Lesson Plans for Electives
Lesson Plans for Electives
Introduction:
Writing Across the Curriculum is an emphasis in the school setting today because we want students to be able to express themselves clearly and concisely in any future work situation they choose. Good writing is organized and creative thinking on paper. We write for many reasons: to inform, to persuade, to communicate, to tell a story, to reflect, to entertain, and to record what we know and present what we have learned. Writers must write in order to develop. Therefore, writing as a part of many subjects and disciplines is necessary if we want students become good writers. Listed below are a number of lesson plans from Language Arts and various Electives. At some point within each lesson, students will create various written products. Many of these plans may be adapted to several different disciplines. Click and explore.
Adding "Snap" to Language Arts
Taking photographs and using them as a starter or stimulus can be used to get into many subjects and disciplines. Students take a picture of themselves (biography), their animals (science, biology, nature study) , things that are important to them and then they use these photos as springboard for a writing project.
Writing to Describe a Process: Using a Cookie Recipe Exchange Model as a Starter.
Students bring in a family recipe and then get together and write the process of how this favorite recipe is made. This is writing to describe a process. Many disciplines require that students learn and follow a particular process to achieve a goal or product. Students could write the process in a recipe format (outline) and then describe it in greater detail in a composition.
Writing/Performing One Act Plays
Students create their own one-act plays after reading samples of other one act plays.
Students first choose a painting from a print or electronic picture portfolio. They then tell the story of what took place before this picture and what happened afterward. Students could do this assignment when they visit an art museum. They could pick their favorite painting for this project.
Write a Letter to Jesse Owens or any Sports Figure
Students first read some biographical information on a sports figure they wish to study. They then write a letter to that figure. Students are practicing their letter writing skills as well as learning about their heroes.
In this home activity, the students will interview family members about common household objects that were in use between the 1950's and the 1990's. Students choose two important objects to put in a museum of family life and then write a description of these two objects, their uses and practicality.
Laws have a vast influence on everyone's activities, even those activities in which people engage to escape the pressures of daily life like sports. This page provides the sample sport cases to look at. Students will write about different cases involving sports and see how our legal system influences every aspect of life.
When Athletes Are Off-Base: Taking Positions on a Sports Controversy
Students explore whether or not athletes have a responsibility to be role models in society. They then take a position on a current sports figure misbehaving in the news or one being an excellent role model. They will then write a persuasive letter to someone prominent in the current dispute or event defining their position on this athlete's behavior.
Music Theories: Exploring the Music World Through Reviews and Research
Students will write a persuasive and descriptive music review of a favorite music artist or group.
Showing Good Taste: Writing Thoughtful Restaurant Reviews in a Language Arts or Foods Classroom
Students will look at well written restaurant reviews from a prominent newspaper. This article suggests looking at the New York Times. Students can then write their own reviews of a favorite place where they like to eat.
Students will practice their descriptive writing skills by designing and writing a menu for a fictional restaurant.
Language Arts Lesson Plans and Resources
This site contains links to lesson plans for Language Arts. It is quite comprehensive and complete. It even has a search window. Hopefully, this will help you with any additional needs you have.
Conclusion:
I encourage you to have students write full sentence answers as often as possible. Have them write a paragraph or a multiparagraph essay when it is called for. If you have questions for us in the English Department, please come and ask, and we will be glad to share what we know.
Writing is well organized and creative thinking on paper. The challenge that writing presents is certainly worth the effort and necessary for a student's intellectual development.