Haley Williams

ED 215R LESSON PLAN #2

Understanding word choice with focus on describing words
Mini-lesson into the workshop
RATIONALE FOR THE LESSON:
The children in my classroom range in reading levels from a C to a level L. For reading
this puts the children between early and transitional readers. I will be teaching the students about
describing words in books, through the use of a poem for this lesson. I will be introducing what
describing words are, what they do, (give more detail about a person, place, or thing) and the
purpose of using describing words in writing. I am emphasizing the last piece so that the students
understand that describing words help to create a picture in the readers mind of what they are
reading about. I am teaching this lesson now because it fits in well with what the students are
working on in their writing workshop. In writing workshop the students are learning about
poems. This includes the structure, the topic, the type of poem, etc., but it also includes the
language.
I want the students to see that when they read describing words it helps to give more detail about
what they are reading, essentially putting a picture in their mind, so that this idea can become a
part of their skill set when theyre writing poems. I think that this make a great connection with
the thinking that students are doing in reading to the thinking that students can do when they are
writing. Not only will this lesson provide the students with a more concrete understanding of
what describing words are, but it will also give them an understanding of the purpose of
describing words and how they are necessary in their own writing.
OUTCOMES/GOALS:
For the Student: What Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts (CCSS- ELA)
will you be teaching to?

CCSS.RL.4.1: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or
appeal to the senses.

For the Teacher: What WI Teaching Standard(s) will you be working towards in this lesson?
(Your goal)
Standard #9:
The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and
actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who
actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
Disposition:
The teacher understands the methods of inquiry that provide him/her with a variety of selfassessment and problem-solving strategies for reflecting on his/her practice, its influences on
students growth and learning, and the complex interactions between them.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: What specific learning target do you have for this lesson? (The
students will be able toin order to)

The students will:

Recall what describing words are and identify describing words in a piece of writing in
order to recognize that an authors purpose of using describing words is to create a
picture in the readers mind.

ACADEMIC LANGUAGE:
Function Word(s): Recall, Identify, Recognize, Picturing
Vocabulary related to function word(s): describing words, purpose, detail (color, texture, feelings,
actions, shapes, sizes) of person, place, or thing, picture in your mind, purpose
ASSESSMENT: How/when will you collect evidence to see if students have met the learning
objective?
Some informal assessment can initially be done when the students are still sitting on the
reading carpet during the mini lesson time. As I work through the modeling portion of my mini
lesson, I will come to a point where the students will be able to participate in working with word
choice. This will involve the students turning and talking to their partners to notice the precise
words in the passage I am directing them to look at, see what that word is describing, and then
draw a quick picture on a post-it note of what that word helps them to picture in their mind. The
students will be participating in that activity two times to get sufficient practice working with
identifying describing words, what they describe, and how they help to put a picture in the
readers mind. This is a good time for me to assess if students are successfully pulling out
describing words, understanding what they are describing, and if they can successfully draw out
the image that word creates. (I will be emphasizing that the image is not the most crucial part of
this lesson.) During these short times of turning and talking I will be walking around the reading
carpet and listening in and looking on to see what the readers are finding. This will help me to
determine if they initially understanding the concept before I send them to independent work
time.
The more formal method that I will be using for assessment for this lesson is note taking.
I will be working to assess 4-5 children during independent reading time through conferring. My
assessment plan includes visually watching/note taking as well as conversing with students as to
what describing words they are choosing from their story and place on their post-its, what they
helped to described, and how that created an image in their mind. There are a variety of specific
behaviors and actions that I want to see the students partaking in during independent time in order
to see that they are working to reach the objective. In order to keep track of this I have created a
student checklist/chart that I will be taking notes on. The vertical side of the chart will include the
behaviors that I will to see the students exhibiting. These will include: the child successfully
picking out a describing word, the childs understanding of what the word describes (person,
place, thing), can the child note the detail the describing word helped them to see, (shape, size,
texture, color, feelings, looks, actions), if the child can explain/draw what kind of image this
helped to put in their mind, and also if the child can choose another describing word. The
horizontal portion of the chart will include the childs name, the books, and the childs reading
level. I will also provide a key for myself. Number three means the child is independently
successful at the named behaviors, number two means the child needs to be prompted or
reminded to explain or re-demonstrate an important behavior that was missed, but most others
were present, and a number one means the child needs the behavior to be remodeled. If the latter
is the case I will work to provide some one on one remodeling of the same models I presented
during the mini lesson. This includes helping the child to notice a describing word, what it is
describing, and how the author chose that word to help us see a picture in our mind when we
read. The post-it notes that I will collect from the students after the lesson is over will also serve
as evidence to their understanding of the objective.

