ESL Practicum Lesson Plan

Date: 05/02/2018 Grade: 9-12 (mixed)

Subject: ELA Unit/Theme: N/A
Lesson Title: “Writing an Introduction” Length: 50 minutes
Standards: Prior Knowledge:
CCSS.W.9-12.2a: Introduce a topic; organize Students have been working on writing
complex ideas, concepts, and information to “hooks” and have briefly been working on
make important connections and distinctions; incorporating background information, but
include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics this work has been sporadic and the students
(e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when will likely need a more focused lesson.
useful to aiding comprehension.
Content Objective: Language Objective:
Students will be able to write an introductory Students will be able to write a 4-5 sentence
paragraph using the “triangle” method for introductory paragraph, including a hook,
organization and development. background information, and a clear thesis
statement.
Key Vocabulary: Materials:
hook whiteboard and markers
thesis statement paper and pencils for students
introduction copies of triangle method handout (attached)
background information copies of star-thesis handout (attached)
index cards/scrap paper
Resources
Andrew. (2013). “How to write a thesis statement for beginners” [YouTube Video]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCzuAMVmIZ8.
SVSU Writing Center. (2016). Star thesis [handout].
SVSU Writing Center. (2016). Intro/conclusion triangles [handout].
SIOP Features

Lesson Preparation Scaffolding Grouping Options

☒Adaptation of Content ☒Modeling ☐Whole Class (N/A)
☒Links to Background ☒Guided Practice ☒Small Groups
☒Links to Past Learning ☒Independent Practice ☒Partners
☒Strategies Incorporated: ☒Comprehensible Input ☒Independent
(Graphic Organizers):
Integration of Processes Application Assessment
☒Reading ☒Hands-On ☒Individual
☒Writing ☒Meaningful ☒Group
☒Speaking ☒Linked to Objectives ☒Written
☒Listening ☒Promotes Engagement ☒Oral
Anticipatory Set:
1. Bring the students down to the EL classroom (the host teacher will reintroduce the
student teacher before the student teacher begins the lesson – from this point on, the
‘teacher’ is actually the student teacher).
2. The teacher will begin by asking students about when they have written introductions
before:
a. What do they think goes in the introduction?
b. How do they typically write an introduction?
c. What do they typically include in a thesis statement?
d. What do they think a thesis statement’s purpose is?
3. The teacher will ask students what kinds of papers they are working on in their ELA
classes (right now or recently) and will inform them that we will be working on
strategies to help us write effective introductions and thesis statements for any paper,
but especially for the upcoming papers they will be working on.
Body:
1. The teacher will explain that we are going to start with the thesis statement (it’s the
most difficult part sometimes!), and will write the following questions on the board:
a. What are the two things we have to explain with a thesis statement?
b. How many reasons did the writer give in his thesis statement?
c. Do you think this was an effective thesis statement for the writers’ topic?
2. The students will watch a quick video on writing thesis statements and jot down any
notes they have for the above questions. The students will then be given a moment to
discuss as a group (with the teacher) the answers to these questions, with the last
question probably taking the longest (and providing the most varied answers).
3. The students will then be encouraged to think about their own topics that they would
like to write about (it can be suggested that they write about a topic for a paper in an
ELA class, or that they can write about something they find interesting or what to learn
more about for this assignment).
4. The teacher will introduce the thesis handout, and ask students to brainstorm their
“reasons”, and eventually a working thesis statement. The teacher should stress that
this is only a draft and that it is okay if it changes later, but that those changes should
come once the students have a better idea of what is in the whole paper.
5. The teacher will then introduce the introduction handout (the triangle method) and
walk the students through the different parts, asking question questions such as
a. What is your topic? How might you hook your readers into that topic? What
interesting information do you know about the topic that will catch readers’
attention?
b. What background information do readers need in order to understand the
argument you are making?
6. The students will be encouraged to brainstorm some ideas and write these ideas down
to the best of their ability.
Closure:
1. The students will think-pair-share what they have developed to determine if they have
provided an effective hook, given enough background information, and stated a
focused thesis statement.
 2. After reporting out, the students can turn their introduction into the teacher to receive
feedback from the teacher (to be returned the next day by the host teacher).
3. The host teacher will inform the students that these resources will be available as small
anchor charts in the classroom during future writing sessions, if they need them.
Assessment Plan/Grading Criteria:
Students in this small group receive grades as pass/fail. These lessons/mini-lessons are
designed as enrichment and extension to help solidify what they are learning in the ELA
classroom. As such students’ grades as pass/fail will be determined by their participation in the
lesson (answering questions, watching and responding to the video, using the handouts, etc.)
and their creation of an introduction. Students will receive feedback on their completed work
in order to improve for future writing.
Lesson Extension:
Students are not assigned additional homework from their ESL pull-out settings, but the
resources and practice provided in this lesson will be utilized as the students work on rewriting
their essays for their ELA coursework, over the next few weeks.
Adaptations/Accommodations/Modifications:
This lesson is taught in a small group of six students in a pull-out setting in order to better
address the individual needs and questions of the students. Students are taught using the SIOP
lesson and strategies developed and shown to be effective for developing and writing
introductions and solid thesis statements – something that they need extra attention in outside
of their general education classes in order to meet the expectations of their ELA teachers. The
students will be taught through modeling, audio-visual examples, visual models and graphic
organizers and practice and application on their own, with immediate oral feedback and
slightly delayed written feedback from the teacher. This lesson incorporates graphic
organizers and pair/small group work, as well as hands on practice, to a large extent.
Lesson Reflection:
This lesson went really well. I worked with 4 students in a pull-out setting, and each of these
students was at a different point in their high school education and from a different linguistic
background. The opening video was nice because it gave students a chance to both acclimate
to me as a new teacher and this new setting, while simultaneously introducing the idea of
writing a thesis in an interesting and straightforward manner. It also opened the door to asking
higher-level thinking questions like “was the writer’s thesis statement effective? Why or why
not?” The students seemed to really like the handouts and used them well, so these handouts
will be printed in color and kept on the wall in the classroom throughout future lessons, to
remind students of what strategies they can use when they are getting started on writing. I will
be pulling out more of these strategies (and turning them into anchor charts) in future lessons
as we continue working through the writing process. The students did not all finish their
introductions, but I will be giving them time to do so on Monday before we move into the next
lesson, which will be a bit shorter: writing an effective body paragraph.
 Hook
How will you get your readers'attention?

Background
Information
What do your readers
need to know?
Thesis
Statement

Topic: __________________________
Hook:

Background information:

Thesis Statement: On
the STAR Thesis
page!
Write your introduction in full sentences here:
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 STAR Thesis

Statement (not a question):

Topic ( ) is or is not

Adjective ( ) because

Reasons:
_______________________

_______________________

_______________________