Writing Lesson Plan

“Express Yourself”
Emilee Rhoton
Kindergarten at Frances Slocum Elementary School

LESSON RATIONALE
It is imperative that students learn how to write and express themselves through writing. This lesson connects science
and writing. My students love creating books and being able to create stories, so this lesson allows them to create a book
during writer’s workshop while recalling key details in a story and expressing them through a picture.

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal(s):
a. Students will be able to depict key details from a story
b. Students will be able to explain a written/drawn story
B. Objective(s):
a. After completing this lesson, students will be able to identify three key details from a story
b. After completing this lesson, students will be able to narrate/describe a story.
C. Standard(s):
a. K.W.3.2 – Use words and pictures to develop a main idea and provide information about a topic.
b. K.W.3.3 – Use words and pictures to narrate a single event or simple story, arranging ideas in order.

II. Management Plan-

a. Time per element:
i. Mini-lesson: 10min
ii. Warm-up:10-15min
iii. Writers workshop: 20min
iv. Sharing: 5min
v. Closure: 5min
b. Use of Space
i. The mini-lesson will take place on the carpet.
ii. Warm-up will happen at the students’ desks.
iii. Writers workshop will take place at the students’ desks.
iv. Sharing will happen on the carpet.
v. The closure will happen on the carpet.
c. list of materials
i. A Journey Through Space - by Steve Parker
ii. 21 Folders/portfolios (one for each student)
iii. Where’s Waldo book
iv. I spy books
v. Paper
vi. Crayons, or pencils
vii. Where’s Waldo shirt (I will be wearing the shirt)
d. Expectations and Procedures
i. I will be using the same procedures used currently in the classroom
ii. Students will start on the carpet for the introduction and mini-lesson
iii. Students will be dismissed one table at a time.
iv. Students are expected to stay on task

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

III. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners
1. For students who finish early, there will be thanksgiving writing prompt(s), and students will be able to draw a
picture to describe/answer the prompt.
a. Explicate instruction will be given: If students do not have time to finish their thanksgiving writing
prompt, they can put it in their backpack and take it home to finish.
2. For students who finish early there will be some extra Where ‘s Waldo books for students to look at.
3. Keeping in mind students’ personalities, the students will be seated In specific table groups.
4. For students who need differentiated instruction, the activity will be modeled and explained.
5. Some students who cannot write will be able to have help transcribing their picture(s).

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IV. Anticipatory set
a. First, I would gather the students on the carpet.
b. “Have you guys ever heard of a book called “where’s Waldo”?”
c. Show Where’s Waldo slide.
d. “We are going to play a game of where’s waldo.” “We have to pay attention to what he is waring”
i. *hint: Waldo always wears the same thing
ii. Explain that what I am wearing is what waldo would wear.
e. “Here is picture/game number 1” “I want and the person next to you to find where waldo is.”
f. “When you find waldo, I want you to raise your hand, and do not shout out the answer.”
g. Allow students to share how they found Waldo and ask probing questions.
h. “How did you know it was him?’
V. Purpose statement
a. When we were playing Where’s Waldo, we had to know what waldo looked like. We had to use key
details to be able to find him in that big crowd. When we read a book/story, we need to be able to see
the key details because they will help us better understand the story, and they will help us be able to
write and tell others about the story.
VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)
 Minilesson (Whole Group)
o “Our unit that we have been working in is called “I am important” today we are going to be looking at
how the sky is made up of all kinds of special and important things, and how they all work together to
make the sky. “
o “We will be keeping track of all of the important details in the story, so we can then draw a picture
explaining what is going on in the story.
o “I am going to read you a book called A Journey Through Space - by Steve Parker. While I am reading
Miss. Lindsay will be modeling what you guys will do for the next story.”
o “I want you to listen to the story and watch Miss. Lindsay. She will be drawing a picture of the key
details she hears in the book.
o I will then read A Journey Through Space - by Steve Parker to the class, as Miss. Lindsay draw key
details about the story.
o After the book I will have the students rate the book and think-pair-share to talk about what they liked
or did not like. (This is following their regular procedure, after reading a new book).
 I will let 2 students share what they liked about the book.
o “WOW do you guys see Miss. Lindsay’s amazing picture! Miss. Lindsay could you explain to us what you
drew and why you decided to draw it?”
 Refer to key details found in the book
 Writing
o “Now, I want to see what pictures you guys can draw! We will watch a book (read aloud on YouTube)
and as the book is being read I want you to draw the key details you hear in the book.”
 “Miss. Lindsay and I will be walking around to help anyone if the need it.”
o I will dismiss each table one by one, while Miss. Lindsay pulls up the video.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMtkf8rrxLs
o After the video allow students 5-7min to finish up their drawing.
 Have other activities ready for students who finish early.
o “After you are done drawing raise your hand and Miss. Lindsay will come around to write a sentence
describing your picture.
 Ask the student what their picture is about and write what they say.
 *do not create the explanation up for them.
 Sharing (Whole Group)
o Gather students back to the carpet and ask a few students to share their drawings
o When writing the students explanations Miss. Lindsay and I will pick 2 students to share their drawing
with the class.
VII. Check for understanding.
a. During the lesson, I will have students think-pair-share in order to hear what they learned from the
mini-lesson and what they thought about the book.
b. Next, I will be walking around and observing the students throughout the lesson
c. Lastly, I will have a mini conference with them when writing their sentence, so I will be able to see what
they were thinking.
d. If at any point a student or students are confused, I will pause the lesson and take the time to reteach.

VIII. Review learning outcomes / Closure

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 a. After students share their drawings/writings I will then finish up the lesson
b. “You all did an amazing job with your pictures!”
c. “today we learned how a lot of little parts in the sky all come together to make one big thing. That is
kind of like our drawings, right.”
d. “We had to take a bunch of little key details to be able to create the story.”
e. “Can someone tell me what a key detail is”
i. Let 2 students share
f. Explain that we can do this with any story we read, and when we can notice key details it makes us
better readers and writers.
g. Then release control back to Miss. Lindsay.

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

There is no summative assessment for this lesson.
Formative: I will assess students by asking questions throughout the lesson. I will also be assessing them when
conferencing and writing out their story, and when I collect the student’s drawings and explanations.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

 How could classroom management have been better?
 How did you handle transitions?
 What would you change about this lesson?
 What would you keep the same?
 What did you do well?
 Did you give each students the opportunity to share?
 Did you provide enough explanation and modeling for students?
 Did you have enough planned? Where students walking around with nothing to do, or where they occupied?

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 This is Waldo (slide). Explain who he is, and how people have to
find him.

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