STRATGIES FOR STUDENTS OF VARYING LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT AND

IDENTIFIED LEARNING NEEDS: What do you plan to do to address the range of literacy
development and learning needs of the children in the class?
I plan to address the range of literacy development and learning needs of the children in
the class in various aspects of my lesson. First, during the mini lesson I will be modeling word
choice and identifying adjectives with a poem that is about a place that many of the children have
visited in their life, and a place that they have already read about in class; the zoo. I think that
using a poem that is relatable to the students will help to create more engagement from all of the
students as a whole. I created this poem specifically for this lesson as it includes a lot of
describing words. Some of the describing words will be familiar to the students and some may be
new, which is why this lesson is also working to extend students vocabulary. Those words will be
addressed in the lesson. I wanted to use a variety of words; some that would challenge those
children who are already familiar with common describing words and some words for students
who may not be completely familiar with the idea of a describing word.
After the mini lesson portion of the reading work shop is over, the students will be
breaking out into independent work. During this time students will be working with texts that are
at their own reading levels. I will be working the room to observe and assess students behaviors
and understanding of describing words. I will model and prompt for students who need more
support, but I will also work to challenge students who seem to be grasping the concept
successfully. This may include prompting them to find more words or even to come up with a
describing word that would have fit well in the book they are reading. There is also a child in my
classroom that has a hearing impairment and I will be working to meet that specific need by
wearing a microphone that will project and heighten the level of my voice throughout the lesson.
Aside from this child, there is a child in my room who has autism. During reading workshop time
I will be working to meet his needs by keeping his attention to the front and trying to work to
engage him in the conversation. However, during reading workshop time there is a special
education aide who comes into the classroom and works one on one with this child through the
entire reading workshop.
MATERIALS: List all materials you will need to teach this lesson.
Poem: A day at the zoo By: Haley Williams (there is a copy at the end of the lesson)
Anchor Chart: Word Choice (hand drawn, post-its will go on jar)

Describing Words
What do they do?
-give us more details about a person, a place, or a thing
What details?
-shapes, sizes, colors, how something feels/pattern, feelings,
actions
Why are they important?
-to put a picture in our mind

Our Word

Words we find

Words you find

Post-it notes
Markers
Clipboards
Pencils

TOTAL TIME NEEDED: An approximation of the total length of time as well as the particular
length of time for given components of the lesson.

50-60 minutes

PROCEDURES: (Explain in detail.)

Introduction: (1-2 minutes)
Students are invited to come and sit on the rug by the easel for reading workshop time.
There are behavioral expectations set in place by the teacher, such as where to sit, look,
and how to keep mouths closed. However, I will give the students a quick reminder that
even though I am teaching the mini lesson today, I have the same expectations as Mrs.
Johnson. Also, students will be given a clipboard with two post-it notes on it as they sit
down. They will also be asked to bring a pencil to the carpet. Strict rules will be given
about the clipboard and pencil for during the mini lesson. (Mrs. Johnson has also done
this before.) Before introducing what todays lesson is about I will make a connection for
the students to relate to describing words and how they might be used:
Have them close their eyes. I want you all to listen closely as I tell you about what I had
for dinner last night. I came home from work and there was a plate of food waiting for
me on the table. On that plate was a huge cheeseburger. I picked it up and it was warm
when I touched it. The cheeseburger has red ketchup and yellow mustard. There was a
circle piece of tomato on it. The French fries on the plate were golden brown and were
nice and crispy. Yumthat was a great meal. Open your eyes. Now, didnt that sound
like a delicious dinner? I could have simply told you that I had a cheeseburger and fries
for dinner, but instead I used precise describing words to tell you exactly what the
cheeseburger and French fries were like. I told you about the size, the taste, and the
colors. Maybe when I was doing this some of you could picture in your mind exactly
what my dinner looked like. That is what describing words help us to do. Today we are
going to be talking about word choice in reading, more specifically zooming in on what
we call describing words. I know that for the past couple of weeks in writing workshop
you have been working on writing poems. In poetry it is really important to use good
describing words or as you all sometimes call them, precise words, to help our reader see
what we are writing about. This lesson will make a great connection for us with the
thinking we do in reading to the thinking we do in writing! Today we are going to learn
all about describing words, how to identify them in a piece of writing, how they describe
something, and how authors use them to create a picture in the readers mind.
Demonstration and Participation: (15-17 minutes)
Refer to the anchor chart created to begin conversation about word choice/describing
words. Talk about what describing words are, what they describe, what details they give,
and how they help us as readers:
Lets talk a little bit more about word choice, zooming in specifically on describing
words. Describing words are specific words that give us more detail about a person, a
place, or a thing. Places are like school, or the grocery store, people are like you, me,
Mrs. Johnson, and a thing can be the weather, animals, food pretty much anything that is
not a person or a place. Now describing words give us specific details about that person
place or thing. Sometimes those details include size-big, skinny, large, tiny, tall,
short.shape-round, square, ovalcolor-red, brown, yellowhow something feels or

