Topic:

Choosing a topic to write about

Standards:

ELACC2SL4: Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

Essential Question:

How do writers choose a topic to write about?

Duration:

about 1 hour

Materials:

“Things I Did Over Summer” brainstorm chart, marker

Overview or notes pertaining to lesson:

Students will learn how to use their brainstorming list to choose a topic for a personal narrative.

Mini Lesson:

Students bring writer’s journal to the floor. We have spent a couple of days learning how to brainstorm ideas for writing. We have made lists and a memory map. Today we are going to practice writing about a topic from our list. Have students open to their “Things I Did Over Summer” list from a previous lesson. We have a great list of things we did over summer, but writers need to make sure that when they write a story, they have enough to say so they can stick to the topic. Model with your list, thinking aloud about all the things you remember about each topic on the list. You can jot some notes under each topic with bullet points. The topic that has the most bullet points will probably be the one you want to write about, because it is probably most exciting and you have the most to say.

Guided Practice:

Have students think about their topics and all the things that happened during each event. Have students turn and talk about 1 or 2 of the topics. Share a few ideas. Have students start to jot details they remember about each topic and guide those who need it.

Independent Practice:

Have students go to their seats and jot the events that happened under each topic on their list. Use this to decide on a topic to write their first personal narrative.

Closing:

Have students share which topic they picked and why.