1. Detective
Descriptive’s
Writing Workshop
Topic: Descriptive Words
Concept: Creativity and Expression
By: Tasha Grant
First Grade Writing Unit
Winter 2008

2. Table of Contents
Chapter Page
Instructional Setting………………………………………………… 1 3
Family Communication Plan……………………………………….. 2 15
Unit Rationale………………………...…………………………….. 3 18
Unit Outline…………………………...……………………………. 4 21
Assessment Plan……………………………………………………. 5 26
Learning Plan……………………………………………………….. 6 46
Lesson 1: Clicker Clues!.…………………………………………… 7 53
Lesson 2: Tools of the Trade……………………………………….. 8 62
Lesson 3: 100th Day Collections……………………………………. 9 80
Lesson 4: Monsters, Monsters Everywhere!...................................... 10 87
Lesson 5: Science Detectives……………………………………….. 11 93
Lesson 6: The Mystery Begins……………………………………... 12 103
Lesson 7: The Usual Suspects……………………………………… 13 108
Lesson 8: Mrs. Gove‟s class, in the cafeteria, with the napkin…….. 14 111
Post Assessment Data Display……………………………………... 15 117
Assessment Analysis……………………………………………….. 16 124
Summary of Student Growth………………………………………. 17 127
Analytical Essay……………………………………………………. 18 141
Resources…………………………………………………………… 19 145
Appendix A: Pre-assessment Work Samples………………………. 20 147
Appendix B: Formative Assessment Work Samples……………….. 21 156
Appendix C: Final Performance Task Work Samples……………… 22 165
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3. Instructional Setting
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4. Part I: Community, School, and Classroom contexts
Community:
The school is located in a retirement community with a population of 34,237. The city is
located in the valley of the Rogue River and much of the community and its activities revolve
around this feature. The economy of the area was at one time based upon the timber industry but
has since diversified to include a mix of light manufacturing, secondary wood products, retail
trade, tourism, and recreation and service based industries. The climate in the area is mild; with
temperatures ranging from the mid 20‟s to high‟s right above 100. This mild climate and outdoor
inspired living led the community to be featured in a national magazine as one of the top ten
places to retire and since then the retirement population has boomed. This population boom
fueled the expansion of the medical and retirement facilities in the valley. Another result of the
steadily increasing retirement population was an increase in housing prices to the point where the
average family in the area cannot afford to purchase a home. The average home price in the area
is $231,700 an increase of over 200% since 2000 when the average home sold for $111,200. The
median household income is $37,400. The racial composition is as follows: White, non-
Hispanic—90.1%; Hispanic—5.4%; Two or more races—2.9%; Native American—2.5%; other
race—1.6% (total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted as other races).
Based upon the information from the City-Data website, it is easy to conclude that the
community is not that diverse.
The community is served by six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high
schools. For the past one and a half years the library has been closed due to lack of funding.
This has put a burden on the community in many ways. A makeshift library was created this past
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5. summer as an effort by teachers in the valley to continue exposing the students to great literature
and the joy of reading. Thanks to the hard work of many community members, the library
recently reopened. Another resource in the valley is the vast population of retired people. Many
times these folks are looking for opportunities to help out in the community and would love to
come to the school and be involved in reading with students.
School Setting:
The mission of the school is to create “a community dedicated to academic success,
social responsibility, and the pursuit of lifelong learning.” The guiding principles are to provide
a caring environment that enhances self worth, guiding children to make responsible decisions,
that each individual has unique talents, prepare students to appreciate and contribute to our
multicultural, diverse, global society, set high standards, and that families are partners in
education.
The school has 17 classroom teachers, a P.E. teacher, a music teacher, a special ed
teacher, and a reading specialist for a total of 21 teachers. All of the teachers except the special
ed teacher are female. The school has 390 students, 74% of whom qualify for free or reduced
price lunches. The racial composition of the school is as follows: 82% white, non-Hispanic;
16% Hispanic; 2% American Indian; <1% Asian/Pacific Islander; <1% Black, not Hispanic.
There is a slight difference in the racial composition of the school as compared to the
community. This difference is mainly between the White, non-Hispanic totals and the Hispanic
totals. I believe that the cause of this discrepancy is the fact that the school is one of two
elementary schools in the district that has programs for ELL students. The school is also
recognized as a Title I school, which means that the school receives additional funding to
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6. provide supplementary instruction in the areas of reading and math instruction for students. The
Title I reading specialist and trained instructional assistants work with students both in individual
classrooms and in the reading room. A speech therapist visits the school on a regular basis to
work with students who are referred for services. The child development specialist visits the
school several days a week to teach lessons on positive interactions and consult individually with
students.
The school day lasts from 8:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Students are given a 45 minute lunch,
of which 15 minutes is allotted for eating and 30 minutes for recess. There is also a 10 minute
morning recess. Students also are out of the main classroom for music and P.E. They attend one
or the other every day. In the fourth grade students are given the option to participate in string
instruments, and in fifth grade they can choose to play band instruments. These programs are in
addition to the regular music classes.
The school is a Positive Behavior School (PBS). This means that the emphasis is on
creating proactive strategies to encourage positive school environments. Strategies used at this
school include „Caught Slips‟ in which the teacher marks a box stating whether the behavior was
responsible, respectful, safe, or for helping others. The slip then gets entered into drawings for
random things, like books or lunch with the principal or teacher.
Read at Home is a school wide program to encourage students to read at home every
night throughout the year. Each student chooses a book and takes it home where they read to an
adult for at least 15 minutes each night. The adult then signs a slip that is returned with the
student stating the book that was read and whether or not the student had trouble reading.
Throughout the year students can earn classroom parties, t-shirts, and other prizes.
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7. One of my favorite features at this school is the morning announcements. After the main
announcements and Pledge of Allegiance, the composer of the week is announced with a short
statement about the composer or music. Then a five minute piece of classical music is played
over the intercom. I feel that this sets the mood for the rest of the morning.
Classroom Setting:
I am currently student teaching in a first grade classroom. There are 25 students ranging
in age from six to eight years old. Three students are ELL students, and one of the ELL students
is from a home with deaf/mute parents. One student is only in the class for a short time during
the morning calendar/story time and in the afternoon for 30 minutes following lunch time,
always with a special ed teacher or assistant. There are 10 girls and 14 boys in the classroom.
The desks in the classroom are arranged in random groups around the room—four to a group.
The classroom is controlled chaos. There is organization, but it is very difficult to see. The
teacher has been in the same classroom for some time (I believe for 9 years now).
The daily schedule places a heavy emphasis on reading and math. The day begins with
seatwork in the students‟ count-to-100 journal, and then the class moves to the carpet for
calendar time. Following calendar, a story is read to limit the reading instruction missed by the
three ELL students. The students then spend 90 minutes in a reading block before recess in the
morning. After recess they spend 30 minutes writing in their journals and then the students go to
lunch. After lunch the students have their „double dose‟ of reading instruction. The most
intensive students go to the reading room for another 35 minute lesson. Students in the
classroom spend the time working on grammar and spelling. After „double dose‟ the students
then move on to math. During the middle of math, students leave for P.E. or music (it depends
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8. on the day of the week) for 40 minutes. When they return to the room they spend several minutes
finishing math and then move to the carpet for sharing.
Part II: Individual Learners and Adaptations
Student One is a student who comes from a split household. Her mother is in prison and
she lives with her dad and grandmother as well as two brothers. She is slightly overweight and
does not seem to have clothes that fit her properly. The clothes that she does have do not appear
to be washed, and the CT has taken her jacket to be washed on one occasion. She is in the
intensive group of readers. At the start of the year, she could recognize few letters and letter
sounds. She attended kindergarten at the same school and would have been in the kinder-plus
(five days a week instead of just two) class if she had better attendance. She seems to make
progress as long as she makes it to class on time. She gets frustrated easily, especially when
goaded by other students.
Student Two is one of three ELL students in the classroom. He is a well adjusted student
and is in the second highest reading group. He is currently working with the speech therapist
twice a week. In some instances he needs quiet to complete work and if the room is not quiet he
gets frustrated and upset. He likes playing sports like football and soccer, which could signal that
he is a kinesthetic learner. He has recently been saddened by the fact that his dad has moved to
Texas to find work.
Student Three is a quiet student. He is in the intensive reading group and is making
steady progress. He goes to the Title 1 room for instruction every day after lunch for half an
hour. He always has a ready smile. He comes from a large family (he is one of eight children),
although I believe he has only a few siblings at home. He speaks of visiting his brothers in a city
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9. two hours away. One of the subjects he was most looking forward to this year is math, even
though he sometimes struggles.
The next student is Student Four. Student Four is only in the classroom briefly during the
morning routines. The rest of his day is spent in the special ed classroom. While he is in the
classroom, he always has an assistant with him. He has a difficult time paying attention and
sitting still, and on a few occasions, trouble controlling his temper. His brain development is at
about a three year old level. The goal for Student Four is to increase his time spent in the
mainstream classroom. The rest of the students are reminded of how to model behavior for
Student Four, and it is amazing to see them acknowledge him when he is acting appropriately
and ignore him when he is causing a disturbance.
Student Five is another student in the most intensive group. She is currently undergoing
assessment for learning disabilities. She has vision problems and requires her glasses for reading.
At the beginning of the year she recognized just three letters and no letter sounds. She seems to
have difficulty with memory (per her mom, who is actively helping to diagnose what is causing
Student Five‟s difficulties). Twice a week she meets with a speech therapist. She is in the Title 1
room during writing group for one on one instruction. She is an only child.
Student Six is the son of one of the teachers at the school. He is a benchmark student and
is happy to do his work. He recently moved to the highest reading group and is continuing to do
well. Every once in awhile he can get a little chatty and cause the students around him to get a
little rowdy. He is the oldest child in his family, with a new little brother on the way, and both of
his parents are very involved in creating his success.
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10. Student Seven is a student from a large family. She is generally a happy student and
rarely causes a disturbance. She is overweight and has mentioned that it is painful to sit criss-
cross on the carpet in the morning. Although she works hard, she often struggles during reading.
She is in the third highest reading group. Her family came to the open house and conferences.
Student Eight is a shy student. He comes out of his shell when given responsibility.
Lately he has been acting out at school. I believe this could be due to the fact that he recently
became a big brother. He has one older brother as well. His parents are divorced, and I believe he
lives with his father. In his journal he writes about his grandparents a lot. He is a student that is at
benchmark.
Student Nine is an outgoing student who likes to be around her friends. She is at
benchmark and completes her work quickly as long as she is not distracted by her friends. She
recently became a big sister for the second time and is enjoying it immensely. She completes her
read-at-home while reading to her new little brother. Her mom volunteers in the classroom once
a week, and both of her parents are active in her education.
Student Ten is an exceptional, hard working student. She works quietly and is rarely off
task. Her family seems like they are always on the go, and because of this she is about 25 books
behind in the read-at-home program. She is in the second highest reading group. She likes to tell
stories about her life and often talks about the horses her family races.
Student Eleven comes from an interesting background. Both of his parents are deaf-mute,
and a translator is brought in for conferences and open house nights. He learned to speak from
the TV and his older sibling. He is quiet and most of the time has a difficult time following
classroom instruction. He often seems confused by the directions and lost when writing in his
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11. journal. He is one of three students pulled out in the morning for ELL instruction. He is also
pulled out of the classroom twice a week for speech instruction.
Student Twelve is one of the most interesting students in the classroom. He is an
emotional guy who often has difficulty controlling his behavior. When upset and frustrated he
will often cry and cause a disruption in the class. He is in the intensive reading group, however
he reads quite well. There are two reasons he was placed in this group—It is a boost to his
confidence and he does very poorly on the nonsense word fluency timed test that is one of the
placement indicators at this school. He does best with one on one interaction. I believe that this is
due to the fact he recently became an older brother after being the only child for six years. It was
recently discovered that he will be a big brother again soon. He is especially volatile when in
close proximity to Student Seventeen. He likes to be moving around.
Student Thirteen is in the highest reading group. She is more than willing to read to
anyone who will listen. Her parents are highly involved in her education, and her mom is in the
classroom during writing several days a week.
