Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 29663
Sparks of Color
Using a variety of colors, students will practice the art of "revision" in the writing process.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 3
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Document Camera,
Computer for Presenter, LCD Projector
Instructional Time: 2 Hour(s)
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: revision, writing, adjectives, nouns, verbs, narrative, descriptions
Instructional Design Framework(s): Direct Instruction
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Adjective Verb Noun Handout.docx
Desert animals completed.docx
Revision Rubric.docx
Lets Have a Picnic.docx
Paragraph To Revise.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
strengthen their writing by revising.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing.
use nouns, verbs and adjectives when writing sentences.
produce simple, compound and complex sentences.
demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English for capitalization, punctuation and spelling in writing.
use temporal words and phrases to order events.
use descriptive details to develop real or imagined experiences.
use descriptions to develop experiences and or events in their writing.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students will need to:
understand adjective, noun and verb.
understand synonyms.
know how to work with partners.
know that writing is a process.
page 1 of 4 know how to write simple, compound and complex sentences.
know how to use transition words to move the reader through text.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
What do authors do when they revise their writing?
Why is revising writing an important part of the writing process?
How do authors use adjectives in their writing?
What can a writer do to make sure the text is clear?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
1. The teacher will give each student a copy of the attached Adjective, Noun, Verb Handout.
2. Present a topic to the students (i.e. desert) and as a class, have the students generate 5 nouns that are related to that content area. The teacher can use a content
area that has recently been studied. Go over the example in the gray area on the Handout (green, toad, hopped) to help students understand how they will be filling in
the handout.
3. Tell students they have two minutes to think of one adjective that describes each noun and write those words in the Adjective Column. Remind students they are
not allowed to use the same Adjective more than once. (Give students two minutes to complete the task)
4. Tell students they have two minutes to think of a verb that each noun can do and write those words in the Verb Column. Remind students they are not allowed to
use the same Verb more than once. (Give students two minutes to complete the task)
5. Once students have completed the task ask each student to place a star next to the set of words they think is the most outstanding and have students share their
phrases with the class.
6. Once this activity is completed, the teacher will state, "When writing, it is very important for students to be sure they include precise nouns, adjectives that help the
reader 'see' the writing and verbs that create excitement in the writing. When writers write their first draft they often use the first nouns, verbs and adjectives that
come to their mind. However, we all know that writers go back and revise their writings. Today we are going to practice revising our writing by focusing on including
more precise nouns, verbs and adjectives. I would like you to place your Adjective, Noun, Verb Handout in a safe place because we will be using this sheet again."
7. The teacher will project the attached Paragraph to Revise for all students to see. The teacher will explain that words that have an oval around them are Nouns,
words that have a rectangle around them are adjectives and words that have a cloud shape around them are verbs. The students will highlight all of the nouns (ovals)
in yellow, highlight the adjectives (rectangles) in pink, and highlight the verbs (cloud shape) in blue. Colored pencils, markers or crayons could also be used instead of
highlighters.
8. The teacher will display the attached Desert Animals Completed Handout for all the students to see. As a class, ask students what they notice about the "color" of
the handout. (lots of yellow, few pinks and few blues which are mostly the same)
9. The teacher continues: "This paragraph is lacking many precise adjectives, nouns and even verbs. Our task today is going to be to revise this paragraph sentence
by sentence as a class. As we revise this paragraph and we generate new sentences, you will be writing these right below the current paragraph."
10. The teacher will continue: "Remember, adjectives are usually found in front of the noun they are describing and the verbs usually come after the noun. Also, there
are other verbs in the sentences, but we are focusing on verbs that make the sentences pop."
11. The teacher will write the sentences the class is generating for all students to see. The students will copy the sentences on their paper.
12. As the class is revising the sentences the teacher will question the students with the following questions:
What adjectives could we use to describe that noun?
What is a synonym for that noun? Adjective? Verb?
What verbs could be used to explain what actions that noun can do?
How can we arrange the words in that sentence to give more precise information?
What beginning word can the writer use to improve that sentence?
What transition word can the writer use to move the reader along in the text?
What do authors do when they revise their writing?
Why is revising writing an important part of the writing process?
How do authors use adjectives in their writing?
What can a writer do to make sure the text is clear?
13. As the students write each new sentence, have them color code the sentence according to nouns (yellow) adjectives (pink) and verbs (blue).
14. When the entire paragraph has been rewritten as a class, ask students what they notice about the revisions they made to the paragraph. (there is more color than
the first paragraph, more precise word choice has been used, the text is more alive, the reader can "see" the text, etc.)
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
15. As this lesson continues have the students take out their Adjective, Noun Verb Handout that was completed in the beginning of the Teaching Phase (Steps 1-5). The
teacher will assign partners and together the partners are to revise the adjectives and verbs they originally wrote on each of their Handouts. Students will use the lines
on the paper under the "Revise Section."
