Okanagan College - Fun English - Summer Semester!
Hello and Welcome to an Introductory Lesson for a Fundamentals English class. This lesson is meant to inspire us to write a great paragraph on Living in Penticton. The lesson seeks to help us develop and sharpen our pre-writing strategies. We plan to develop skills this year such as brainstorming, think-pair-share, journalling, mind-mapping, parodying, list-creating, accessing prior knowledge and other important skills
But first, if you are looking to see some weird rituals of famous writers, check out this website on your own time!
http://flavorwire.com/193101/weird-writing-habits-of-famous-authors
But first, if you are looking to see some weird rituals of famous writers, check out this website on your own time!
http://flavorwire.com/193101/weird-writing-habits-of-famous-authors
Lesson 1: Pre-Writing Activity - Let's Get the Creative Juices Going!
1. Welcome Students to Class.
Write today's Schedule on the board with the title: “Prewriting activity for Paragraph Writing – Fundamentals”
2. Discuss today's Goal: Students will engage in a pre-writing visual activity to stimulate ideas for our upcoming paragraph assignment; also we will practice the skill of using vivid description and will practice identifying themes from a thematic image set.
3. Introduction: Hello students, by the end of today, if I’ve done my job correctly, we will all have written a stellar descriptive paragraph.
4. Please find a willing partner. First, we are going to start with a visual activity to get our minds thinking about the topic we will eventually be doing some writing about.
5. With one partner facing the LCD projector screen, and the other facing backwards, put your chairs next to each other so you can talk, but one partner can’t see the front screen. So you will be side by side, but also face to face.
6. We will be looking at an image set today. Each partner will get a turn. We’ll call them partner A and partner B.
7. Start Slideshow. Available below:
Write today's Schedule on the board with the title: “Prewriting activity for Paragraph Writing – Fundamentals”
2. Discuss today's Goal: Students will engage in a pre-writing visual activity to stimulate ideas for our upcoming paragraph assignment; also we will practice the skill of using vivid description and will practice identifying themes from a thematic image set.
3. Introduction: Hello students, by the end of today, if I’ve done my job correctly, we will all have written a stellar descriptive paragraph.
4. Please find a willing partner. First, we are going to start with a visual activity to get our minds thinking about the topic we will eventually be doing some writing about.
5. With one partner facing the LCD projector screen, and the other facing backwards, put your chairs next to each other so you can talk, but one partner can’t see the front screen. So you will be side by side, but also face to face.
6. We will be looking at an image set today. Each partner will get a turn. We’ll call them partner A and partner B.
7. Start Slideshow. Available below:
ok_college_pre_write_activity.pptx | |
File Size: | 2148 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
8. We will look at an image, and “Partner A” will have to describe one of the two images on the screen in detail to the other partner who is facing away from the Screen. Explain what’s in the photo, what grabs your attention, try to be detailed and specific; what is the perspective? What is in the background and foreground? Use vocabulary that will help the other partner visualize the picture. “Partner A” will have one minute to do so. Then “Partner B” will turn around and look at the photo. "Partner B" will then offer one compliment on how "Partner A" described the scene.
9. Partner B and A will switch positions and repeat the activity.
10. As a class, we will usually do 2-3 turns. In order to try to determine a theme.
11. As a class, we will discuss what the message of the photo essay was; what do they all have in common. – Class discussion, while teacher writes down the salient points.
9. Partner B and A will switch positions and repeat the activity.
10. As a class, we will usually do 2-3 turns. In order to try to determine a theme.
11. As a class, we will discuss what the message of the photo essay was; what do they all have in common. – Class discussion, while teacher writes down the salient points.
12. As the class we will discuss their personal views of what are other things that are great about living in Penticton.
13. Teacher will then identify that our Writing Activity will be to write a paragraph on: “The Joys of Living in Penticton” with an emphasis on vivid descriptions. <-- That's right - don't get anxious about writing, after all we're just writing a "Pair of Giraffe." 14.Introduce upcoming writing assignment; explain how we will watch part of video to help remind us of all the things we can do in Penticton. So, while we watch the next small video, please be thinking in the back of your head, "How will I approach the topic and write about it."
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15. Prior to Start the Paragraph we will get some inspiration by watching a youtube video made to showcase Penticton, then if we need any additional inspiration, we can see someone else's conceptualization of what some of the Joys of Living in Penticton are:
16. View following Video; but put on Steely Dan's "Reelin in the Years" instead of the song that comes with the video (which is not nearly as cool!)
Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2NQoA6k-W0 (Penticton a Place to Stay Forever)
-Steely Dan Song in the Background instead of the audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBllejn5fVA
16. View following Video; but put on Steely Dan's "Reelin in the Years" instead of the song that comes with the video (which is not nearly as cool!)
Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2NQoA6k-W0 (Penticton a Place to Stay Forever)
-Steely Dan Song in the Background instead of the audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBllejn5fVA
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17. Next Mini Activity is to make our own descriptive Letterman Top Five List of what the best things to do in Penticton are. Can be funny, or serious, but must be descriptive. We will eventually use some of these sentences in our paragraphs.
18. As a class, we will watch a David Letterman Top Ten Clip of “Betty White” as a humorous intro. This is the "Top Ten List of Advice from Betty White on How to Live a Long Life." We will only watch the top 5 due to time constraints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgHXJ7x_Yb0 (Play from 1:54-2:57)
18. As a class, we will watch a David Letterman Top Ten Clip of “Betty White” as a humorous intro. This is the "Top Ten List of Advice from Betty White on How to Live a Long Life." We will only watch the top 5 due to time constraints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgHXJ7x_Yb0 (Play from 1:54-2:57)
19. Students write 5 descriptive lines on “The Joys of Being in Penticton” following the Top ten Formula.
20. Have students write their "Hook" sentence / Topic sentence.
Ie: "Whether it's the exuberant Ironman Challenge Contesting or the shimmering sunlight reflecting off of Okanagan Lake, Penticton is truly a place to Stay Forever." Instead of "Penticton is a joy to live in because..."
21. Stop writing part way through and introduce the Paragraph Checklist. (A way to improve student descriptive writing.)
20. Have students write their "Hook" sentence / Topic sentence.
Ie: "Whether it's the exuberant Ironman Challenge Contesting or the shimmering sunlight reflecting off of Okanagan Lake, Penticton is truly a place to Stay Forever." Instead of "Penticton is a joy to live in because..."
21. Stop writing part way through and introduce the Paragraph Checklist. (A way to improve student descriptive writing.)
editing_your_writing_ok_college.docx | |
File Size: | 130 kb |
File Type: | docx |
22. Finish the writing process. Partner read for errors and to add comments/suggestions. Edit and submit.