EDUC 526

Lesson Plan
Author: Meredith Clark-Lewis
Teacher:
Mrs. Clark-Lewis

Lesson Title:
Sammy the Shark: Expository Writing

Grade Level: 3
Introduction to Digital Graphic Organizers and Paragraph Writing
Subject: Language
Arts, Science
Time frame:
45 minutes
(1 day)

Student Learning Outcomes (Goals): This lesson will provide students with the opportunity
to understand the uses of graphic organizers. Through this lesson, students will be introduced to
a variety of digital graphic organizers. The students will have the ability to choose a digital
graphic organizer and use the graphic organizer to plan, edit, and revise an expository essay on
sharks.

Objectives

Students will watch a video on graphic

organizers.

Students will choose a digital graphic organizer.

Students will utilize a graphic organizer to plan

and organize their writing.

Students will utilize research to develop their

writing.

Content and Technology STANDARDS

CA California Common Core State Standards (2012)
Subject: English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
Grade: 3
Content Area: Informational Text K5
Strand: Writing
Domain: Text Types and Purposes
Standard:
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly

EDUC 526
Lesson Plan
Author: Meredith Clark-Lewis

Technology Standards:
Elements to be identified are:
1. Creativity and innovation

Types of graphic organizers

Uses of graphic organizers
How to organize research
Developing and planning an essay
Writing an expository essay

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge,

and develop innovative products and processes using
technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products,
or processes

Materials: Non-Digital

Materials: Digital

Paper/Pencil

Google Chromebooks

Rubric Handout

iPads
Brain Pop Video
Digital Graphic Organizers
SmartBoard

EDUC 526
Lesson Plan
Author: Meredith Clark-Lewis
Procedure:
1.

Introduce the topic of graphic organizers by showing a Brain Pop video on

graphic organizers. The link to this Brain Pop video is:
http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/conceptmapping/

2.

Allow students to use the ChromeBooks for this step. Utilize the SmartBoard to
guide students to a website that contains digital graphic organizers. Provide
students with the website link (below) and then guide them in examining the
different graphic organizers and have them choose one for their own project.
The digital graphic organizer website is:
http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/igo.htm

3.

Students will utilize their chosen graphic organizer and insert information that
they have compiled from their own research of the following websites/apps:
Oceana.org and Discovery.com. Students can access these websites on their
Chromebooks. Walk around and assist students as necessary during this step.

4.

Instruct the students on how to compose a proper paragraph utilizing the

hamburger method. In order to demonstrate the hamburger method, the
students will be given the Hamburger Paragraph Template Handout, and the
teacher will show a PowerPoint presentation. The link to the PowerPoint is:
Hamburger Paragraph PowerPoint

5.

Students will fill in the hamburger paragraph template with information they
have filled in on their digital graphic organizers.

EDUC 526
Lesson Plan
Author: Meredith Clark-Lewis

SEE RUBRIC BELOW:

EDUC 526
Lesson Plan
Author: Meredith Clark-Lewis

CATEGORY

Graphic organizer or
outline has been
completed and shows
clear, logical
relationships between all
topics and subtopics.

Graphic organizer or
outline has been
completed and shows
clear, logical
relationships between
most topics and
subtopics.

Graphic organizer or
Graphic organizer or
outline has been started outline has not been
and includes some
attempted.
topics and subtopics.

Quality of Information Information clearly

relates to the main topic.
It includes several
supporting details and/or
examples.

Information clearly
relates to the main topic.
It provides 1-2
supporting details and/or
examples.

Information clearly
Information has little or
relates to the main topic. nothing to do with the
No details and/or
main topic.
examples are given.

Paragraph
Construction

Most paragraphs include

introductory sentence,
explanations or details,
and concluding
sentence.

Paragraphs included
related information but
were typically not
constructed well.

Graphic Organizer

All paragraphs include

introductory sentence,
explanations or details,
and concluding
sentence.

Use of Classroom Time Assignment was

Assignment consists of Assignment only
completed in the allotted graphic organizer and
consists of completed
time frame and includes rough draft.
graphic organizer.
graphic organizer, rough
draft, and final draft.

Paragraphing structure
was not clear and
sentences were not
typically related within
the paragraphs.
Assignment was not
completed in the allotted
time frame.