Lesson Plan Design Template 

Literacy M
​ inilesson & Authentic Lesson​: ​Book Reviews 
 
Part One: Minilesson (15 Minutes) 
 
Objective 
Students will be able to write a book review that includes a summary, personal opinion, and 
recommendation in order to write opinion pieces on texts, supporting a point of view with 
reasons and information.  
 
Connected Standards 
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1: ​Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a 
point of view with reasons and information. 
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.B:​ Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details. 
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.C: L ​ ink opinion and reasons using words and phrases 
(e.g., ​for instance​, ​in order to​, i​ n addition​). 
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.D:​ Provide a concluding statement or section related to 
the opinion presented. 

 
Before the lesson: 
The students just completed their unit on writing literary essays and have now transitioned to 
practicing writing Text Dependent Analysis (TDAs) in practice for the PSSA. The students 
know how to write a thesis statement of their opinion on a text and then support it with details 
and quotes from the text. This lesson will teach them to do something more authentic and 
show them that their skills from literary essays and TDAs can be used to write reviews that 
people do everyday.  
 
 
Mini Lesson Plan​:
Connection:   Ask students to refresh our memory of what writing unit 
  we just finished and what kind of writing we have been 
working on (​ literary essays and text dependent analysis) 
 
401, last night I graded your literary essays on Bully, 
Blubber, and Each Kindness and let me tell you, you are 
literary essay experts! Every essay had a strong thesis, 
strong reasons and evidence and they rocked!  
 
Today we are going to take our expertise in writing about 
reading a step further and use it to write our own book 
reviews, which is something people write and read 
everyday in the world! 
 
 How many of you have ever read a book review? A movie 
review? A video game review?  
 

Teach:  Today I am going to teach you how to write a book 

review and what makes up a good book review.  
 
(Use Anchor Chart To Teach This) 
 
Writing a Book Review You Need: 
- The title and author’s name 
- A strong summary (but don’t give away the 
ending!) 
- A personal opinion with: 
- A thesis statement telling your opinion 
- Reasons to support your opinion  
- Details from the book 
- Transition words (first, also, in addition, 
next, finally) 
- A conclusion sentence 
 
Read them my example of my ​Wonder​ book review and 
point out how it includes each of these elements! 
 
 

Active Practice:  So right now take out your favorite book that you are 
going to write your review on and I want you to think 
about your strong opinion (thesis) statement. What is the 
one sentence strong opinion that you can give for this 
book? 
 
Turn and Talk with partner:  
“I think this book by this author is….” 
 
*Walk around to monitor that they are coming up with a 
strong opinion and not vearing toward examples or a 
summary of the book.  
 

Link:  So today we are going to put these steps to work and 

write our own book reviews! You are going to get a book 
review template (show them) that you will fill out for your 
own favorite book that includes the pieces of a book 
review that we just learned about! 
 
 
After the lesson: 
Immediately following the lesson the students will be given book review outlines and lined 
paper to practice what they have just learned. They will write a brief summary of their favorite 
book, write their opinion in the form of a thesis statement and support that with 2 reasons, and 
then write who they would recommend it to. 
 
Assessment: 
During the minilesson I will gather evidence by looking for the opinions they make on the text 
Wonder​ but my main assessment will be gathered after the lesson as they go off to write the 
actual reviews on their favorite books.  
 
 
Part Two: Independent Work (25 Minutes)  
 
After the mini-lesson, students will be instructed to work independently for 25 minutes to write 
their own persuasive book review on a book of their choice. The directions are summarized 
below:  
To pick a book, the directions will be as follows:  

● It can be their favorite book, their least favorite book, or a book we have read this year. 
The criteria will be that students will need to have finished the book in order for them to 
use it. Students may choose a picture book or a chapter book. These directions will be 
on the board and read allowed to students.  

 
To write a book review, the directions will be as follows:  

● Students will practice the strategy discussed during the mini-lesson. They will do this by 
writing their own book review. Students will first need to write a draft of their book 
review on the outline in the first page of the book review packet they are given. Then, 
once their draft has been checked by me, they can begin to work on the final paper to 
write their final draft. Students do not have to finish today, they just need to get as far 
as they can.  

While students work on picking a book, writing a draft, and potentially writing their final draft, I 
will be circulating around the room to help struggling students, monitor progress, monitor 
behavior, and push students that may find this to be easy. I will do this for the entire 25 
minutes. I hope to spend no more than 2 minutes with a student, but this will vary as necessary.  
 
