LESSON TWO: Review Steps in the Writing Process and Explore a Poem
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Students review and follow the steps in the writing process in preparation for persuasive paragraph writing in Lesson Four. Through the study of a poem, students examine choices and relate their findings to the previous two text selections. Exemplary essays are examined in relation to the Grade 7 Writing Scoring Guide.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS
W1A Follow a writing process to
§ create appropriate graphic organizers to provide a structure for information
§ apply writing processes to write effectively in various forms and types of writing
W3C Write expository (exposition/expository writing) and persuasive (persuasive writing/argument) responses to literature that show an understanding of theme and characters, using details/examples from the text as support
LESSON MATERIALS
§ Sources of literature: Poem included in
o Little, J. (1986). Growing Pains. Hey World, Here I Am! Toronto, Canada: Kids Can Press
o Little, J. (1990). Growing Pains. Hey World, Here I Am! (pp. 8-9). HarperCollins
§ Supplies:
o Student writing journals
o Text Elements graphic organizer
o Sample essays – links
§ Handouts
§ Words to know
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o compare |
o contrast |
o analyze |
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o evaluate |
o genre |
o fiction |
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o nonfiction |
o theme |
o persuasive writing/ argument |
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o cause and effect |
o graphic organizer |
o exposition/ expository writing |
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o sentence structure |
o mood |
o cohesive device |
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o forms of writing/ types of writing |
Words to know are glossary terms.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Students independently complete the Paragraph Prompt and are each provided the Grade 7 Writing Scoring Guide.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. To focus on the writing process necessary for completing items in this unit, students list the steps in the writing process in their journals. When done, students turn to a partner to check responses. Facilitate a class discussion with students to review the steps in the writing process – pre-writing, rough draft, editing, revision, final copy.
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Questions for Students
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What are the reasons for using all the steps in the writing process?
What is pre-writing?
Why is pre-writing an important step in the process?
What do you do during the revision step?
How is revision related to editing?
How is revision related to the final copy? |
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Questions for Students
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What does cohesive device mean?
What does precise and vivid language mean?
How can you vary the sentence structure?
What is voice? |
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Questions for Students
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What suggestions do you have to improve the sample essay?
How would you change the essay if you were the writer? |
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Discussion Questions Before Reading
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How is the format of a poem different from the two previous texts we read?
What can you learn about the poet from the title?
Can a poem have text elements? |
__________
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Discussion Questions After Reading
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What choices did the girl make?
What choices did her mother make?
What problem was solved? Was the solution effective?
What would you do differently?
Have you ever had the same kind of feelings as the author?
How does the mood of the poem change from beginning to end?
What are some examples of vivid and precise language in the poem?
What are the cohesive devices? |
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Questions for Students
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From whose point of view is the story told?
Could this poem be more effective if it was told from someone else’s point of view?
How do you think the mood of the poem would be different if it were written from Rosa Parks’ point of view?
How do you think the mood of the poem would be different if it were written from Stacy Allison’s point of view?
How do you think the mood of the poem would be different if you wrote it?
What examples of foreshadowing, if any, did you notice in the poem?
What choices would Rosa Parks have made if she were in the same situation as the speaker in the poem?
What is the theme of Growing Pains? |