Circle-Box-Underline
Grade 5
Lesson Title:
Deconstructing the Writing Prompt: Circle-Box-Underline
Lesson Overview:
Students will learn how to closely read a writing prompt using the circle-box-underline strategy.
Materials Needed:
-Student Worksheet
-Understanding the Writing Prompt PowerPoint
-ELMO (optional)
-Teacher Key
Instructional Focus Addressed:
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards
1-3)
Explicit Instruction (steps):
Introduce lesson:
Say: Today you are going to learn a strategy you can use to help you know exactly what to write about
when you read an essay prompt. It is important that you fully understand what is being asked of you
before you start writing an essay so that your essay is both organized and aligned to the task and
purpose.
Explain the steps of the strategy. PowerPoint slide 3.
Circle- the type of writing (informative/opinion)
Box- topic of writing
Underline- additional important information
Modeled Instruction (steps):
Pass-out student worksheet.
Say: Let’s take a look at the first prompt. Follow along as I read the prompt out loud.
Now that I’ve read the prompt once, I am going to circle, box, and underline the important
information.
Model working through the process. Think aloud each step.
Say: First, I need to circle the type of essay I have to write, which in this case is “informative.”
Under the ELMO, circle the word “informative” or turn to next slide. Instruct students to put a circle
around the word “informative” on their worksheet.
Say: Next, I need to box what I will be writing about, so I am going to put a box around “concept of
manifest destiny”, because I am going to inform my reader about manifest destiny.
Under the ELMO, box the words “concept of manifest destiny” or turn to next slide. Instruct students
to put a box around the words “concept of manifest destiny” on their worksheet.
Say: Finally, I am going to underline any other relevant information I need to know before I start writing
the essay.
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Under the ELMO, underline “Use information from the passage” or turn to next slide. Instruct students
to do the same.
As you underline, say: It is important to know who the audience is for the piece, and in this case, the
audience is your teacher. So, looking at what I have circled, boxed, and underlined, I now know that I
need to write an essay that provides information from the text on the concept of manifest destiny.
Guided Instruction (steps):
Divide the class into pairs.
Have the students work together to circle-box-underline the second prompt.
Circulate the room. After 2-3 minutes, bring the students back together and review as a class, making
sure all students have correctly coded the prompt. See Teacher Key.
Circle: opinion
Box: school uniforms
Underline: Use information from the passage
Independent Practice (steps):
Then, release the students to work independently on the final three prompts. Pull students who still
need support into a small group with you. Have students turn in completed worksheets.
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