Teacher: Laura Morton

Lesson Title and Grade Level: Would you want food to fall from the sky?, Grade 3
Unit Theme:
Lesson Topic: Writing an opinion paragraph
Context for Learning

Complete the chart below to include demographic information including learning needs, number of
students and supports and accommodations pertinent to the IEP goals. Consider the variety of
learners in your class who may require different strategies/supports or
accommodations/modifications to instruction or assessment (e.g. students with IEPs or 504 plans,
English language learners, struggling readers underperforming students or those with gaps in
academic knowledge, and/or gifted students needing greater support or challenge).
Learning Needs Category

Central Focus

Content
Standards/Objectives

Number of Students

Supports, Accommodations,
Modifications, and/or
Pertinent IEP Goals
Student with IEP
1
Extra time for assignment,
computer use to write rough
draft
ELL Student
1
Visual and Auditory Instructions
and models, spanish to english
The central focus of this unit is to teach students how to considered perspectives and
support opinions.
Common Core Content Standard

Learning Objective

5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how

specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger
portions of the text (e.g., a
section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to
each other and the whole.
1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts,
supporting a point
of view with reasons.
a. Introduce the topic or text they are writing
about,
state an opinion, and create an organizational
structure that lists reasons.
b. Provide reasons that support the opinion.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g.,
because, therefore,
since, for example) to connect opinion and
reasons.
d. Provide a concluding statement or section.

Given a modeled paragraph, students will work

as a group to determine at least five qualities of
a good paragraph.
Using their graphic organizers from yesterday's
lesson, students will write an opinion paragraph
that answers the questionWould you want to
have food rain from the sky? Why or why
not?with at least five sentences, an
introduction sentence, three supporting reasons
and a conclusion sentence.

10. Write routinely over extended time frames

(time for
research, reflection, and revision) and shorter
time frames
(a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
11. Create and present a poem, narrative, play,
art work, or
personal response to a particular author or
theme studied
in class.
5. With guidance and support from peers and
adults, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, and
editing.
6. With guidance and support from adults, use
technology to
produce and publish writing (using
keyboarding skills) as
well as to interact and collaborate with others.
1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts,
supporting a point
of view with reasons.
a. Introduce the topic or text they are writing
about,
state an opinion, and create an organizational
structure that lists reasons.
b. Provide reasons that support the opinion.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g.,
because, therefore,
since, for example) to connect opinion and
reasons.
Provide a concluding statement or
section.
-experiment and create art works, in a variety
of mediums (drawing, painting, sculpture,
ceramics, printmaking, video, and computer
graphics), based on a range of individual and
collective experiences

Using their rough draft that has been revised

and edited, students will use the classroom
computers to type and print their final copy on
nice paper with no spelling or punctuation
errors.

Given a food printout that they have colored and

cut out, students will glue their opinion
paragraph to the food item to create a final
project to present to the class.

Vocabulary/Concepts/Langu
age
Rationale

Opinion piece, supporting reasons, graphic organizer

According to the New York State Common Core Standards, to build a foundation for college and
career readiness, students need to learn to use writing as a way of offering and supporting opinions,
demonstrating understanding of the subjects they are studying, and conveying real and imagined
experiences and events. To meet these goals, students must devote significant time and effort to
writing, producing numerous pieces over short and extended time frames throughout the year.

Essential Questions
(Formative Questions)

Would you want food to rain down from the sky? Why or why not?
What are the components of a strongly written opinion paragraph?

Assessments:
Type of assessment

Formative

Formative

Summative

Description of
assessment

Modifications to the assessment

so that all students could
demonstrate their learning.

Group Discussion:
What are the
components of a good
paragraph?

Discussion and self

reflection: When
students have written
their rough draft they
will talk with a
classmate or work
independently to
revise and edit their
paragraph
Rubric: Students will

Evaluation Criteria - What evidence of

student learning (related to the
learning objectives and central focus)
does the assessment provide?

Student with IEP will type their

rough draft on the computer to
aid with their spelling and
handwriting needs
Student with IEP will be given a
writing process checklist

Analyze the structure of texts, including

how specific sentences, paragraphs, and
larger portions of the text (e.g., a section,
chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each
other and the whole.

This is to assess their prior knowledge of

what the components of a good paragraph
are.
With guidance and support from peers
and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising,
and editing.
This assessment is used to determine if
students can use the writing process to
revise and edit their paragraph.

1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts,

supporting a point
of view with reasons.
a. Introduce the topic or text they are writing
about,
state an opinion, and create an
organizational
structure that lists reasons.
b. Provide reasons that support the opinion.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g.,
because, therefore,
since, for example) to connect opinion and
reasons.
Provide a concluding statement or
section.

be given a rubric to
show that an excellent
paragraph contains an
introduction sentence,
three supporting
reasons, a conclusion
sentence and is
comprised of at least
five sentences

This assessment is given to students to

determine if they can follow a rubric to write
a paragraph that contains all necessary
components.

Summative

Summative

Teacher review: Before

students type their
final copy, their rough
draft will be reviewed
by the teacher or
teaching assistant
Assignment: Students
will type their final
copy, print it, and
paste it onto a food
sheet that they have
colored in to create
their final presentation

With guidance and support from peers

and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising,
and editing.

This is to assess if they have used the writing

process correctly to write, revise and edit
their paragraph.

