Important+Poems

Lesson Name: Important Poems Submitted by: Alix McKee (I got the idea from Joey Williams.) Standards: 1B, 1C Materials: //The Important Book// by Margaret Wise Brown Chart paper/marker Time: 2 writing workshop sessions @ 40 mins each Goals: Students will identify the most important thing about themselves to a public audience. Students will write complete sentences using correct capitalization and punctuation. Students will take a piece of writing through the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revision, editing, and publishing. Students will learn about their classmates’ priorities and values. Lesson Steps: Read aloud Margaret Wise Brown’s //The Important Book//. Discuss student reflections. Explain that students will be creating their own version of an important poem about themselves to share with classmates and family members. Reread the book as authors – looking at how the poem is structured. Point out that the first and last lines repeat, line breaks at the end of each sentence, middle sentences have variety, etc. Discuss the meaning of “important” and how it will be slightly different for each person. Model brainstorming a list of important things about the teacher. Choose the item that is most important. Model drafting the poem, thinking aloud as you compose. Especially model how to incorporate variety into the middle sentences. Look back in the book as needed. Give children an opportunity to brainstorm with a partner. Children draft a poem. Invite children who are struggling with composition back to examine the available models. Close by inviting children to share their drafts. Follow up this lesson with others to carry children through the writing process to publish this piece. Assessment/Activity: Review student writing samples to gauge student awareness of personal traits and competence with writing conventions.