Elementary Level: Writing a Short Paragraph (Focus on Structure)

Mid Level: Narrative Writing (Story Writing Basics)

High Level: Figurative Language (Similes, Metaphors, Personification)

Elementary Level (Kinder to Grade 2)

Subject: Writing a Short Paragraph (Focus on Structure)

Objectives:

Children will write a simple paragraph with a topic sentence and 2-3 supporting details using guided sentence starters.

Alignment with Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts with a topic and some facts.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.5 – Focus on a topic, respond to questions, and add details.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1 – Print all upper- and lowercase letters.

Lesson Plan

Materials Needed:

• Chart paper (pre-written paragraph example)
• Graphic organizer (hamburger paragraph template)
• Sentence starter strips (e.g., “My favorite animal is ____ because ____.”)
• Pencils, crayons, and writing paper
• Sticker rewards (for participation)

Lesson Activities:

1. Introduction (10 min)

• Read Aloud: Share a simple paragraph (e.g., “Dogs are great pets. They are friendly. They can play fetch. Dogs love their owners.”).
• Think-Pair-Share: “What is the main idea? What details tell us more?”

2. Modeling (10 min)

• Hamburger Paragraph Poster:
  • Top Bun (Topic Sentence): “Cats are fun pets.”
  • Lettuce/Cheese (Details): “They purr when happy. They chase toys.”
  • Bottom Bun (Closing): “I love my cat!”
• Guided Practice: Complete a paragraph together (e.g., “The park is fun. I can swing. I can slide. I like the park.”).

3. Guided Writing (20 min)

• Sentence Starters: Students choose a prompt (e.g., “My favorite food is ___ because ___.”) and fill in the hamburger organizer.
• Scaffolding:
  • Struggling Writers: Provide tracing words or word banks (e.g., “pizza, yummy, cheese”).
  • Advanced Writers: Add a closing sentence (e.g., “That’s why I love pizza!”).

4. Sharing & Feedback (10 min)

• Students read paragraphs aloud. Praise specific elements: “Great topic sentence! I like your detail about ___!”

5. Extension (Optional)

• Illustrate the Paragraph: Draw a picture to match the writing.
• “Paragraph Puzzle”: Cut sentences apart and reassemble in order.

Assessment:

Visual Aids:

1. Hamburger Paragraph Template:

  ___________________________ (Top Bun: Topic Sentence)  
  ___________________________ (Lettuce: Detail #1)  
  ___________________________ (Cheese: Detail #2)  
  ___________________________ (Bottom Bun: Closing)  

2. Sentence Starter Examples:

• “I like ____ because ____.”
• “____ is my favorite place. You can ____ and ____.”

Adaptations:

• Kinesthetic Learners: Act out details (e.g., “Show me how you slide at the park!”).
• ELL Support: Use pictures with labels (e.g., clipart of foods/animals).

Mid Level (Grade 3 to 5)

Subject: Narrative Writing (Story Writing Basics)

Objective:

Children will craft a complete short story with a clear beginning (introduction), middle (problem/events), and end (resolution) using guided brainstorming and story starters.

Alignment with Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3: Write narratives using descriptive details and clear event sequences.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4: Produce coherent writing for task and audience.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5: Develop writing through planning and revision.

Materials

• Story starter prompts (printed or digital)
• Graphic organizers (Story Mountain, BME Chart)
• Writing journal/paper
• Colored pencils (for illustrating)
• Timer (for quick writes)
• Peer feedback forms (Two Stars and a Wish)

Lesson Sequence

Day 1: Introduction & Brainstorming

Activity 1: Story Analysis (20 min)

• Read aloud “The Enchanted Umbrella” (a 1-paragraph model story).
• Discussion:
  • “What hooks you at the beginning?”
  • “How does the character solve the problem?”
  • “What makes the ending satisfying?”

Activity 2: Story Starters (25 min)

• Students pick 1 prompt (e.g., “The message in the bottle said…”) and brainstorm:
  • Characters: “Who is the hero/villain?”
  • Setting: “Where does the story happen?”
  • Problem: “What goes wrong?”
  • Solution: “How is it fixed?”
• Visual Aid: Story Mountain Diagram showing plot structure.