Student Fourteen is another student in the highest reading group. He is a happy student
who excels at all tasks placed in front of him. His parents are not involved at school, although
they do seem to support his academics at home.
Student Fifteen is a fun student who always seems to be moving in hyper-drive. She has
one speed and that speed is fast. She has a difficult time focusing if there is too much noise, so
she often uses noise blockers. Because she is distracted easily, she is often finishing worksheets
during recess. She would be a very successful student if she could focus on finishing her work.
She is currently in the third highest reading group. She is raised by her mom and I don‟t believe
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12. that her dad is involved in her life at this time. She is obsessed with superheroes, especially
Batman.
Student Sixteen is one of the quietest students in the classroom. He seems wary of adults
and does not want to let people into his world. He is in the most intensive reading group and is
making progress, however he has little support at home.
Student Seventeen is an engaging student. He is one of the most disruptive students in
the classroom and is on a behavior plan. Every day he takes a notebook home with a note to his
parents detailing his day. His parents are divorced but his time is split equally between the two
(i.e. he may fall asleep at his mom‟s and wake up at his dad‟s). His attention has increased
steadily since the beginning of the year. He is a benchmark student when he focuses on
completing his work and not drawing in his notebook.
Student Eighteen is a student who is more concerned with her extracurricular activities
than her schoolwork. Her family is very busy with activities for her older sister and her. Almost
every morning she has an excuse for why she has not done her read-at-home. She is close to
student three and she helps whenever he is in the classroom. She is a benchmark student.
Student Nineteen is an excellent student. She is supported by her parents who help her to
succeed. She seems to deeply ponder ideas and sometimes these ideas cloud her emotions. All of
the girls want to be her friend and it can cause problems when all of the girls are crowded around
her desk begging her to be their partner.
Student Twenty is a sweet student who wants to increase his knowledge. He is in the top
reading group and is one of the few students who chooses to read chapter books when given the
choice. When I asked him if he wanted to read to me he answered “Yes, I want to improve my
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13. reading so I can do better today.” He is close to his mom, with whom he lives. His dad is also in
his life, and they both work with him on his reading.
Student Twenty-One is a student who loves music. Whenever music is playing in the
classroom he is moving to the beat. He is in the third highest reading group and often struggles.
He talks about his mother frequently and I have only heard him mention his dad on a few
occasions.
Student Twenty-Two is a student who gets bored easily and does not like to follow the
rules. She is constantly wandering the room and needs direction to get back on task. She is one of
the more advanced students in the classroom and I believe that she needs a more challenging
environment. When she gets frustrated she will complain and throw a fit. She and her sister are
raised by their father. She rarely gets to visit her mother (a week in the summer and several days
over Christmas vacation).
Student Twenty-Three is a student who is happy to get his work done. He is in the
intensive group for reading. He is raised by his dad and his grandparents. All of them came to
the open house with him, and they all seem to be happy just like the student.
Student Twenty-Four is the third ELL student, and is the shyest student in the classroom.
He struggles with worksheets but easily succeeds with a little help. He has a large family and I
don‟t believe that either of his parents speaks English. He can get emotional at times, and if he
feels that the work is too difficult, he will complain of a stomachache.
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14. Bibliography:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Grants-Pass-Oregon.html
http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/or/491#from..Tab
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15. Family Communication Plan
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16. Dear First Grade Families,
My name is Mrs. Grant and I am a student teacher in your son/daughters first
grade classroom. This opportunity is the last step I will take before receiving my
Master of Arts Degree in elementary education from Southern Oregon University and I’m
very excited to be here at Riverside. I have been in the classroom observing and working
with Mrs. Gove since the beginning of the school year and will be working with your
child until the middle of March.
The last two weeks of February I will begin teaching a unit on descriptive words.
This writing unit will help your child discover how he or she can use descriptive words to
enhance their writing. As the time nears, I will be sending home specific activities that
you can do with your child to support this skill.
Please feel free to contact me at anytime with any questions or concerns. You
can contact me by phone at 218-0099, or by email at tashagrant8@hotmail.com.
I’m looking forward to getting to work with you and your child in the upcoming
weeks. We will have many wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow in
the days ahead.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Grant
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17. Dear First Grade Families,
These past two weeks I taught my work sample unit on descriptive words to
your child. The kids had a blast learning how to enhance their writing, and I had a
blast watching the connections being made in their brains!
The students participated in several projects over the past two weeks. They created
their own “Descriptive Word Dictionary” full of words to describe shapes, colors, sounds,
smells, tastes, and textures. They also got to “get their hands dirty” when we examined
rocks, sand, and gemstones. The students’ final project was to write clues about
themselves. I put these clues together into a book that we read as a class. They were
very excited to see their pictures and guess who wrote each clue.
If you would like to discuss your child’s results from this unit, please feel free to
contact me at anytime with any questions or concerns. You can contact me by phone at
218-0099, or by email at tashagrant8@hotmail.com.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Grant
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18. Unit Rationale
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19. Writing is a form of communication that can convey many thoughts and ideas. It is
important for a good writer to use descriptive words in their writing. This allows the reader to
form a picture in their head based on the writer‟s description. In this unit on descriptive words I
will teach the first graders the importance of using descriptive words in their writing.
Expression and creativity will be explored as students develop their understandings of
adjectives and how these types of words can enhance writing. Creativity in writing is an
important concept for students. As this concept develops, the students will begin expanding their
word choice and expressing themselves in a more fluid way.
These concepts are important for students so that they may become successful writers. As
these skills develop, their writing will become more interesting to read. This will fuel the
students‟ desire to write more stories. As this desire increases it will encourage the student to
become a better reader with a larger vocabulary so that they may continue to write more stories.
Students will expand their knowledge of diversity as they study descriptive words. Literature will
be incorporated into the unit that will show students the many ways descriptive words can be
used. Special emphasis will be put on the descriptive words that are used to describe the different
characteristics of people. Whether a person is big or small, short or tall, this unit will emphasize
how every person is special for many reasons.
The enduring understandings of this unit show students how communication can
effectively be used. At this point in the year students have been writing daily in their journal for
four days a week. The writing is developing, but there are few if any descriptive words used. If a
student is choosing to describe an object, the word choice is most often limited to describing the
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20. objects color. However there are many different ways an object can be described and this idea is
what students will discover throughout the course of the unit.
My unit design reflects my personal philosophy of education. I will utilize my love of
technology for the first lesson to fully engage the students in the unit. From there I will lead
students on an adventure to discover how descriptive words can enhance our writing. I believe
that students will learn best when presented with a project that relates directly to their lives. In
this unit, students will be working together on a project that relates to the Positive Behavior
System in place at the school.
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21. Unit Outline
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22. Detective Descriptive’s Writing Workshop
Topic: Descriptive Words
Concept: Expression
Grade Level: 1st grade
Focus Standards
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Communicate supported ideas across the subject areas,
including relevant examples, facts, anecdotes, and details appropriate to audience and
purpose that engage reader interest; organize information in clear sequence, making
connections and transitions among ideas, sentences, and paragraphs; and use precise
words and fluent sentence structures that support meaning.
Standard: Writing
Benchmark EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
Knowledge Skills
*Vocabulary: learn different adjectives and *Evaluate and edit writing to include
descriptive words to use when writing descriptive words
*Placement of descriptive words in *Communicate using descriptive words in
sentences writing
*Word choice—when to use which word to *Support main ideas with descriptive
make the most sense words
Implied or Stated Understandings/Big Ideas
*Descriptive words help the reader to create a picture of a person, place, or thing
*Focused descriptions support the main idea
*A variety of words is the key to making writing interesting
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Write narrative, expository, and persuasive texts, using a
variety of written forms—including journals, essays, short stories, poems, research
reports, research papers, business and technical writing—to express ideas appropriate to
audience and purpose across the subject areas.
Standard: Writing Applications: Expository Writing (K-3)
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23. Benchmark EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a
real object, person, place, or event using words that help the reader to see,
feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
Knowledge Skills
*Vocabulary: words that describe how *Use the five senses to describe objects,
something looks, feels, smells, tastes, or people, places, or events
sounds *Express ideas
*Five senses: touch, taste, hear, smell, see
Implied or Stated Understandings /Big Ideas
*Words can appeal to our senses
*Descriptive words should be used in all of our writing
Standards: Science
Common Curricular Goal: Understand structure and properties of matter
Standard: Matter
Benchmark SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical
properties.
Knowledge Skills
*Physical properties—weight, size, color, *Analyze objects based upon physical
texture properties
Implied or Stated Understandings /Big Ideas
*Every object has physical properties
Standards: Career Related Learning
Common Curricular Goal: Develop skills to assess personal characteristics, interests,
abilities, and strengths.
Standard: Career Development
Benchmark 1: Demonstrate career development skills in planning for
post high school experiences.
Knowledge Skills
*Positive characteristics people can have *Identify positive characteristics in self.
Implied or Stated Understandings /Big Ideas
*Self assessment (using descriptive words) can build self esteem.
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24. Support Standards
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Communicate supported ideas across the subject areas using
oral, visual, and multi-media forms in ways appropriate to topic, context, audience, and
purpose; organize oral, visual, and multi-media presentations in clear sequence, making
connections and transitions among ideas and elements; use language appropriate to topic,
context, audience, and purpose; and demonstrate control of eye contact, speaking rate,
volume, enunciation, inflection, gestures, and other non-verbal techniques.
Standard: Speaking
Benchmark EL.01.SL.05: With guidance, use descriptive words when
speaking about people, places, things, and events.
Standards: Mathematics
Common Curricular Goal: Patterns and Functions: Understand patterns, relations, and
functions.
Standard: Algebraic Relationships
Benchmark MA.01.AR.01: Sort and classify objects using one or more
attributes by observing relationships.
Standards: Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Apply the use of ideas, techniques and problem solving to
the creative process and analyze the influence that choices have on the result
Standard: Create, Present, and Perform
Benchmark AR.03.CP.02: Explore aspects of the creative process and
the effect of different choices on one‟s work.
Standards: Career Related Learning
Common Curricular Goal: Select and use appropriate communication strategies in
family, school, community, and workplace settings.
Standard: Communication
Benchmark 1: Demonstrate effective communication skills to give and
receive information in school, community, and workplace.
Enduring Understandings: Students will understand that:
 Communication is enhanced through the use of descriptive words.
 All objects can be described.
 A good description helps readers visualize what the writer is describing.
 Descriptions that include the five senses help the writer to express ideas and immerse the
reader into the story.
 Descriptive words captivate and engage the audience.
Essential Questions:
 How do descriptive words make our writing better?
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25.  Do we have to use descriptive words in our writing?
 What can be considered a descriptive word?
 What makes writing great?
Task Analysis:
Students will know:
 Words that can be used to describe the five senses (taste, look, feel, smell, and sounds)
 Words that can be used to describe physical properties (weight: heavy, light; colors; size
(large, small); texture (smooth, rough)
 That descriptive words come before the noun in the sentence (the blue cat; the smelly
garbage)
Students will be able to:
 Choose effective words to convey the description
 Evaluate and edit writing to include descriptive words
 Read a description and then choose the picture to match
 Think critically about their writing
 Describe themselves using self assessment
Students will understand the following Big Ideas:
 A variety of words is the key to making writing interesting
 Self assessment (using descriptive words) can build self esteem.
 Every object has physical properties
 Descriptive words should be used in all of our writing
 Words can appeal to our senses
 A variety of words is the key to making writing interesting
 Focused descriptions support the main idea
 Descriptive words help the reader to create a picture of a person, place, or thing
25

