly letters​, stories, poems, and other narrative
purposes that --
▪ Include a beginning.
▪ Use temporal words to signal event order (e.g., first of all).
▪ Provide details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings.
▪ Provide an ending.
● Goals: I want the students to come up with a list of topics that they can write about in a
friendly letter. These must be topics that tell the order of events, so that students can
practice using temporal words to signify the order of events.
Purpose:
● Purpose: To help students develop topics that are appropriate for friendly letters, and to
learn how the use of temporal words that signify event order can enhance the writing of
narratives.
● Importance to the learning: Students must become familiar with writing friendly letters.
They must also become familiar with using temporal words to signal event order, as these
temporal words are used in many types of writing that students will partake in throughout
their academic careers.
● Writing letters is a tangible way to communicate and can be a thoughtful gesture done to
family members, friends, and local leaders. Whether writing to check up on a friend you
haven’t seen for awhile, or to a local leader to voice your opinions on what should be
changed in the community, writing letters can be very impactful and persuasive. Because
it requires thought, penmanship, and can be kept forever, letter writing is a crucial skill to
have. Breaking this idea down into which topics would be good to write about and
temporal words that are important in letter writing is necessary for students to understand
before diving into the writing of letters. In addition, letter writing is also an important
skill to learn so that students know how to read the letters of others. This is true in letters
sent directly to the students, but also whenever students read primary documents of
historical figures.

Behavioral Objectives:
● About the student: ​Hazel is a 2nd grade student in our class with ADHD. She is very
active and works well when she is able to move around. Sitting for long periods of time is
not appealing to Hazel, which is when behavioral issues begin. To combat this and to best
 suit Hazel, we are going to have the students only sit for a short period of time, allow
them to collaborate with others, and get outside to move around. Outside of school, Hazel
enjoys listening to music and has been attending plays and musicals from a very young
age.
Behavioral Goals:
● Students will be able to use temporal words to describe a process using props.
● Students will be able to sit on the floor or exercise ball for a short amount of time while
answering questions about how to be descriptive with their words. They will use their
descriptive words to help the teacher put on her coat, scarf, gloves, and hat. During this
time, students will keep their hands to themselves and not be a distraction to their
classmates.
● Students will work well, actively listen, and contribute ideas with one another during
small groups.
● Students are expected to follow directions when given the space to work in pairs, groups,
or individually.
● Students will be able to work cooperatively in groups of 3 to pick one person’s sentence
frames to act out.
● During class time outside, students will behave just as they would in the classroom. They
will be respectful of others, listen to the teacher, and focus on their work.
● While acting, students will not use their voice and be cautious of the people around them.
● There are no cultural, linguistic, or gender differences.
● Unique needs of Hazel:
○ Sit on the floor or exercise ball for a short time period during the lesson/activity
■ This time will be kept as minimal as possible, but should Hazel need to
stand, she would be allowed to do so as long as she is not a distraction to
others. This would be a perfect time to plan ahead and give Hazel a fidget
toy to play with until this activity is completed.
○ Spend part of the class period outside
○ Use a play as a learning method
● These behavior objectives reflect high expectations because they are appropriate for
second graders, and they don’t look down on students like Hazel who have special
educational needs. By adapting this lesson to the needs of Hazel, all students benefit. No
second grader can sit still for a long period of time. All young children need to move
around, which is why performing a play outside is much more effective than doing
worksheets inside.
Materials:
● Teacher’s coat, scarf, gloves, and hat
● Projector/whiteboard
● Marker
● Sentence starters
 ○ First, ________.
○ Next, ________.
○ After that, _______.
○ Finally, _______.
● Pencils/Pens for each student.
● An open space outside for students to move/act
○ Students should feel ​safe​ in the space (this is the most important thing to consider)
and distractions should be limited
● Student props that they decide on as a group
Assistive Technology
● Talk-to-text programs/apps such as Google Speech-to-Text, Speech Notes, etc.
○ By using a speech-to-text application, students who struggle with the physical
activity of writing will not be left behind in the lesson on temporal words. This
could be helpful to Hazel if she is not able to sit down and focus long enough to
write. Instead, she could use this application as she walked or moved around.
● Use an iPad or other tablet to type or write with a finger
○ A student may be quicker at typing than writing, and the predictive text feature
could also speed up the process. Writing with a finger on the screen could be
beneficial for sensory needs. This could benefit Hazel since it’s so much quicker
than writing, because it would require less focus time. As a note, the goal of this
lesson is not for Hazel (or other students) to write their ideas; rather, the goal is
for students to understand what topics are appropriate for friendly letters and how
to use temporal words when writing a letter.
● Flexible seating options, including an exercise ball, to allow for students to be in a
situation that is most suitable for them while they work, whether that be sitting, standing,
laying down, bouncing on an exercise ball, or a combination of things. This is beneficial
to Hazel because it will allow her more flexibility in movement as compared to just
sitting in a hard-backed chair.
