ALEX Classroom Resource

  

More than One Way to Create Vivid Verbs

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

 More than One Way to Create Vivid Verbs

URL:

 http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/more-than-create-vivid-1008.html

Content Source:

 ReadWriteThink
Type: Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

After reviewing specific nouns, students create a two-column list of nouns and ordinary verbs specific to a particular occupation. They then pair a specific noun from the first column with an occupation-related verb from the second column to create descriptive lines with vivid verbs being used in a different context. The trick lies in the fact that the verbs must be used in a new way, having nothing to do with the occupation. Often this approach to writing leads to a natural metaphorical passage as a result. Students refine this writing strategy by rotating through computer stations, each housing a descriptive passage begun by other students, revising and suggesting improvements or just adding lines to the descriptive passages.

Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
R4. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R4.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres
Knowledge:
R4. Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.
Skills:
R4. Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.
Understanding:
R4. Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
7. Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writing in which the development, organization, style, and tone are relevant to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

a. Write narratives incorporating key literary elements, including characters, plot, setting, point of view, resolution of a conflict, dialogue, and sensory details.

b. Write informative or explanatory texts with an organized structure and a formal style, incorporating a focused point of view, a clear purpose, credible evidence, and technical word meanings.

c. Write an argument to convince the reader to take an action or adopt a position, stating a claim and supporting the claim with relevant, well-organized evidence from credible sources.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
7.
  • Narrative writing
  • Argument writing
  • Informative/explanatory writing
  • Writing development
  • Writing organization
  • Style
  • Tone
  • Task
  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Command of language
7a.
  • Narratives
  • Literary elements
  • Characters
  • Plot
  • Setting
  • Point of view
  • Conflict resolution
  • Dialogue
  • Sensory details
7b.
  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Organized structure
  • Formal style
  • Point of view
  • Clear purpose
  • Credible evidence
  • Technical word meaning
7c.
  • Argument
  • Claim
  • Evidence
  • Credible source
Knowledge:
7. Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
  • The purpose of argumentative writing is to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular position.
  • The development, organization, style, and tone of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
  • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.
7a.
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • Narrative writing includes text elements, like characters, setting, point of view, conflict, and resolution.
  • The plot is a series of events in a narrative text.
  • Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a text.
  • Sensory details use descriptions of the five senses.
7b.
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple credible research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by clearly focusing on the topic, providing credible evidence, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Informative or explanatory writing should include academic, content-specific technical word meanings.
7c.
  • The purpose of argumentative writing is to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular position.
  • Argumentative writing includes introducing the topic by stating an argumentative claim, relevant evidence to support the claim, and a concluding statement.
  • Evidence to support the argument must be collected from various credible sources.
Skills:
7. Students are able to:
  • Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writings.
  • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
  • Demonstrate command of the written language.
7a.
  • Write a narrative with a logical sequence of plot events.
  • Incorporate literary elements into their narrative writing, like characters, setting, point of view, conflict, and resolution.
  • Include dialogue and sensory details in narrative writing.
7b.
  • Gather credible information from multiple sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text with an organized structure and formal style that includes a focused point of view, clear purpose, credible evidence, and technical vocabulary words.
7c.
  • Write an argument to convince a reader to take action or adopt a position.
  • Include a claim, relevant evidence, and a conclusion in argumentative writing.
  • Gather evidence from credible sources to support the claim.
Understanding:
7. Students understand that:
  • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
  • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
  • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.
7a.
  • Narrative writing includes predictable elements, like a logical sequence of events and characters, setting, point of view, conflict, and resolution.
  • Incorporating dialogue between the characters and sensory details can make their narrative writing more engaging.
7b.
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes a focused point of view, credible evidence, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from multiple credible research sources.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic, content-specific technical words.
7c.
  • To persuade a reader to take action or adopt an opinion, they must present relevant, well-organized evidence from credible sources.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 6
24. Write about research findings independently over short and/or extended periods of time.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
24.
  • Research findings
Knowledge:
24. Students know:
  • Research strategies.
  • Independent writing skills.
Skills:
24. Students are able to:
  • Write about their research findings.
Understanding:
24. Students understand that:
  • They can demonstrate their thorough understanding of a topic by writing about their research findings.
  • Some research projects will be shorter, while others will be longer.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
R4. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R4.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres
Knowledge:
R4. Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.
Skills:
R4. Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.
Understanding:
R4. Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
17. Identify the conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.