26. Assessment Plan
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27. Final Performance Task: GRASPS
Imagine that you are a detective. Several students around Riverside School have
been seen performing good deeds, but nobody caught a good enough glimpse of
these students to determine who will receive the caught slip. In each instance a
blurry picture was taken of the student. The teachers and staff have narrowed down
the students and think they are all from a specific classroom: room #7, Mrs. Gove‟s
class. It is your job to write a description of yourself to aid in the investigation.
After every description is finished, the class will work together to determine who
was “caught being good”.
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28. GRASPS
Students will effectively use descriptive words to create a self
Goal:
description.
You are a detective gathering clues to help solve the mystery. You will
Role: attempt to discover which students were „caught being good‟ around the
school.
Audience: The teachers, staff, and your classmates at Riverside.
Around the school, several good deeds have been performed but no one
knows who did it. Brief glimpses of these special students have led the
Situation: teachers to believe that the students are from this classroom. The
teachers want to discover who these special students are so that they can
reward the students with “caught slips” for their actions.
You need to write a description of yourself that includes at least three
Product, clues to your identity. These clues need to include a description of your
Performance, and appearance (how you look) as well as a description of your personality
Purpose: (how you act). Once all of the descriptions are completed we will work
together to name the student that the clue is describing.
Your description should include:
At least two clues about your appearance--remember to be specific!
At least one clue about your personality. Are you always happy, serious,
Standards and
quiet? Include it in your description!
Criteria for Success:
A description of what and where you were “caught” around the school.
You will be expected to collaborate with your classmates and use the
clues provided to make decisions.
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29. Final Performance Task Rubric
Descriptive Word Self Description “Caught” Clues
Choice Clues Description Clues Participation
Score
3 Description Description Student clearly Always stays
includes obvious includes 3 or more described what they standing if clue
details like hair and clues about the were “caught” applies to self
eye color and not so identity of the doing, including and/or sits down if
obvious details, like student. where it happened. clue does not apply.
personality
description.
2 Description Description Student included Sometimes stays
includes only includes 2 clues that they were standing if clue
obvious details like about the identity of caught but did not applies to self
hair and eye color. the student. include details. and/or sits down if
clue does not apply.
1 Description lacks Description Student did not say Never stays
clear identifying includes 1 clue they were caught in standing if clue
details about the about the identity of the clues. applies to self
student. the student. and/or sits down if
clue does not apply.
29