16. As the students make their revisions, the teacher will walk around and listen to the students. The teacher can ask questions or make comments posed in the
Student Feedback portion of the template.
17. The teacher will give students an opportunity to share their favorite "first" word phrase and their revised "word phrase."
18. The teacher will give each pair of students a whiteboard, whiteboard eraser and whiteboard marker.
19. The teacher continues, "I am now going to write a sentence on the board. I want all of you to work with your partners and revise the sentence and write the
revised sentence on your whiteboard."
20. The teacher will project the following sentence for all of the students to see.
Suddenly, the dog dashed out to the street, just as that car was coming from the other direction.
21. As the students are working together the teacher will monitor the students' writing by walking around and observing and listening to the discussions of the
page 2 of 4 students working together.
22. Once all of the students have finished their sentences, the students will have an opportunity to share their revised sentences.
23. Complete Steps 19-22 for the following two sentences:
Looking up to the sky the kites were flying all over the place.
That fountain in the center of town splashed me as I walked by.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Students will each be given a copy of the Handout "Let's Have a Picnic."
Students will need to revise the paragraph adding more precise nouns, verbs and adjectives.
Before the students begin their revision the teacher will review the attached Revision Rubric with the students so they will understand how their work will be assessed.
Once the Revision Rubric has been explained the students will complete their revisions to Let's Have a Picnic.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Students will share their revised paragraphs with each other using a Meet and Greet strategy. All students stand up and put one hand in the air. On the teacher signal
all students begin walking around. When the teacher signals again, each student must stop and touch hands with one other student. At that point the two students will
share their paragraphs. The teacher can repeat the cycle as many times as is deemed necessary.
Summative Assessment
Students will each be given a copy of the handout "Let's Have a Picnic."
Students will need to revise the paragraph, adding more precise nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
Before the students begin their revision, the teacher will review the attached Revision Rubric with the students so they will understand how their work will be
assessed.
Once the Revision Rubric has been explained, the students will complete their revisions to Let's Have a Picnic.
Formative Assessment
Teaching Phase, Steps 1-5 will help the teacher determine the students' level of understanding about nouns, adjectives and verbs. The teacher will monitor the students
as they are working to complete the Adjective, Noun, Verb Handout.
During the Guided Practice students will be working with partners to revise sentences and the teacher will monitor the students work during this time
Feedback to Students
While students are working with partners during the Guided Practice portion of the lesson the teacher can pose questions or make comments such as the following:
What adjective would be more precise to describe that noun?
Can the reader "see" what you are writing about?
What other verbs can be used to show the actions of that noun?
Why did you use _____________ instead of _____________ to describe ___________?
Are there other words you can use to revise your writing here? (point to a particular section/sentence in the writing)
As the author of this piece, what feeling are you trying to create by using the word ___________?
I like the way you described _____________ with the word(s) ________________.
That (point to a particular word) is an extremely strong word choice.
Great job! Very precise word choice.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
Students can add their revisions in color instead of circling.
Students can work with a partner to revise their writing.
Students can dictate their revisions.
Extensions:
Students can take commercially prepared items (brochures, menus etc.) and revise them to make them more exciting. After, students have revised the
commercially prepared items they can send their "revised copy" to the restaurants or places described in the brochures.
Students can act as peer revisers for students in first or second grade and help the younger students with their writing.
Suggested Technology: Document Camera, Computer for Presenter, LCD Projector
Special Materials Needed:
Whiteboards, whiteboard markers, whiteboard erasers
Paragraphs To Revise Handouts - copies for each student
Desert Animals Completed Handout
Adjective, Noun, Verb, Handout - copies for each student
Let's Have a Picnic Handout - copies for each student
Copies of Revision Rubric for each students
Markers, highlighters or colored pencils in yellow, blue and pink
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
page 3 of 4 For Standard LAFS.3.W.1.3, the focus is parts b and c.
For Standard LAFS.3.L.1.1, the focus is parts a and i.
For Standard LAFS.3.L.1.2, the focus is part f.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Name of Author/Source: Anonymously Submitted
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.3.L.1.1:
Description
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Demonstrate beginning cursive writing skills.
b. Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular
sentences.
c. Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
d. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood, friendship, courage).
e. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
f. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.
g. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
h. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what
is to be modified.
i. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
j. Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.
LAFS.3.L.1.2:
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
b. Use commas in addresses.
c. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
d. Form and use possessives.
e. Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g.,
sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
f. Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending
rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.
g. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.
LAFS.3.W.1.3:
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and
clear event sequences.
a. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the
response of characters to situations.
c. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.
d. Provide a sense of closure.
LAFS.3.W.2.5:
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and
editing.
page 4 of 4