a. Identify subject-verb agreement with compound subjects joined by correlative and coordinating conjunctions and with collective nouns when verb form depends on the rest of the sentence.

b. Identify the usage of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex statements and questions to signal differing relationships among ideas in a text.

c. Evaluate the functions of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
17.
  • Conventions
  • Standard English grammar
  • Standard English usage
17a.
  • Subject-verb agreement
  • Compound subjects
  • Correlative Conjunctions
  • Coordinating conjunctions
  • Collective nouns
  • Verb forms
17b.
  • Simple statements and questions
  • Compound statements and questions
  • Complex statements and questions
  • Compound-complex statements and questions
17c.
  • Phrases
  • Clauses
Knowledge:
17. Students know:
  • The conventions of standard English grammar and usage.
17a.
  • The subject of a sentence is connected to a verb, and the subject and verb must match in number, case, and person.
17b.
  • Methods to identify the usage of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex statements and questions in text.
17c.
  • Strategies to evaluate the functions of phrases and clauses.
Skills:
17. Students are able to:
  • Identify conventions of standard English grammar and usage in texts.
17a.
  • Identify subject-verb agreement in a sentence with compound subjects joined by a correlative conjunction.
  • Identify subject-verb agreement in a sentence with compound subjects joined by a coordinating conjunction.
  • Identify subject-verb agreement in a sentence with collective nouns when verb form depends on the rest of the sentence.
17b.
  • Identify various types of statements and questions to assess the relationship of ideas in a text.
17c.
  • Evaluate how phrases and clauses function in general.
  • Evaluate how phrases and clauses function in a particular sentence.
Understanding:
17. Students understand that:
  • Writing should demonstrate the appropriate use of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage.
17a.
  • Particular rules exist for subject-verb choices to ensure accurate use of conventions of standard English.
  • Authors should ensure subject-verb agreement in all sentences, including those with compound subjects, conjunctions, and collective nouns.
17b.
  • Different types of statements and questions are used in writing to describe relationships among ideas.
17c.
  • Particular phrases and clauses are used in writing for emphasis, to convey specific ideas, and to enhance meaning.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 7
26. Produce research writings over extended periods with time for research, reflection, and revision and within shorter time frames, with minimal guidance.

Examples: a day or two, a single sitting
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
26.
  • Research writing
  • Research
  • Reflection
  • Revision
Knowledge:
26. Students know:
  • Research strategies.
  • Independent writing skills for all steps of the writing process.
Skills:
26. Students are able to:
  • Produce writing that contains information obtained through research.
  • Reflect on and revise their research given the occasion and time constraints.
Understanding:
26. Students understand that:
  • Research can happen in short and extended time frames.
  • It is important to reflect upon information obtained through research before incorporating it into one's own writing.
  • It is important to revise work that contains research to ensure proper use for the given occasion.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
R4. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R4.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres
Knowledge:
R4. Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.
Skills:
R4. Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.
Understanding:
R4. Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
R6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R6.
  • Adapt
  • Speech
  • Contexts
  • Tasks
  • Command
  • Formal English
Knowledge:
R6. Students know:
  • Some contexts and tasks require formal English speech, while others permit more casual speech.
Skills:
R6. Students are able to:
  • Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.
  • Demonstrate command of formal spoken English when appropriate.
Understanding:
R6. Students understand that:
  • Certain contexts and tasks will require them to speak in formal English.
  • They can change their speech, such as the vocabulary and sentence structure used, depending on the occasion.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 8
25. Produce research writings independently over extended periods of time which encompass research, reflection, and revision and over shorter time frames.

Examples: a day or two, a single sitting
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
25.
  • Research writing
  • Research
  • Reflection
  • Revision
Knowledge:
25. Students know:
  • Research strategies.
  • Independent writing skills for all steps of the writing process.
Skills:
25. Students are able to:
  • Produce writing that contains information obtained through research.
  • Reflect on and revise their research given the occasion and time constraints.
Understanding:
25. Students understand that:
  • Research can happen in short and extended time frames.
  • It is important to reflect upon information obtained through research before incorporating it into one's own writing.
  • It is important to revise work that contains research to ensure proper use for the given occasion.
Tags: Acrostic poems, computer stations, descriptive passages, nouns, occupations, revising, verbs
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This lesson plan was developed as part of a collaborative professional writing initiative sponsored by the Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project (KMWP) at Kennesaw State University.

  This resource provided by:  
Author: Cassie Raulston
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