30. Prior Knowledge Inventory
Writing samples—Students will complete a writing sample about an object. The object will be
placed at the front of the class, so that every student is writing about the same object. I will tell
the students to describe this object so that somebody who couldn‟t see it would be able to draw a
picture of the object. Through this assessment, I want to know how students are using
descriptive words in their writing currently. I want to know the type of words students use,
whether or not the students are placing the words in the correct place in the sentence, and
whether or not they are choosing the best words for their description. This assessment will help
me to determine which students will need the most help in the writing groups. It will also
uncover potential misunderstandings about descriptive words (either the types of words that are
descriptive or the placement of these words in the sentence). At the end of the unit, I will have
students repeat this process and then compare their two descriptions. This will show them how
they have improved over the two weeks and help them to build their confidence in their writing
abilities.
Word choice—This pre-assessment will see students choosing the descriptive words from a list
of grade appropriate words at my desk on a one-on-one basis. I will go through and highlight the
words the students know as descriptive words at this time. As a modification, for some students I
will be reading the list of words. This assessment will help me to determine each student‟s
current vocabulary of descriptive words. It will also help me to determine if there is a certain
type of descriptive words that I do not need to touch on (such as colors). I will use this same list
at the end of the unit to determine what the students have learned over the course of the unit.
What’s in the bag?—I will ask the students (on an individual basis) to feel an item in a bag and
then describe the item to me. I will record the words each student uses on a list. This will show
30

31. me the student‟s skill in easily creating a description of an item. It will also assess the vocabulary
the student possesses.
Formative Assessments
Descriptive word dictionary—Students will create a dictionary of descriptive words. It will be
organized into several sections. This dictionary will show what words students are learning and
become a tool that they can use in their everyday writing. I will be looking for a developing
knowledge of descriptive words.
100th day collection clues—Every student will bring a collection of 100 items (all of the same
type) to school. They will then write descriptive clues about the items and have the other
students try to guess which collection is theirs. The students will be asked to write three clues
about the item. Students will assess the quality of the clues as they are trying to determine which
clues describe which collection. This will show me if the skills of each student are increasing as
they learn more about descriptive words.
Pre-write graphic organizers—Students will fill in a bubble graphic organizer about
themselves. Each bubble will have a different feature about themselves that they will write about
in their final performance task.
Summative Assessment
Final performance task—Imagine that you are a detective. Several students around Riverside
School have been seen performing good deeds, but nobody caught a good enough glimpse of
these students to determine who will receive the caught slip. In each instance a blurry picture
was taken of the student. The teachers and staff have narrowed down the students and think they
are all from a specific classroom: room #7, Mrs. Gove‟s class. It is your job to write a description
of yourself to aid in the investigation. After every description is finished, the class will work
31

32. together to determine who was “caught being good”. Each description will need to include at
least three physical features and one personality descriptor.
Writing samples—Students will re-write about the same object that they wrote about for the
pre-assessment. This will show me how their descriptive writing abilities have improved over the
course of the unit. It will also allow students to see how their writing has improved.
Word choice—Students will be assessed to see how many more words they can choose from the
list compared to at the beginning of the unit.
32

33. Stuffed cow the students‟ wrote about:
Contents of the paper bag:
Ribbon, mint tin, post-it note, spoon, rock, seed starter-dehydrated dirt, dried cranberries,
chocolate chips, magnet, plastic baggie, duct tape (sticky side out)
33

34. Descriptive Word Check
hard Cat shiny pink shoe
basket Soft book dull big
candy Blue body sour round
fish Sweet seed dog house
red Fast picture sticky rough
hot Ball purple bat pillow
34

35. Detective Descriptive’s
Dictionary of
descriptive words
35

36. Smells
36

37. Tastes
37

38. Sounds
38

39. Textures
39

40. Colors
40

41. Shapes
41

42. Emotions
42

43. Sizes
43

44. My 100 Collection
1.___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5.___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
44