● Have headphones available in order to block out excessive noise to aid with
concentration. (Helpful for students with ADHD in order to prevent distractions, as well
as students with Autism to prevent sensory overload).
● Fidget toys
○ Fidget toys are small toys that students can keep in the palm of their hand to play
with whenever they feel antsy. This would be beneficial to Hazel because it would
allow her to move, even in situations where movement may be limited, such as
times during the lesson when students are seated.
Methods/Strategies:
● We will begin the day by providing an agenda on the board of what writing will look like
for the day.
 o This agenda will consist of images/visuals in addition to a list of words. These
visuals will ensure that ​every​ student understands and knows what to expect,
despite any difficulties they may have with reading.
o “Ensure that classroom procedures are orderly, structured, and predictable”
(Sousa, 2016, p. 117).
o Agendas have proven to lessen anxiety among all students, as there are no
‘surprises’ during the day. Students know what to expect and they know what is
expected of them.
o The standard that will be covered will also be on the board, so students can know
exactly what will be addressed in class, and what they are expected to learn.
● After this, we will do a whole group activity where the students are sitting on the floor,
standing up, or sitting on exercise balls. We will have the words “First,” “Next,” “Then,”
and “Finally,” written on the board. The class will help the teacher get ready to go out in
the snow by instructing her how/when to put on a jacket, hat, gloves, and scarf, with the
available props. As the students describe what needs to be done, the teacher will prompt
them to be as specific as possible. For example, they will need to describe how to put on
a coat by stating, “First put your coat on your back, then put your right arm in the right
sleeve and your left arm in the left sleeve,” instead of “put your coat on.” As the students
describe this, the teacher will write it word for word onto the board.
o Students will be able to understand the importance of temporal words by being
able to visually see how their words are impacting the product. Along with using
temporal words, students will also have to be descriptive, which is necessary for
letter writing.
o A possible adaptation is that a student could be the scribe instead of the teacher.
This would make the activity go faster, limiting the amount of time students must
sit still. If possible, Hazel could be the scribe, as that would be much more
interactive for her than sitting down. With this adaptation, it’s important to
remember that the teacher should be dictating what the student is writing down, as
this is still part of the guided practice.
● Next, the teacher will ask the students to brainstorm other activities that use temporal
words. The teacher might start by giving a few examples, such as making cereal, turning
on the TV, getting dressed, brushing teeth, kicking a soccer ball, etc. With each example
given, the teacher will ask the student for an example of a temporal word/sentence that
could be associated with that idea. For example, if a student says, “Making a PB&J,” they
might follow it up by saying, “First, you get the bread, peanut butter, and jelly. Then, you
take the bread out of the bag.” The student does not need to go through the entire process,
but rather these examples are meant to really enforce the idea of temporal words for
students, and to help them consider if their topics use temporal words. This activity
should not take more than five minutes, as students have already been sitting for a while
and they will be ready to move.
● Each student will be given sentence starters with the words, “First,” “Next,” “After that,”
and “Finally.” Students will fill in these sentence starters using topics that were listed as a
 class, or topics they have brainstormed on their own. Students will get independent time
or they can work with their elbow partners to fill in the blanks of their sentence starters.
o Here, we will recall and emphasize; the more descriptive words, the better.
o Students will practice being descriptive and using temporal words in a sequence
of events.
o During this time, the teacher will be walking around the room and helping
students as needed.
● After the students have created their sentences and story, the class will go outside and the
students will meet with two other students or groups. In this small group setting, students
will describe and read their sentences. As a group, they will determine which person’s
sentences they will choose to act out for the class.
o Students will gain many ideas on topics to write letters about through
collaboration and by hearing their peers’ ideas.
o Voicing their own ideas will allow students to feel appreciated and reminded that
their work matters.
● Groups will take turns acting out their sentence frames without using words. If possible,
this would occur the day after, so that students could bring props in to make the process
more engaging. Because they cannot talk, students in the crowd will have to repeat what
they saw, using the temporal words.
o As the students are observing, they will gain new ideas about which topics work
well and which don’t for letter topics. Along with obtaining new ideas, students
will be able to make connections and spark new ideas that they did not think
about when coming up with their topics.
● We differentiated by process according to student learning profile and student interest.
● There are no cognitive, cultural, or linguistic differences that need to be noted.
● Hazel will be fully included with the rest of the class in this lesson. Because of the
adaptations we have made to best meet Hazel’s needs, we are actually meeting the needs
of the whole class in a more beneficial way.
● The methods we used in this lesson (going outside, using student interest, maximizing
movement) are supported by ​Neurodiversity in the Classroom b​ y Thomas Armstrong.
The use of the Optimal Learning Model as a method of teaching is supported by ​Planning
& Managing Effective Reading Instruction b​ y Deborah Corpus and Ann Giddings.
Strategies-Student Active Engagement:
● Students will be kept engaged by altering between independent/partner/group work and
whole-class discussions. This will provide students with “brain breaks”, as well as keep
students on task with the lesson. Students will also be kept engaged by changing the
environment from in the classroom to outside, and through activities that require different
levels of movement and peer interaction.
