Sample Daily Lesson Plan for Writer’s Workshop
Opinion – Use of Persuasive Language, Text Forms (Process)
Lesson Focus:
What is the focus of the lesson? How will I teach it?
How can we persuade other people to consider our opinions when we write letters to them?
Rationale:
Why am I teaching this lesson?
The students have been learning about the present-day issues concerning First Nation peoples
and are currently writing letters to express their opinion. Based on their previous writing, the
entire class requires explicit instruction in the use of strong persuasive language.
Assessment:
How will I know when my students are successful?
Use the anecdotal record sheet to observe the following:
Use of strong, persuasive language
Prior Knowledge:
What prior knowledge do my students need in order to be successful with this lesson’s focus?
Before the lesson, students need to have had explicit instruction in letter writing, specifically letter
format.
Curriculum Expectations: Grade 6
Which expectations will I address?
Students will select words and expressions to create specific effects (use adjective and adverb
phrases correctly and effectively).
Students will identify some present-day issues concerning First Nation peoples that relate to
results of early contact.
Materials/Preparation for Teaching:
What do I need to know, have, and be able to do before I can begin the lesson?
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•
•
•
•
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Newspaper articles – current issues concerning First Nation peoples
Anchor Chart for Persuasive Language (see attached)
Status of the Class Checklist (see attached)
Guided: Opinion Paragraph – Mark Messier (see attached)
Sticky notes
Anecdotal Record Sheet (see attached)
Writer’s Workshop
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Differentiated Instruction:
How can I ensure that I am meeting the needs of all my students?
Pair ELL/Special Education students with fluent readers
Use mentor texts (articles/paragraphs) with lower-leveled vocabulary
Mini-lesson – Process
(10 minutes)
Share news articles written about issues related to First Nations Land Claims with the whole
group. This has been a “hot topic” in our local newspaper. Students work in pairs for 3 minutes to
identify persuasive language in the articles. Words and phrases are posted on an anchor chart
(see attached) that will be added to over the coming week.
Status of the Class: (see attached template)
Independent Writing
Whole Group:
Guided Writing
Small Group:
Conferencing
Individual:
Independent silent sustained
writing for a minimum of 15
minutes. Students analyse
previously written letters for
quality of persuasive
language and add
persuasive words/phrases to
strengthen opinion.
Meet with Jennifer, Michael,
Danika, Bobby and Maureen to
read an opinion paragraph on
Mark Messier. Model some of
the persuasive language used
and then students work in pairs
to locate persuasive
words/phrases and add new
words or phrases to our anchor
chart.
Meet with Andrew to discuss
his difficulties in staying on task
during Independent writing
time.
Meet with Kathy to discuss her
second draft of our class
newsletter.
Sharing/Reflection:
Were my students successful? Did my instructional decisions meet the needs of all students?
What worked well? What will I do differently in the future? What are my next steps?
Students meet in Literature Circle groups to share their persuasive letters to the editor with their
peers.
Writer’s Workshop
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Anchor Chart for Persuasive Language
This word/phrase is persuasive
This word/phrase is not
please
should
consider
know
please consider
you should know better
have you thought about?
you’re wrong
many of my friends believe that
everyone says
it’s not often that
nobody ever
I believe strongly. It’s important to me
you’d better listen to me
not well informed
stupid
fair
selfish
not generous
greedy
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Status of the Class Checklist
Week of: May 15, 2006
Anne
Susie
Karen
Michelle
Jeff
David
Erin
Danny
Gail
Andre
Yasmin
Lizzie
Alex
Aimee
Russell
Mo
Bobby
Danika
Jennifer
Mikey
Angela
Jackie
Margaret
Ralph
Henry
Doris
I/T
√√√√
D1
CC
D2
EC
P
√
√√
√√
√√√√
√√
√
√
Abs
Abs
√√√
√
√√
√√
Abs
√
√√
√√√√
√
√√√√√
√√√
√√
√√
√√√√√
√√
√√√
√
Abs
√√
√
Abs
√
√
√
√√√
√√√
√√
•
I/T = Idea/Topic generation
•
D1 = First Draft
•
CC = Content Conference
•
D2 = Second Draft
•
EC = Edit Conference
•
P
Abs
Abs
√√√
√√
√√
√√√
√√
Abs
√√
√√
√
√√
√√√√√
√√√√√
√√
√
√√√
√√√
√√
√√√
√√√√√
√√
√√√
= Publish
Note: Checkmarks represent the number of days during the week that each student focussed on a
particular phase of the writing process.
Writer’s Workshop
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Guided: Opinion Paragraph – Mark Messier
Have you ever thought of this question, “Should Mark Messier be part of
the Canadian Olympic Hockey team?” It’s in all the newspapers, but what
do you really know about Mark Messier? I think that what other people
say about him is wrong, especially the remarks about his age. Age has
nothing to do with hockey. The most important things you have to have to
be a great hockey player are honesty, sportsmanship, and courage. Mark
Messier has all of these strengths.
Many fans of the sport say that he has done many things for hockey in
Canada, and many hockey players agree that this wonderful, fantastic,
and great hockey player should go to the Olympics. Wayne Gretzky was
one of the people who thought that Mark Messier should go, and said that
if they lost the chance to have Mark on the team it would be a sad
mistake.
Mark’s record as a hockey player speaks for itself. He is a positive role
model, a true team member and a skilled skater. That sounds like
someone I’d like to have on my team representing Canada.
Writer’s Workshop
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Anecdotal Observation Record
Activity/Focus or Context:
Date/Time:
Expectations:
Writer’s Workshop
Student 1
Student 2
Student 3
Student 4
Student 5
Student 6
Student 7
Student 8
Student 9
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© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2006