the pattern it hasbumpy, smooth, sharp, soft, striped, polka dots, hairyhow
something acts-naughty, nice, sweet, caringfeelings-sad, happy, angry, furious
All of these different types of describing words help to give us more detail about a
person, a place, or a thing. Authors use these words to help us as readers to make a
picture in our mind of what we are reading about. Remember, when I told you about what
I ate for dinner and I used all of those great describing words so you could picture in your
mind what I ate,-this is similar to what authors of books do, also, authors of poems.

Next, talk about what we are going to use to help us identify describing words and see
how they are used to give us more detail about a person, place, or thing:
Today to help us learn about the different kinds of describing words, what they
sometimes describe, and how we might see them in writing, I am going to read you a
poem that I wrote about one of my favorite places-the zoo. I am first going to read the
poem all the way through. (Post enlarged copy of poem on anchor chart board)
*Well, I noticed quite a few things about this poem. First of all, there are not any pictures
with my poem are there? No, there are not. But, there are a lot of great describing words
that will help for all of my readers to create an image in their mind about what I am
writing about.

Model what describing words I noticed, how I noticed them, and how I knew what they
were describing. Also, model the activity that we will be doing together and when they
work independently, with post-it notes.
I am going to work with just the first section of my poem. I already notice many
describing words. But, I want to focus on the last line of the first section. So we went to
the huge zoo. Well I know that the zoo is a place. So, my describing words are giving
more detail about a place. Instead of just saying a zoo, the sentence says a huge zoo. Now
I know that we said before that describing words can tell about size. The word huge
describes size. So my describing word is huge and it tells me about the size! Now I am
going to take my post-it note and write my word huge, and what it was describing-the
zoo, and what it told tell me about the zoo- size and I want to make a quick picture of
what these words made me see in my head on the back. When I heard huge zoo I picture
this huge zoo entrance so that is what I want to draw a quick picture of. Now, the picture
is not the most important thing, but it helps me to remember that these words meant
something to me in my reading. I am going to stick this post-it note up on our word jar,
on the side that says Words we found.

Do the same thing for the next section of the poem, but do it TOGETHER
o describing words: happy-describes a person and their feelings- draw picture with
person with a happy face

Now I have shown you an example and we have done one together, I want you to all
have a shot. I am going to read you the next part of the poem. First, I will read it to you.
You will focus on the second line. I would like you to turn and talk to your partner.
Together zoom in on the sentence and find out what your sentence is talking about, the
describing word, and write the detail that it gives you (size, shape, feelings, what is feels
like, actions, or color). Draw the picture you imagined in your mind one the back.
Remember, this is a quick turn and talk. You should be focused on the words-not on your
drawing. It is meant to be a quick and simple drawing.

Walk the carpet as students are talking and drawing. Ask what they are coming up with.

Okay, boys and girls, eyes and ears back up here please. I noticed that many of you were
describing different things about Ray the elephant. I talked to ___&___ and I would like
them to share what they found.
*Look for students who used one of the describing words, can tell what it is describing,
the detail, and what picture came to their mind.
EX: tall/fat elephant-size word
-Remember to write what detail that word gave us, size, feelings, color, shape, write on
note

Closing of the mini lesson: (1 minute)

Wow, we really did a great job today identifying all of the describing words that were in
the sections of the poem that we got to read. You all got to see how describing words can
be used to tell us more detail about a person, like a zookeeper, a place, like the zoo, and a
thing, like an animal. You also got to see how a describing word gives us specific detail
about color, size, feelings, actions, what something feels like. We also got to understand
and show how authors use these important describing words to help us as readers make a
picture in our mind. Now, I know that we focused on describing words in a poem today,
but the thing is, describing words are in all types of writing, especially the books that you
all read during independent time. So today, during independent time I want you to do
exactly what we did in the mini lesson. You will read the books that are in your book
boxes. While you are reading, try to find a describing word. See what it gives you more
detail about, like a person, a place, or a thing, tell what kind of detail it gave you, size,
shape, color, feelings, what something feels like, actions, and draw a small picture of
what it helped you see in your head. Remember, do not spend a lot of time on the picture.
So on the post-it is the describing word, what it describes, what detail it gives you, and a
small picture of what it helped you picture in your mind. You can make a couple of postit notes if you like.