Student with IEP will be given

extra time to complete the
assignment

6. With guidance and support from adults,

use technology to produce and publish
writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as
to interact and collaborate with others.
11. Create and present a poem, narrative,
play, art work, or personal response to a
particular author or theme studied in class.
-experiment and create art works, in a
variety of mediums (drawing, painting,
sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, video, and
computer graphics), based on a range of
individual and collective experiences

This assessment is used to determine if

students can type up a final copy with no
mistakes and present their final copy neatly
on a colored piece of food to display on the
bulletin board.

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

Procedure
Anticipatory Set
__5___ minutes

Teacher will:

Brainstorming, Assessing Prior

Knowledge, Do Now, Question
of the day, literature,
think/pair/share, group
activity, visual or video

Review with the

students that yesterday
we made a graphic
organizer stating an
opinion with 3
supporting reasons
stating why they would
or would not like to live
in a town where food
rains from the sky
Show the students an
opinion paragraph that I
have written that states
why I think Cloudy
With A Chance of
Meatballs, by Judi
Barrett is the best book
ever
Ask for a volunteer to
read the paragraph for
the class
Ask the students to use
my modeled paragraph
to tell me what makes it
a good paragraph
Write down the answers
they give on the large

Students will:

One student will

volunteer to read the
paragraph to the class
Students will volunteer
to state what makes my
paragraph a good

Modifications (RTI/UDL
Strategies)

Paragraph will be read out loud as

well as shown in written form to
support the ELL's learning process

flip chart paper to use as

a reference

paragraph
Components of a good paragraph are
written and said out loud to support
ELL and student with IEP

Learning Tasks and

Instructional
Strategies
__30___ minutes
Demonstration, Guided
Practice,
Journals, Critique, Activity,
Work Time (for example)
This section should be
separated into individual rows
as needed.
Consider transitions: supply
distribution and clean up.

Instruct the students to

take their graphic
organizers out of their
ELA folders as well as
their ELA journals
Instruct that they will
have 30 minutes to
write their rough draft,
revise and edit their
draft
State that they can work
with a partner for the
revising and editing, but
they must work alone to
create their rough draft
Explain that their
paragraph must contain
at least five sentences,
an introduction, their 3
supporting ideas and a
conclusion
Tell the students that
they can sit anywhere in
the room they feel
comfortable and
inspired to write
Put 30 minutes on the
clock on the projector
so that everyone can see

Remove their graphic

organizers from their
ELA folder and their
ELA journals
Student with IEP will be given more
time to write rough draft
Student with IEP will write their rough
draft on the computer to aid with
their handwriting and spelling
Student with IEP and ELL student will
be given a writing process personal
checklist

Rubric will be given in writing as well

as read out loud to support ELL

Find a place in the room

where they are
comfortable to write
and free from
distractions and use the
30 minutes to write a
rough draft, revise it
and edit it either alone

ELL student will be given a handheld

spanish to english translator to aid
them with writing any unfamiliar
words

Independent
Practice/Exploration
of Concepts
__15___ minutes

Practice/implement skills;
cooperative learning; group
work, etc.
Consider transitions: supply
distribution and clean up.

how much time they

have left
Instruct that when they
have finished writing,
revising and editing
their final copy to bring
it to me or our teaching
assistant to be reviewed
Music will be played
during the writing
process to aid
concentration

After their paragraph

has been read and
approved by the teacher
or teaching assistant,
students will use the
classroom computers to
type and print their
paragraph
Instruct the students that
have finished writing
their final draft to
choose a picture of a

or with a partner
When they believe their
paragraph is ready for a
final copy, they will
bring their paragraph to
the teacher or teaching
assistant for review

After their paragraph

has been approved, they
will type and print their
final copy using the
classroom computers

Choose a food and color

it in

Closure
__10___ minutes

Share understanding of the

concepts (journal, verbal
share-out, exit slips, etc)

food item and color it in

and then cut it out
When the students have
finished coloring and
have cut out their fruit,
they will be instructed
to paste their final copy
onto the fruit
Tell the students to
come to the carpet and
stand in a circle
Have the students read
their paragraph to the
class one by one going
around the circle

Paste their final copy

paragraph onto their
colored food picture

Come to the carpet and

stand in a circle

Read their paragraph to

the class

Instructional Resources, Materials and References: (Including all images used.):

Large Flip Chart with prepared paragraph written on it
Chalk or dry erase markers to write on the board
Graphic Organizers that were completed during yesterday's lesson
ELA journals
pencils
online clock timer http://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-timer/
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett
Printouts of various food items
crayons, colored pencils and markers
nice paper for final copies
glue sticks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOkgqgYYpaY writing process music
Rationale and Reflection/Commentary:
1-Rationale Prior to Teaching:

Students
Students
Students
Students

will
will
will
will

have
have
have
have

made their graphic organizers during yesterday's lesson

prior knowledge of what makes a good paragraph from previous lessons
prior knowledge of the writing process
prior keyboarding skills

By the end of the lesson, students will have written an opinion paragraph with an introduction, three supporting reasons and a
conclusion
This is a life skill for students to develop an opinion on a subject and be able to back up their opinion with strong, well thought out
reasons
Transition from independent writing time- timer signal
Transition to carpet for final activity- clap once if you can hear me, clap twice if you can hear me