Viktoriia Dudar R/W Lesson: Using Specific Details to Show

LESSON: USING SPECIFIC DETAILS TO SHOW

Guiding Question: How to write using specific details to show?  

Lesson Description: This lesson can serve as an introduction to the series of lessons about developing strong paragraphs. During this lesson, students start with describing pictures in detail. After sharing their descriptions, students discuss the importance of being specific in oral and written communication. Then, students work in small groups to analyze a sample paragraph from the book Critical Care and discuss the important components of an effective paragraph. Finally, they work individually to compose a paragraph and share it out with the class.

Learning Objectives:

·   Learn how to support ideas with details and examples

 Materials:

·   Lesson handouts

Lesson Steps:

1.      Distribute Picture 1 to approximately half the class and Picture 2 to the rest of the class. Very important: do not let students know that they will work with different pictures! Invite students to describe each picture in detail (the first question). (5 min.)

2.      Project Picture 3 and ask students to spend a few minutes describing the projected picture (the second question). Invite volunteers to share out their descriptions of the projected picture. Students’ descriptions may vary drastically because the projected picture is a visual puzzle (there are both the young and the old lady on the projected picture). Typically, if the first picture students described was the young lady, they will see the young lady in the projected picture. If the first picture they described was the old lady, most likely students will see the old lady projected on the board. While reading their descriptions, students will notice the differences and start discussing them. Allow students to clarify their ideas. (5 min.)

3.      Invite students to answer the third question individually and discuss students’ answers as a class. Emphasize the importance of being specific and using details to make one’s writing well-developed. (5 min.)

4.      Invite students to work in pairs. Ask students to analyze a paragraph from Chapter 2 of Critical Care. Encourage students to use labels provided to them to mark parts of the paragraph. Project the paragraph and invite volunteers to share out their work. Use color markers to show different details used in the paragraph. (20 min.)

5.      Invite students to compose a paragraph about the happiest moment in their life. Encourage students to use details such as quotes, words which evoke feelings, references to movies, books, articles, etc., and comparisons. (20 min.) 

6.      Ask a few students to share out their paragraphs. Encourages the rest of the class to take notes and share out what they liked about each other’s writing. After sharing, ask students to write about what makes an effective paragraph and shortly discuss it as a class. (10 min.) 

Assessment: Collect students’ writing and comment on their paragraphs.

What Do You See?

Picture 1

Part 1: Warm Up

1.      Please take a look at the picture above and carefully describe what you see.

2.      Please take a look at the picture projected on the board and describe it in detail. How is this picture similar or different from the one above?

3.      How could you change or improve your description of the picture?

What Do You See?

Picture 2

Part 1: Warm Up

1.      Please take a look at the picture above and carefully describe what you see.

2.      Please take a look at the picture projected on the board and describe it in detail. How is this picture similar or different from the one above?

3.      How could you change or improve your description of the picture?

What Do You See?

Picture 3

Paragraph Analysis

Part 2: Pair Work

I wasn’t the only one disturbed, either. For days afterward Penny said, “Let’s not have any backs split open today, OK?” What happened to Jim would be unsurprising on a surgical floor, but for most of us, even people in health care, it violates our sense of the normal, takes us into the realm of horror movies or science fiction. The bizarre ripping noise, the sudden spread of fluid just dark enough to possibly be blood, the puddle of water next to the patient, and the gaping opening itself makes one look to see Freddy Krueger of Nightmare on Elm Street flexing his deadly fingernails, when in reality Jim’s body did this to itself. A seroma results from the healing process going awry, and even then some seromas will drain back into the body on their own. Unfortunately for Jim, his did not (Brown, p. 17). 

Please read the paragraph above and identify the following elements. Mark each element using labels introduced below:

·         Topic sentence (a sentence that introduces the paragraph), TS

·         Quotes, Q

·         Words and phrases which appeal to feelings and senses, FS

·         Comparisons and Contrasts, CC

·         Medical Terms, MT

·         References to Other Works, OW

Part 3: Individual Work

1.      Compose a paragraph about the happiest moment in your life. Explain what made you happy and how you felt emotionally and physically. Organize your paragraph following the example we analyzed as a class.

Topic Sentence (the main idea of your paragraph)
Examples and Explanations
Concluding/ Transition Sentence

Part 4: Reflection Questions

1. As your classmates read their paragraphs, record below what you liked about their work. Explain why you liked it.

2.      Explain how you can write a paragraph showing the reader what is happening rather than just telling. Include some specific examples from your work or the work of your classmates.