Lesson plan
Let's Hook 'Em!
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to hook their readers by composing an interesting beginning.
Introduction
(5 minutes)- Gather students together.
- Tell your students that they will learn how to hook, or engage, their readers by composing an interesting beginning.
- Read the poem "Narrative Beginnings."
- Activate prior knowledge by reviewing story leads, characters, settings (time/place), and problems.
- Then, choose a few students to give examples of each story element.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(15 minutes)- Display the Story Lead organizer for students to view.
- Introduce the organizer. Read each column, and point out that the problem column is blank.
- Explain how your students will choose one example from each column to compose their interesting beginnings.
- Model this for your students. Starting in the first column, choose a story lead.
- Next, draw a line from your story lead to an example from the list of characters.
- Then, draw a line from the character to the setting.
- Finally, write the character's problem in the last column.
- Once completed, copy and write your beginning at the bottom. Read this to your students. Refer to the teacher example.
Guided Practice
(10 minutes)- Display another copy of the Story Lead organizer for students to view.
- Choose a student to select a story lead.
- Then, ask another student to draw a line from the story lead to a character.
- Follow the same process for setting and problem.
- Invite a student to write the problem.
Independent working time
(20 minutes)- Before students work independently, ask if there are any questions.
- Pass out a Story Lead organizer to each student.
- Instruct your students to walk back to their desks/tables and compose their interesting beginnings.
- If any student happens to finish before the allotted time is up, have him complete a second organizer or be a writing helper.
Differentiation
- Enrichment: Give your students a blank Story Lead organizer, and have them fill in each column to compose their own interesting beginnings.
- Support: Pair your students with stronger writers, and have them draw pictures of the story elements.
Assessment
(5 minutes)- As students are working independently, walk around and check in with each. Observe if the process of using the organizer and writing a beginning is easy or difficult.
Review and closing
(10 minutes)- Divide your class into groups of 4. Have each group share their interesting beginnings.
- Select 4-5 students to read their beginnings to the class. Have the audience ask questions.
- To end the lesson, ask students what is included in an interesting beginning and what should be done to "hook" readers.
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