● The Optimal Learning Model will be utilized during the lesson in order to present to
students what temporal words are and how to properly include them in their
language/vocabulary. First, a demonstration will be given to students for them to simply
observe and take in the new knowledge. Then, the process of learning to apply this new
knowledge in a contextual setting will occur by us working alongside the students to
 create new examples, as well as answer any questions. Finally, students will be granted
the opportunity to practice and apply their new knowledge of temporal words
independently or with one another.
Guided and Independent Practice:
● After the teacher demonstrates getting ready to go out in the snow:
o The class will work together to brainstorm more topics that can use temporal
words. The teacher will guide students by prompting them to give examples of
using temporal words with their topics.
o Students have the opportunity to work independently or with their elbows partners
to complete the given sentence starters. During this time, the teacher is observing
and engaging students in conversation to guide and expand their learning. The
teacher will also be providing ​specific​ feedback to students to celebrate their
accomplishments and/or redirect their thinking if necessary.
▪ “Hazel, I really like how you used the adjectives ​warm ​and ​fuzzy​ to
describe the socks you put on. I think I can picture exactly what type of
socks you’re describing.”
▪ “Your ideas in these sentence starters are very descriptive, but remember
to use the COPS checklist to make sure they are strong sentences.”
▪ “Determine and then compliment these children’s abilities and teach
through their strengths. Plan lessons so the students experience a sense of
accomplishment rather than failure” (Sousa, 2016, p. 118).
● Within their small groups, the students are to choose a set of sentences to act out for the
class. The teacher will be visiting each group to answer questions or give advice if
necessary. Since the teacher has already modeled this activity for them, she will be there
to guide and assist as they try it for themselves.
● For the “presentation” aspect of the lesson, the students will be mostly driving the
discussion about what they think their peers are trying to represent. They have already
seen the teacher present her skit and each student is prepared to present on as well, so
they are at least vaguely familiar, if not completely comfortable, with the setup of the
skits.
o The blank sentence starters will be posted on the board to remind them of the
temporal words used.
Assessment:
● Students will be assessed on standard 2.W.3.3 by building upon their sentence starter
exercise they participated in previously. In applying the Optimal Learning Model,
students will now work independently to create and act out their own series of events,
including temporal words. With a partner, students will create a scene with a clear
beginning, middle and end. Afterwards, students will participate in a discussion centered
around what specific temporal words were used in the scene as well as how they helped
to clarify the overall timeline of the scene. We will keep track of all temporal words we
hear by creating and recording on a master list to display in the front of the classroom.
 Students will then be able to continuously refer to the temporal words list in order to
improve their future writing.
o Since this will take place as an informal assessment, through a highly interactive
lesson, we don’t have to necessarily worry about whether or not Hazel’s ADHD is
impacting her ability to concentrate. Between her hyperactivity and interest in
theater, this form of assessment really plays to her strengths.
● The sentence starters the students completely individually or with a partner will be
collected and evaluated, whether or not they were “performed”. This will allow for the
teacher to better gauge how well students are grasping the concept.
o These could be on paper, digital, or in the form of a voice recording to
accommodate all students.
Differentiation:
● Through differentiation, students like Hazel will be able to participate and engage with
the lesson just as their peers do. Because Hazel does not do well sitting for a long time,
the whole group discussion will not last more than 10 minutes. Along with it being on the
shorter end for a lesson, it will be more interactive than sitting there with the teacher
talking at the students. The students will be guiding the lesson and taking charge by
describing which clothing item the teacher should put on first and how it should be worn.
Interactive lessons benefit all the students, but especially Hazel. Because we have
observed that Hazel works best when she is able to get up and move, we incorporated that
into the lesson. She will even be able to be outside with ample room to move. Hazel is
interested in theater, which is why we added the aspect of acting out their sentence
frames. She may have never heard of this theater term, so emphasizing how this process
is used in theater will strengthen Hazel’s interest in the activity. These aspects of
differentiation will allow Hazel to better understand the content of topics for writing
letters with temporal words, while being engaged the entire time.

Self Reflection:
● Planning this lesson was difficult, as there was so much to consider. However, it feels
satisfactory to have such a strong lesson plan, because I know every student will benefit.
● The teacher’s attitude is everything in this lesson. You could follow everything exactly as
we have said, but if the teacher has a negative attitude, the students will feel that and the
energy and motivation in the classroom will decrease. The teacher should stay positive
and patient.
● Monitor Hazel’s progress with this lesson. Did she pay attention for a longer period of
time than she normally does? Which parts of the lesson did she pay the most attention to?
When did she start to get antsy or distracted? How did Hazel work with her peers? Was
she collaborative or was she causing distractions?
● After this lesson, the teacher should reflect on and record what went well, what could
have gone better, and the answers to the above questions. This will help him or her to
adapt the lesson so it goes smoother next time. It will also help in the creation of future
lessons, so the teacher can figure out what works best for Hazel.