Direct Teach Lesson Plan

Direct Instruction Lesson Plan

Grade: 4th

Subject: English Language Arts

Objective/TEKS

  1. Objective: The learner will use descriptive words to create sensory imagery in a poem.
  2. TEKS:  4.b.20.A: use and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking: (iii) adjectives (e.g., descriptive, including purpose: sleeping bag, frying pan) and their comparative and superlative forms (e.g., fast, faster, fastest)

Rationale: Adding adjectives is very important if you want to make your writing more interesting.  It helps the reader/listener form a picture in their mind.

Materials

Teacher Materials

  • Book: It’s Fall by Linda Glasner
  • Foldable for each student
  • Completed foldable for example
  • Class set of Thesaurus’ (optional)

Student Materials

  • Colored pencils

Anticipatory Set

  1. Hook: Read the book “It’s Fall” by Linda Glasner.
  2. Background Knowledge:
  • Ask students, “Could you picture what was happening in the story without seeing the illustrations? Why?”
  • Tell students that when writers use descriptive words it helps the reader visualize the story.
  • Ask students, “What do we call descriptive words and who can give me an example from the book?”
  1. Purpose: Tell students, “Today you will be using adjectives to help write a descriptive poem about fall.”
  2. Rationale: Tell students, “Adding adjectives is very important if you want to make your writing more interesting.  It helps the reader/listener form a picture in their mind.”

Input and Modeling

  • Show students a picture of a stormy day.
  • Ask students to imagine that they were in this picture and use their five senses to give descriptive words describing the storm.
  • List on the board the words given by the students.
  • Tell students that they will be using a sixth sense called “feelings” and that this is what we feel inside; how the situation or object makes you feel.
  • Show the students a picture of a busy playground.
  • Ask students to imagine that they were in this picture and use their six senses to give descriptive words.
  • List on the board the words given by the students.

Checking for Understanding

  1. Ask students what senses we use when describing something.
  2. Ask students what we said our sixth sense was.
  3. Ask students why it’s important to use adjectives in writing.

Guided Practice

  1. Pair students up.
  2. Pass out picture of a child eating an ice cream cone at the zoo.
  3. Having students pretend they are the child in the picture, have them use their imagination and think of four adjectives for each sense.
  4. Ask the students to give you examples of adjectives for each sense, including the sixth sense.
  5. List the given words on a foldable in the appropriate spot.
  6. Once all six senses have adjectives listed, flip over the foldable and ask students to create detailed sentences using the adjectives listed. Each sentence should begin with, “At the zoo I (insert sense here)…” Once all sentences are written, it will become a poem.

Independent Practice

  1. Pass out a foldable to each student.
  2. Show the students the picture 30 Days of Fall
  3. Have the students complete foldable.
  4. Once students are done, they can color their foldable.

Closure: Tell students, “Today we’ve learned how to use our senses to come up with sensory descriptions (or adjectives). We can use these descriptive details to “spice up” our writing and make it more interesting and enjoyable to read.

Assessment

  1. Assessment Tools: The student’s finished product will be used as the assessment tool.
  2. Quality Standards: Students are expected to sensory descriptions in their writing journal.

Planned Modifications:

  1. During independent practice, Berlin will only need to write 2 adjectives and sentences for each sense.
  2. During independent practice, Alex and Andres may sit together and help each other. They will only need to come up with two adjectives and sentences for each sense.