When independent time is over, I will have us all meet on the carpet again. I want you to
bring over your best post-it note so we can share a bit of what we found. You will put
your note on the word jar under the side that says, Words You Find. Before you leave
the carpet, I want you to stack together your two post-it notes and hand them to me as
you get up and leave. Then, put your clipboards back in their spots. I will put these postits on our word jar. I will also turn the anchor chart so you can see it while you read. I
will be walking around to see all of the great words that you find. Now stand up, hand me
your post-its, put your clipboards back, and go and get started reading.

Practice/Performance: (30-35 minutes)

Students have transitioned to their tables and should begin reading.
Children are working to read and at the same time are identifying describing words, what
the words describe, and drawing a small picture to support that description.
During independent time, stop once to remind students of their goal-show an example if
there is a good one.

1st grade readers, eyes and ears up here please. I would like us all to remember that we
are looking for those important describing words that the author includes in the book to
help us learn more details about a person, place, or thing. Also, what detail that word
gives us-does it tell us size, shape, feelings, how something looks. Remember all the
kinds of describing words that there can be. Take a look at ____ post-it, he/she wrote the
word, what it describes, the detail it gives, and drew a simple picture of what they saw in
their mind. You need one really great post-it to share with the group later and put in our
word jar! Keep working!
During this time, walk the room and work to confer with 4-5 students using the student
behavior checklist.

Closure/Recap: (5-7 minutes)

Transition students back to meeting rug:
Okay, 1st grade readers, independent reading time is over. Now you need to choose your
best or favorite post-it note and bring it to the mini lesson rug so we can share some with
the group. Please post your note on the side of the jar that says, Word you found before
you sit down. Only bring one note! (Go sit in chair on carpet and use countdown
transition strategy to gather group on the carpet if they are not there yet.)
Okay, boys and girls, I could see how you were all working so hard to identify those
describing words in the books you were reading. I see some great words up on the board
here and I want to pick a couple of words and have the reader talk about their word, what
it described, the important detail it gave, and the small picture they decided to draw.
Point out a couple of words and have students share their words and what they described.
To accommodate all findings, give a 30 second turn and talk so the students can share the
word they found with the person sitting next to them.
Okay first graders, we did a great job today learning about the importance of word
choice and zooming in specifically on describing words. An author uses describing words
in a story to give us more detail about a person, place, or things, and to help us create a
picture in our mind about what we are reading. Remember we made a great connection
between what we learn in reading to what we learn in writing. Now after today when you
go to write your poems or any piece of writing you will remember that you should use
describing words so your reader can see in their mind what you are writing about.
End closing activity-Mrs. Johnson will give the next directions about Words Their Way.

Student Checklist
Describing Words: Independent Reading
CCSS.RL.4.1
Key: 3 = Independent; 2 = Prompted; 1 = More modeling needed

Behaviors
Finds a
describing
word/s
Understanding of
what the
describing word
is giving more
detail about
(person, place,
thing)
Can the child see
what detail the
describing word
gave them about
what it described
(shape, size,
color, texture,
looks, actions,
feelings)
Does the child
draw or tell what
picture this word
makes them
think (this shows
understanding of
the word)
Does the child
see or point out
another
describing word
in the story?

Child:
Book:
Level:

Child:
Book:
Level:

Child:
Book:
Level:

Child:
Book:
Level:

A day at the zoo

It was a warm and sunny day.
We wanted to do something brand new.
Its perfect weather to see the animals play.
So we went to the huge zoo.
The happy zookeeper was directing each guest.
She wore big boots and a large baseball cap.
Go this way and that way, she yelled, east and west!
We didnt need her, we had our own map.
First, we saw an elephant named Ray.
He was quite fat and really tall,
His back was all gray.
And he looked off balance, like he might fall.
Next, we looked at an orange Tiger named Muffy.
She lay low in the grass, falling asleep.
Her paws were large and all fluffy.
We made sure to not make a single peep.
We saw a chunky monkey named Bob,
Who chewed a banana up in a tree.
As I looked on, I let out a quiet sob.
Because I knew he was the last animal to see.
Maybe tomorrow when the sky is blue,
With no clouds that are gray,
We can come back to the zoo
And have fun all day!