45. Details Web
Fill out this details web to help you organize your ideas.
45

46. Learning Plan
46

47. Learning Objectives
Pre-lesson: Pre-write about a stuffed cow, descriptive word choice, and „what‟s in the bag‟
activity.
Tuesday, February 17th
Lesson 1: Clicker Clues!
Using Turning Point and the clicker technology, I will read several short sentences about my
dog, with the students trying to choose which dog is mine from a series of photos of different
dogs. The first sentence will be “my dog is cute.” Next sentence will be a little bit more
descriptive, and so on. After the slideshow, we will have a discussion about what descriptive
words are and why they are needed in our writing.
Objective 1: The students will identify the descriptions in the slideshow, through use of the
clicker technology, that allow them to determine the answer to the question “which dog is my
dog?”
Objective 2: Students will share with a classmate the different types of descriptive words that
they know.
Instructional Strategies:
Technology
Brainstorming and Discussion
Standards being addressed:
SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical properties.
EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
Modifications/Adaptations:
 Use Turning Point chart to make sure every student is participating.
 Read questions aloud so that every student has the opportunity to understand question.
 Repeat directions to ES, DT, NG, and BC as they return to class
Wednesday, February 18th
Lesson 2: Tools of the Trade
In this lesson students will create a “toolbox” of descriptive words that they can refer to
throughout the unit. After creating the dictionary, students will use the new words in their daily
writing journal.
Objective 1: Students will create an 8 page dictionary of descriptive words (under the headings:
smells, tastes, sounds, textures, colors, shapes, looks, sizes) with at least 3 descriptive words per
page.
Objective 2: Students will write in their journal and highlight all of the descriptive words in their
writing.
47

48. Instructional Strategies:
Brainstorming
Games: Word sorts
Storytelling
Visuals
Cooperative learning
Standards being addressed:
EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event
using words that help the reader to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical properties.
Modifications/Adaptations:
 Pair students who have difficulty reading with students who can help them out.
 Repeat directions as needed.
 Spend extra time with groups that are not getting it.
 Repeat directions to ES, DT, NG, and BC as they return to class
Thursday, February 19th
Lesson 3: 100th day Collection
Students will bring a collection of 100 items to school in a paper bag and then will write three to
five clues about their collection. The students will then share their clues with the whole class.
Objective 1: Students will be able to describe their collection using three to five different types
of descriptive words in their journal.
Objective 2: Students will listen to their classmates‟ clues and then using the clues make a guess
about what kind of item is being described.
Instructional Strategies:
Visuals
Writing and journals
Standards being addressed:
EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event
using words that help the reader to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical properties.
EL.01.SL.05: With guidance, use descriptive words when speaking about people, places, things,
and events.
Modifications/Adaptations:
 Have starter prompts available for writing the clues: My objects are… or My 100
collection has…
 Work one on one with students as needed.
48

49.  Special attention: EW and RG. Make sure these two are on task.
 Repeat directions to ES, DT, NG, and BC as they return to class.
Friday, February 20th
Lesson 4: Monsters, Monsters Everywhere!
I will read a description of a monster one sentence at a time and have students take the time to
draw what I have read. After the entire monster is done, students will walk around the room in a
conga line to look at every picture. We will have a discussion about how all the monsters looked
different.
Objective 1: Students will be able to construct a drawing using pencil and crayon on white paper
that corresponds to the description read out loud.
Objective 2: Students will compare and contrast the different drawings in a whole class
discussion.
Instructional Strategies:
Drawing and Artwork
Movement
Standards being addressed:
EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event
using words that help the reader to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical properties.
EL.01.SL.05: With guidance, use descriptive words when speaking about people, places, things,
and events.
Modifications/Adaptations:
 Repeat the instructions for creating the monster as needed.
 Have a written set of instructions posted on screen.
 Repeat directions to ES, DT, NG, and BC as they return to class.
Monday, February 23rd
Lesson 5: Science Detectives
Students will make observations and use student-made rules to build an understanding of solid
earth materials (rocks, sand, and gemstones).
Objective 1: Students will create rules to sort and classify the different earth materials.
Objective 2: Students will be able to describe the different earth materials on a graphic organizer.
Objective 3: Students will write two to three sentences about one of the materials from their
graphic organizer, highlighting the descriptive words that they have used.
Instructional Strategies:
Brainstorming and Discussion
Graphic Organizers
49

50. Manipulatives, experiments, labs, and models
Cooperative Learning
Standards being addressed:
MA.01.AR.01: Sort and classify objects using one or more attributes by observing relationships.
SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical properties.
Modifications/Adaptations:
 Monitor RG to make sure he is completing work
 Monitor frustration level of EW. Partner with helper if needed (EC or TT are good
partners for him.)
 Ask questions to groups as needed: What color? How does it feel in your hand? How big
or little is it?
 Provide starters for writing (My rock is… or The gem has… or The sand is…)
 Repeat directions to ES, DT, NG, and BC as they return to class
Tuesday, February 24th
Lesson 6: The Mystery begins…
Students will be told that several kids in our classroom have been seen around school being
especially respectful, responsible and helpful. The teachers who saw these actions did not get a
clear look at the student, but they really want to find out who it was so that the student can get
the caught slip. Each student will have to write a self description to aid in the investigation. To
get started, each student will create a graphic organizer today. After the graphic organizer is
complete students will start writing about themselves.
Objective 1: Students will complete a graphic organizer listing four or more different details
about themselves.
Objective 2: Students will apply the information gathered in their graphic organizer to the first
draft of their self description.
Objective 3: Students will identify the descriptive words that I have used in the sample by raising
their arm whenever I read a descriptive word.
Instructional Strategies:
Graphic Organizers
Writing and Journals
Visuals
Project-based learning
Standards being addressed:
EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event
using words that help the reader to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical properties.
Modifications/Adaptations:
50

51.  Monitor RG‟s work to make sure he is completing the graphic organizer and writing.
Partner him with classroom helper if needed. If he finishes, he earns a couple of minutes
drawing.
 Check with EW periodically to gauge frustration level. Partner him with classroom helper
if needed.
 Repeat directions to ES, DT, NG, and BC as they return to class
Wednesday, February 25th
Lesson 7: The Usual Suspects…
Students will be learning about adjectives that can be used to describe their personalities. They
will continue writing their descriptions of self.
Objective 1: Students will identify the words in the read-a-loud story that are descriptive of the
characters during class discussion.
Objective 2: Students will edit their writing from the previous day to include at least 4
descriptive words.
Instructional Strategies:
Brainstorming and Discussion
Storytelling
Writing and Journals
Project-based learning
Standards being addressed:
Standard: Career Development
Benchmark 1: Demonstrate career development skills in planning for post high school
experiences.
EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event
using words that help the reader to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
Modifications/Adaptations:
 Monitor RG‟s work to make sure he is completing the writing. Partner him with
classroom helper if needed. If he finishes, he earns a couple of minutes drawing.
 Check with EW periodically to gauge frustration level. Partner him with classroom helper
if needed.
 Repeat directions to ES, DT, NG, and BC as they return to class
Thursday, February 26th
Lesson 8: Mrs. Gove‟s class, in the cafeteria, with the napkin…
Students will reveal their clues and the students will work together to decide which kids were
caught being good around school.
Objective 1: Students will read the typed version of the other students‟ descriptions in front of
the class.
51

52. Objective 2: Students will solve the mystery of the students „caught being good‟ by listening to
the descriptions being read.
Instructional Strategies:
Project-based learning
Role plays
Visualization and guided imagery
Standards being addressed:
EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event
using words that help the reader to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical properties.
EL.01.SL.05: With guidance, use descriptive words when speaking about people, places, things,
and events.
Modifications/Adaptations:
 Repeat directions to ES, DT, NG, and BC as they return to class
 Monitor RG and EW‟s carpet time behavior. If needed give them jobs (holding up the
pictures) or remove to desk.
 I will help students who have a difficult time reading the other student‟s self descriptions.
 I will walk around the room to help students fill out the self evaluation.
52