 

Things I Will Look For  Questions I Will Ask 

● Use of persuasive language   ● What was your opinion of this book?  

● Did you like this book or not like it?  
 ● Stating an opinion at the beginning  ● Why do you think someone else 
(thesis statement)  should read it?  
● Strong descriptive words to convince   ● Why do you think no one else should 
● Short and focused review   read it?  
● Complete sentences (no run-ons!)   ● What are adjectives, or juicy words, 
● Overall correct use of  you could use to make your point?  
grammar/punctuation   ● What convinces you to read a book?  
● Focus on the opinion of the book  ● What convinces you to stay away 
rather than summary/retell   from a book?  
● Reasons why   ● How can we condense this review to 
make it short and sweet?  
● How can we add to this review to 
make it even more convincing?  
● Let me read this out loud to you and 
you tell me if you are convinced!  

 
 
Part Three: Lesson Closing (5 Minutes)  
 
After independent practice, I will have students come back to the carpet in their carpet spots 
and share out what they have so far to their partner and then will take volunteers to share out 
to the class.  
 
To share out with partners, students will:  

● Turn to their turn and talk partner on the carpet. 

● Partner 1 will have 1 minute to share  
● Partner 2 will have 1 minute to share  
● No feedback!  

 
To share out with the class, students will:  

● Voluntarily raise their hand to share what they have so far with the class  
● Listeners will praise, encourage, and give applause snaps for each other as they read  

Things I Will Look For  Ideas/Connections I Hope to Highlight 

● Use of persuasive language   ● How students used strong language 

● Stating an opinion at the beginning   to persuade the reader  
● Strong descriptive words to convince  
 ● Short and focused review   ● How students stated their opinion/ 
thesis statement right at the 
beginning to make it clear to readers  
● Students used descriptive language 
to illuminate their opinions  
● Students provided reasons why that 
supported their opinion  

 
 
 
Classroom Arrangement & Management & Materials Issues 
 
1. Transitions: 
Students will be seated on the carpet for the minilesson where we generally do all 
instruction. They will be coming from their seats so they will come to the carpet when I 
give directions and say the magic word for them to transition. After the lesson they will 
have the opportunity to either stay on the carpet and work on their book reviews or they 
may go back to their desks. They make the decision about where they will have the 
most self control and do their best work.  
 
2. Seating: 
Students will sit in their carpet spots and for turn and talks will talk with their 
predetermined partners on the carpet. For independent work they may stay at the 
carpet to work or go back to their desks.  
 
3. Materials: 
The materials I will need are: ​Wonder​ book, W​ onder ​book reviews to show on 
document cam, anchor chart on how to write a book review, and copies of the book 
review packet and the modified book review packet for my IEP students.  
 
Students will need their favorite book or a book they have read to write their review on 
and a pencil to write with. They will come to the carpet with these things.  
 
4. Expectations: 
During my minilesson I will have the same expectations on the carpet as we always do: 
calm bodies, students sitting criss cross applesauce with their bodies and eyes turned 
toward me and their voices off while I am talking. I will continuously be redirecting when 
necessary and making sure students are following the norms on the carpet during a 
lesson.  
 
5. Individual management concerns: 
 
 The larger management concerns I think may arise may be during their independent 
work of writing the book reviews being too difficult for some students and I have 
modified the book review template for that reason.  
 
Accommodations and Differentiation 
You may consider modifying any combination of: space, seating, timing, materials/tools, texts, 
modes of participation, grouping, objective, and assessment. 
  
1. Accommodations for students who may find the material too challenging: 
I have created a modified book review template that breaks down writing the summary 
of the book and making an opinion claim about the book for some of my students who 
struggle to begin writing and who have literacy IEPs.  
 
2. Accommodations for students who may need greater challenge and/or finish early: 
Students who finish the book review template early can then go on to write a full book 
review on it after completion of the outline.  

Assessment and Evidence  

Throughout each part of the lesson, I will be looking for students to practice the strategy 
taught during the mini-lesson today. When students practice writing a book review 
during the lesson, I will be looking for specific things. These criteria are listed below:  

Things I Will Look For 

● Use of persuasive language  

● Concise summary that does not give away ending 
● Stating an opinion at the beginning  
● Strong descriptive words to convince  
● Short and focused review  
● Complete sentences (no run-ons!)  
● Overall correct use of grammar/punctuation  
● Reasons why