​Katherine Chandler Callicutt

Generating a Topic Mini-Lesson

 

Katie Needell and Chandler Callicutt

7th grade

 

Focus:

This mini-lesson is a unit within a bigger lesson about writing personal narratives.  This mini-lesson addresses the matter of generating a topic for a personal narrative.  This lesson is intended to help students explore and brainstorm possible topics for their narrative.  Through a variety of activities, students will narrow a list down to a chosen topic and begin writing their narrative.

 

Objectives:

            Students will be able to…

(CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.a)

Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

 

Materials:

1. Smagorinsky, Peter, Larry Johannessen, Elizabeth Kahn, and Thomas McCann. The

Dynamics of Writing Instruction: A Structured Process Approach for Middle and High School. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2010. Print.

1. “Useful Instructional Strategies for Literature-Based Instruction”. Education Place.

Houghton Miffling Company, 1997. Web. 13 September 2015.

1. “A Day at Ke’e”. Ms.Mcclure’s Class. Ms. Mcclure, n.d. Web. 13 September 2015.

 

 

Content Outline:

I.Introduction

1. Example from literature

II.Activities

1. Partner interview

2. Free write

3. Brainstorm of possible topics

III.Closure

1. Selection of topic

2. Rough Draft/Online

 

Evaluation and Assessment:

            Students will display their understanding of the lesson by choosing an appropriate topic for their personal narrative.  By choosing this topic, students have successfully used the brainstorming activities done in class to select a focus that will serve as the basis for an interesting and concise personal narrative essay.  After selecting the topic, student will outline and write a rough draft for a personal narrative essay which will conclude the unit as a whole.