53. Lesson 1: Clicker Clues!
Grade Level: 1
Subject areas: Writing
Materials needed:
Turning Point Software and Clickers
Computer
Projector
Screen
PowerPoint presentation: My Dog
Part 1: Rationale
Focus and purpose:
The purpose of this lesson will be to introduce descriptive words and the importance of these
words in our writing.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 Identify the descriptions in the slideshow, through use of the clicker technology, that
allowed them to determine the answer to the question “which dog is my dog?”.
 Share with a classmate the different types of descriptive words that they already know
and use.
State Content Standards:
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Communicate supported ideas across the subject areas,
including relevant examples, facts, anecdotes, and details appropriate to audience and
purpose that engage reader interest; organize information in clear sequence, making
connections and transitions among ideas, sentences, and paragraphs; and use precise
words and fluent sentence structures that support meaning.
Standard: Writing
Benchmark EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
Standards: Science
Common Curricular Goal: Understand structure and properties of matter
Standard: Matter
Benchmark SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical
properties
Assessments:
PowerPoint clicker responses
Observations of students
53

54. Selection of Instructional Strategies:
 Technology: I will be using the clicker technology because the students get really
involved when using the clickers and it is easy for all students to participate, no matter
their level.
 Brainstorming and Discussion: This strategy will help students construct their own
meaning of descriptive words in a way that makes the most sense in their own mind.
Modifications and adaptations:
 Make sure to partner students who have a difficult time staying on task are partnered with
a peer who will keep them on task. Students to keep an eye on: Rylin, Ethan, Trinity,
Maizy.
 Repeat directions individually as needed.
 Use Turning Point chart to make sure every student is participating.
 Read questions aloud so that every student has the opportunity to understand question.
Part 2: Procedure
Concept or rule to be discovered: Descriptive words are important to use in our writing.
Open 10:15 1. Students participate in slideshow where they are voting on which dog
10 minutes is my dog. Each slide will show a sentence that is a little more descriptive
about my dog and then each student will choose which dog they think is
mine. After each guess we will look at how the class answered-more
specifically, did they all choose the same dog, or was it all random?
Body 10:25 2. Have students come sit on carpet. Write a sentence from slideshow on
5-8 minutes the white board. Read each sentence to the kids and have them turn to a
friend and tell the friend which word in the sentence told them which dog
to pick. Regroup after each sentence and have kids share which word
they chose. Underline this word in the sentence. Continue with all of the
sentences from the slide show.
3. Tell students that each of the words that we have chosen to underline is
a type of word called “descriptive words” or “adjectives”. This means
that these words can be used to make a noun (person, place, or thing) or
event more specific.
Close 10:30 4. Students will write in their journals about a topic of their choice. They
15-20 will be encouraged to go into greater detail about their topic.
minutes
Part 3: Resources
54

55. 55

56. 56

57. 57

58.  I have a dog.
 My dog is big.
 She is fluffy.
 She isn‟t spotted.
 Her fur is all the
same color.
 She has pointy ears.
 Her fur is golden.
58

59. 1st Vote: 2nd Vote: 3rd Vote: 4th Vote: 5th Vote: 6th Vote: Final Vote:
1st Vote: 2nd Vote: 3rd Vote: 4th Vote: 5th Vote: 6th Vote: Final Vote:
1st Vote: 2nd Vote: 3rd Vote: 4th Vote: 5th Vote: 6th Vote: Final Vote:
1st Vote: 2nd Vote: 3rd Vote: 4th Vote: 5th Vote: 6th Vote: Final Vote:
1st Vote: 2nd Vote: 3rd Vote: 4th Vote: 5th Vote: 6th Vote: Final Vote:
1st Vote: 2nd Vote: 3rd Vote: 4th Vote: 5th Vote: 6th Vote: Final Vote:
59

60. Part 4: Reflection
After overcoming several technical difficulties, this lesson was a success! I had planned to use the
Turning Point software and the clickers to have the students vote on which dog they thought was mine.
However, when I transferred the slide show from my computer to the classroom computer, the slideshow
was just a black screen on every slide. Luckily I had planned for this eventuality. I had created a basic
slide show with just three screens instead of the ten that I had originally planned on (see the resource
section). I had also typed up the statements that I wanted the students to vote on, as well as creating a slip
of paper for the students to record each vote. The slip of paper for voting worked even better than using
the clicker. This is because students could see how their voting changed as the description got more
specific. The students were engaged from the beginning. I believe that this is because I often tell stories
about my dog in my journal examples that I share with the students. As I monitored the classroom, I
noticed that all of the students were actively participating in the voting. After all the voting was
complete, students were able to choose which words in the statements were most helpful in making the
decision about which dog was mine. This led into a discussion about descriptive words very nicely.
There are several things I would change if I were to teach this lesson again. The first thing would
be to make sure that the students were voting in pen or marker. I noticed that after hearing the final clue,
students were changing their previous guesses to all match the final guess. It would be more beneficial to
the students to be able to see their first vote as compared to the final vote when discussing the statements
and the descriptive words. The second thing I would change would be to spend a little more time
discussing the different rounds of voting and comparing the different votes. This would have been easily
possible using the Turning Point system, but the low-tech version made this more difficult. It would have
been nice to have a visual representation of each round of voting (as well as incorporating math into this
lesson). My CT also made a great suggestion for the journal writing portion of the lesson. She said it
would be good for the students to go back and highlight the descriptive words in their writing. I plan on
incorporating this into the students‟ future writing in this unit.
60

61. I know that students met the objectives through my observations and their responses during the
classroom activity. The students were able to determine—with 100 percent accuracy—which dog was
mine. They also shared with a friend what words helped them make a choice when they were voting. I
heard responses of „fluffy‟, „golden‟ fur, and „pointy‟ ears. One student responded that the word “dog”
helped her to make the choice, and we were able to discuss why this wasn‟t the best choice (the dog is the
noun, every choice possible was a dog).
I was left with questions about the voting. If I had been able to graphically represent the votes,
would this have helped students to better understand how the descriptive words in the statements made it
easier to vote on the correct dog?
61

62. Lesson 2: Tools of the Trade
Grade Level: 1
Subject areas: Writing/Vocabulary
Materials needed:
24 “Detective Descriptive‟s Dictionary of Descriptive Words” booklets
1 box filled with items of different textures
1 box filled with cotton balls dipped in different smells, kept in Ziploc bags
1 box filled with items of different tastes
1 box filled with items that make different sounds
1 box filled with items of different sizes
1 box filled with items of different shapes
1 box filled with pictures of people showing different emotions
1 box filled with crayons of different colors
3x5 cards for each box with the descriptive words for students to match to the items
6 different mad-lib style stories
Part 1: Rationale
Focus and purpose:
Students will expand their vocabulary of descriptive words and create a dictionary of different
words that they will be able to use in their writing.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 Create an 8 page dictionary of descriptive words (under the headings: smells, tastes,
sounds, textures, colors, shapes, looks, sizes) with at least 3 descriptive words per page.
 Write in their journal and highlight all of the descriptive words in their writing.
State Content Standards:
Standards: Science
Common Curricular Goal: Understand structure and properties of matter
Standard: Matter
Benchmark SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical
properties.
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Write narrative, expository, and persuasive texts, using a
variety of written forms—including journals, essays, short stories, poems, research
reports, research papers, business and technical writing—to express ideas appropriate to
audience and purpose across the subject areas.
Standard: Writing Applications: Expository Writing (K-3)
62