Day 2: Drafting

Activity 3: Guided Writing (40 min)

1. Beginning:
   • Sentence starter: “As [character] [action], suddenly [surprise]…”
   • Example: “As Mia explored the attic, suddenly a dusty book glowed!”
2. Middle:
   • Conflict prompt: “But then [problem], so [action]…”
   • Example: “But then the book locked itself! So Mia searched for a key.”
3. End:
   • Resolution frame: “Finally, [character] learned [lesson].”
   • Example: “Finally, Mia opened the book and discovered her grandma’s magic recipes!”

Tip: Encourage dialogue (“Wait!” shouted Mia) and sensory details (“The attic smelled like old peppermints”).

Day 3: Revising & Publishing

Activity 4: Peer Feedback (20 min)

• Swap stories and use Two Stars and a Wish:
  • Two Stars: “I liked when…”
  • One Wish: “Could you add…?”

Activity 5: Final Draft (30 min)

• Rewrite neatly and illustrate the climax scene.

Assessment Rubric

Visual Aids

1. Story Starter Prompts

• “The robot dog barked… but it wasn’t a bark. It was a—”
• “I planted the seeds at midnight. By morning, they’d grown into…”

2. Graphic Organizer Example

[Beginning]  
Characters: ________  
Setting: ________  
Problem: ________  

[Middle]  
Events: 1. ______ 2. ______  

[End]  
Solution: ________  
Lesson: ________  

Differentiation

• Struggling Writers: Provide a fill-in-the-blank template.
• Advanced Writers: Add a subplot or flashback.
• ELL Support: Use picture aids + word banks.

High Level (Grade 6 to 8)

Subject: Figurative Language (Similes, Metaphors, Personification)

Objective:

Children will identify and apply similes, metaphors, and personification in writing by analyzing texts and rewriting sentences with figurative language.

Alignment with Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.5: Interpret figures of speech in context.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.D: Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language.

Materials

• Figurative Language Anchor Chart (Definitions + Examples)
• Short Passages (From novels, poems, or songs)
• Task Cards (For practice exercises)
• Highlighters/Colored Pens (For annotation)
• Interactive Notebook Templates (For notes)
• Digital Option: Google Slides or Kahoot! Quiz

Lesson Sequence

Day 1: Introduction & Identification

1. Warm-Up (10 min)

• Play “Guess the Figurative Language” with famous quotes:
  • “The world is a stage.” (Metaphor)
  • “Her smile was as bright as the sun.” (Simile)
  • “The wind whispered through the trees.” (Personification)

2. Direct Instruction (20 min)

• Anchor Chart Review:
  • Simile: Comparison using like or as (“Brave as a lion”)
  • Metaphor: Direct comparison (“Time is a thief”)
  • Personification: Giving human traits to non-human things (“The flowers danced in the breeze”)

3. Guided Practice (20 min)

• Students highlight figurative language in short passages (e.g., Langston Hughes’s poetry or Tuck Everlasting excerpts).

Day 2: Application & Writing

4. Figurative Language Scavenger Hunt (15 min)

• Find examples in song lyrics (e.g., “Firework” by Katy Perry) or advertisements.

5. Rewriting Activity (25 min)

• Task Cards: Rewrite literal sentences figuratively.
  • Literal: “The test was hard.”
  • Figurative: “The test was a mountain I couldn’t climb.” (Metaphor)

6. Creative Writing (20 min)

• Describe a storm using all three devices (simile, metaphor, personification).

Day 3: Review & Assessment

7. Peer Review (15 min)

• Swap descriptions and identify each other’s figurative language.

8. Quiz (20 min)

• Matching, Multiple Choice, and Short Answer (Example: “Is ‘The stars winked at me’ a simile, metaphor, or personification?”)

9. Extension (Optional)

• Figurative Language in Media: Analyze a TV show clip for examples.

Assessment Rubric

Differentiation

• Struggling Learners: Provide sentence frames (“The wind sounded like ___”).
• Advanced Learners: Write a micro-story packed with figurative language.
• ELL Support: Use visual prompts (e.g., angry clouds for personification).

Visual Aids

1. Anchor Chart Example:

SIMILE: "Her laugh was like wind chimes."  
METAPHOR: "His words were daggers."  
PERSONIFICATION: "The alarm clock screamed at me."  

2. Task Card Sample:
“Rewrite this literally: ‘The car engine coughed and died.’”
→ “The car engine made a noise and stopped working.”

3. Image Aid:
[A gloomy house with windows like eyes and a door like a frown.]
Writing Challenge: “Describe this house using personification.”