63. Benchmark EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a
real object, person, place, or event using words that help the reader to see,
feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
Assessments:
Descriptive Word Dictionary
Highlighting in journal
Selection of Instructional Strategies:
 Brainstorming: This strategy lets students‟ work together to build their vocabulary of
descriptive words.
 Games—Word sort: This strategy will have students matching a descriptive word with an
item that visually represents the word. This will help students make the connection
between the item and the word that describes it.
 Storytelling: This strategy will reinforce the idea that descriptive words are meant to be
used in our writing, while giving students examples of how this can be done.
 Visuals: Students will examine the items in the boxes to make connections to the words
that describe the items.
 Cooperative learning: This strategy is important because it helps students learn from the
peers and learn to work together in groups.
Modifications and adaptations:
 Pair students who have difficulty reading with students who can help them out.
 Repeat directions as needed.
 Spend extra time with groups are not getting it.
Part 2: Procedure
Concept or rule to be discovered: Students will build their vocabulary of descriptive words in
this lesson.
Open 10:15 1. Students will be sitting on the carpet and I will bring out the boxes of
5 minutes items. I will demonstrate how the stations will work, with help from
student volunteers.
2. I will demonstrate with descriptive words for sounds. We will record
our findings in a larger version of their dictionary booklet. After, students
will go back to their desk and start working at the stations.
Body 10:20 3. Students will return to their desks and work as a group to explore the
20-35 contents of the box or bag at their group. Each student will be responsible
minutes for recording the words in their dictionary. The students will have 2-4
minutes for each box before I signal to switch boxes.
4. After all the boxes have been completed, students will return to the
carpet to discuss the next part of the lesson: completing the mad lib. We
will complete one together before the students head to their writing group
63

64. to complete the mad lib.
Close 10:50 5. Students will come to the carpet and share their version of the story.
10 minutes
Part 3: Resources
Descriptive Word Stations: At each station, students will match the object or the picture to the
card that describes the item. Two of the stations have objects, and the rest are matching the word
card to the picture card. The two stations with objects are textures and shapes. The other six
stations are: emotions, sizes, tastes, smells, and two color stations.
Textures: Shapes:
Descriptive Word Stations:
64

65. 65

66. 66

67. 67

68. 68

69. 69

70. 70

71. 71

72. 72

73. 73

74. 74

75. A Day At The Zoo!
Today I went to the zoo. I saw a ____________(adjective)
_____________(noun) jumping up and down in its tree. He
hopped quickly through the large tunnel that led to its
__________(adjective)__________(noun). I got some peanuts
and passed them through the cage to a gigantic gray
__________(noun) towering above my head. Feeding that
animal made me hungry. I went to get a __________
(adjective) scoop of ice cream. It filled my stomach.
Afterwards I had to__________(verb) __________ (adverb) to
catch our bus. When I got home I begged my mom for a
__________(adjective) day at the zoo.
75

76. The Great New Toy!
There is a new toy on the market that has everyone saying
____________(Exclamation)! It is called the ____________(Sound)
____________(Adjective) ____________(Noun) box and will be in stores in
____________(A Month). The ____________(Sound) ____________(Adjective)
____________(Noun) box is a new gadget that lets you do just about anything!
It ____________(Verb)s, it ____________(Verb)s, it even serves
____________(A Drink)! It is easy to operate and requires no instructions! You
can also have it custom made to be any size you want up to
____________(Number) inches and ____________ (color) or glow in the dark
with no extra charge! The original product is pocketsized and
____________ (color). There are ____________(Number) jacks on the product
for 6V DC power and for upgrades and addons. You can add headphones,
____________(Plural Noun) , monitors, ____________(Plural Noun), and more, and
use them all at the same time!
76

77. In The Jungle!
I walk through the color jungle. I take out my
___________(adjective) canteen.There's a ________(adjective)
parrot with a _______________(adjective) ____________(noun)
in his mouth right in front of me in the___________ (adjective)
trees! I gaze at his _________(adjective)______________(noun).
A sudden sound awakes me from my daydream! A
panther "s" _______________(verb) in front of my head! I
_______________(verb) his _______________(adjective)
breath. I remember I have a packet of _____________(noun)
that makes go into a deep slumber! I _______________
(verb) it away in front of the _______________(noun).Yes he's
eating it! I _______________(verb) away through the
____________(adjective) jungle. I meet my parents at the tent.
Phew; Its been an exciting day in the jungle.
77

78. Part 4: Reflection
This lesson was a little rough for me. The students seemed to enjoy getting to move
around from station to station and playing the matching game. However I greatly underestimated
the time that this lesson would take. In my lesson I estimated that creating the dictionary would
take about 20-25 minutes and then students would have time to write in their journals. This was
not the case! As I was watching the students at the stations and the clock, I made a decision to let
the students stay at each station for longer than I had planned. This allowed the students to fully
explore the different stations and record the words in their “Detective Descriptive‟s Descriptive
Word Dictionary”. This left no time for the students to write in their journal, which was
something I was really aiming to have the students do each day. I believe that the stations would
have run more smoothly had I demonstrated step by step each station, showing the cards at each
station and how the cards matched. I spent a lot of time going from station to station showing
students how each station worked, or what card matched with what picture. Although the
students did ok moving from station to station, the transitions could have been a little smoother.
Several times groups of students ended up at the wrong station. The next time I do this type of
lesson where students are moving around the room I will have the stations numbered and
demonstrate moving from station to station.
I know that I met one of my objectives, but not the other. Every student that was
in class created the dictionary, and the next day I saw many of the students using their
dictionaries during journal time. I did not meet the second objective, mainly because we ran out
of time.
I enjoyed teaching this lesson even though there is a lot I would change. I believe that
children learn best when they explore their world creatively instead of sitting at their desk. When
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79. I teach this lesson again, I will plan for two or three stations a day, instead of the eight that the
students participated in during this short time. If the students were only at two or three stations a
day they would have time to use their newly learned words in their writing on that same day. I
believe that this would put more emphasis on the words and help the students to gain a better
grasp of how the words are to be used.
After this lesson I was left wondering if students were really making the connections
between the pictures and the words or if they were simply going from station to station and
writing down all of the words on the cards.
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80. Lesson 3: 100th Day Collection
Grade Level: 1
Subject areas: Writing
Materials needed:
Each students‟ “100” collection
Dictionary of Descriptive Words
Writing Journals
The Secret Olivia Told Me by N. Joy
100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler
My 100 collection
My clues: My objects are round. My objects are small. My objects are red, orange, yellow,
brown, blue, and green.
Part 1: Rationale
Focus and purpose: Students will begin using descriptive words in a structured writing
assignment.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 Describe their collection using three to five different types of descriptive words in their
journal.
 Listen to their classmates‟ clues and then use the clues to make a guess about what kind
of item is being described.
State Content Standards:
Focus Standards:
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Communicate supported ideas across the subject areas,
including relevant examples, facts, anecdotes, and details appropriate to audience and
purpose that engage reader interest; organize information in clear sequence, making
connections and transitions among ideas, sentences, and paragraphs; and use precise
words and fluent sentence structures that support meaning.
Standard: Writing
Benchmark EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Write narrative, expository, and persuasive texts, using a
variety of written forms—including journals, essays, short stories, poems, research
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81. reports, research papers, business and technical writing—to express ideas appropriate to
audience and purpose across the subject areas.
Standard: Writing Applications: Expository Writing (K-3)
Benchmark EL.01.WR.17: Write simple expository descriptions of a
real object, person, place, or event using words that help the reader to see,
feel, smell, taste, and hear what is being described.
Standards: Science
Common Curricular Goal: Understand structure and properties of matter
Standard: Matter
Benchmark SC.03.PS.01: Describe objects according to their physical
properties.
Support Standards:
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Communicate supported ideas across the subject areas using
oral, visual, and multi-media forms in ways appropriate to topic, context, audience, and
purpose; organize oral, visual, and multi-media presentations in clear sequence, making
connections and transitions among ideas and elements; use language appropriate to topic,
context, audience, and purpose; and demonstrate control of eye contact, speaking rate,
volume, enunciation, inflection, gestures, and other non-verbal techniques.
Standard: Speaking
Benchmark EL.01.SL.05: With guidance, use descriptive words when
speaking about people, places, things, and events.
Standards: Career Related Learning
Common Curricular Goal: Select and use appropriate communication strategies in
family, school, community, and workplace settings.
Standard: Communication
Benchmark 1: Demonstrate effective communication skills to give and
receive information in school, community, and workplace.
Assessments:
Written clues
Observations
Selection of Instructional Strategies:
 Visuals: Students will be bringing in their own visual. This is important because it will be
an object (100 of an object) that they will have chosen.
 Writing and journals: Students will begin developing their ideas about using descriptive
words in their writing.
Modifications and adaptations:
 Have starter prompts available for writing the clues: My objects are… or My 100
collection has…
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82.  Work one on one with students as needed.
 Special attention: EW and RG. Make sure these two are on task.
Part 2: Procedure
Concept or rule to be discovered: Students will be exploring the use of descriptive words in their
writing.
Open 10:15 1. I will remind students of the story we read in the morning called “The
10 minutes Secret Olivia Told Me.” We will discuss secrets and how it is important
to keep a secret.
2. Next I will introduce the writing for the day. I will tell them that their
object needs to stay a secret. I will model with my 100 objects. Students
will be able to guess my object.
3. Students will be encouraged to use the dictionaries they created to get
ideas for describing their objects.
Body 10:25 4. The students will write in their journal, creating 3 or more clues about
25-30 their object. I will circle the room, helping students with ideas if they
minutes need help.
5. When students are done, they will continue writing in their journal
until the rest of the students are completed.
6. Students will now get the chance to be detectives! Students will take
turns reading their clues while the rest of the class tries to guess what the
student is describing.
Close 10:50 7. We will have a discussion about the different clues. Questions: What
10 minutes made an item easy to guess? (What kind of clues?) Would you have been
able to guess what somebody brought in if they hadn‟t used color
descriptive words? Shape descriptive words? (etc.)
Part 3: Resources
Read, Write, Think Lesson Plan: Descriptive Writing and the 100th day of School
http://readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view_printer_friendly.asp.?iid=891
Cuyler, Margery (2000). 100th day worries. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster Books for
Young Readers.
Joy, N. (2007). The secret olivia told me. East Orange, New Jersey: Just us Books, Inc.
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83. My 100 Collection Clues:
My objects are round.
My objects are small.
My objects are red, orange, yellow, brown, blue, and green.
My collection has the letter “m” on it.
83

84. My 100 Collection
1.___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5.___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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85. Part 4: Reflection
Students were excited for this lesson! The 100th day of school was a very big deal for the
first graders and this lesson was built on that excitement. In this lesson students were able to
meet all of the objectives. Every student wrote clue after clue about their 100 collection. Each
student‟s description had at least three clues about their object. There wasn‟t enough time for
every student to share, but we made it through all but 6 of the students.
Several aspects of this lesson went very well. Before the students went to their desks to
write the clues, I had a discussion with the students about secrets and how sometimes we don‟t
want to tell because then it won‟t be a secret anymore. This was to prime students to not share
what their collection was before it was time to share on the carpet. The students were so excited
about this that they wanted their privacy “offices” for when they were writing their clues. I was
happy to oblige and the students got to work very quickly. When students were done writing
their clues, I had them move to the carpet with their clues and they started sharing. Students did
very well at listening to the clues and making guesses based on the clues. I was also impressed
with the different types of descriptive words that students were using. Besides just describing the
color, students were describing the shapes, smells, and textures of their objects. This showed me
that they were meeting the objectives for this lesson.
There were only a few things I would revise to make this lesson run more smoothly. The
first thing would be to set a timer during the clue writing time. Several students were not
motivated to get started. I feel that a timer would help these students get going. This would also
help me to keep the lesson moving. The next change I would make would be to have each 100
collection placed in a paper bag. This would make it easier for students to keep their object a
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86. secret. I feel that this would help students by letting them have their item at their desk without
fear of a classmate seeing it.
After this lesson I was left wondering if students would have been this excited about
writing if it hadn‟t been a secret to keep from their classmates. Did this aspect of the lesson make
the students more excited to participate? Does the back story behind a lesson make a lesson a
success or a bomb?
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87. Lesson 4: Monsters, Monsters Everywhere!
Grade Level: 1
Subject areas: Art
Materials needed:
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Monster description
My drawing of the monster
White paper
Crayons
Pencils
Part 1: Rationale
Focus and purpose: Students will use their knowledge of descriptive words to draw a monster
based upon the description that is read to them. After the drawings are completed, students will
walk around the “gallery” and look at other interpretations of the monster description. Students
will then come to the carpet for a discussion about the differences observed in all of the different
drawings.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 Construct a drawing using pencil and crayon on white paper that corresponds to the
description read out loud.
 Compare and contrast the different drawings in a whole class discussion.
State Content Standards:
Focus Standards:
Standards: English Language Arts
Common Curricular Goal: Communicate supported ideas across the subject areas,
including relevant examples, facts, anecdotes, and details appropriate to audience and
purpose that engage reader interest; organize information in clear sequence, making
connections and transitions among ideas, sentences, and paragraphs; and use precise
words and fluent sentence structures that support meaning.
Standard: Writing
Benchmark EL.01.WR.07: Use descriptive words when writing.
Support Standards:
Standards: Arts
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88. Common Curricular Goal: Apply the use of ideas, techniques and problem solving to
the creative process and analyze the influence that choices have on the result
Standard: Create, Present, and Perform
Benchmark AR.03.CP.02: Explore aspects of the creative process and
the effect of different choices on one‟s work.
Standards: Career Related Learning
Common Curricular Goal: Select and use appropriate communication strategies in
family, school, community, and workplace settings.
Standard: Communication
Benchmark 1: Demonstrate effective communication skills to give and
receive information in school, community, and workplace.
Assessments:
Observations
Completed drawings
Selection of Instructional Strategies:
 Drawing and Artwork: This strategy will allow students to see how descriptive words can
be useful in creating a picture to the reader or listener.
 Movement: I want students to have the experience of walking around an art gallery to
compare and contrast the different interpretations of the monster description.
Modifications and adaptations:
 Repeat the instructions for creating the monster as needed
 Have a written set of instructions posted on screen
Part 2: Procedure
Concept or rule to be discovered: Written or oral descriptions can be used to create a picture in
our heads or on a piece of paper. Each interpretation, though, will be a little different.
Open 10:15 1. Have students meet me on the carpet after recess. Prepare students for
5 minutes our art project. Tell students that they will be listening to my description
of a monster, and as I am reading the “clues” the students will be
recreating the monster on their own paper. Discuss the descriptive words
that I will be using: colors, shapes, textures, etc.
Body 10:20 2. Students will migrate back to their desks. Instruct students to take out
20-25 crayons and a pencil. Make sure to tell students we will only be using
minutes crayons because the texture this will create in our drawing (makes the
monster look more life-like). Have students leave pencil on name tag
until after each clue is read.
3. Start reading the clues, waiting between each one before going on.
Walk around classroom to make sure that each student is with me before
continuing onto the next clue.
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89. 4. Have each student write their name on the back of the drawing and
place the drawing on top of their desk and have students line up at door.
5. Once students are lined up, lead them on a walk around the classroom
to look at each students drawing, ending with students on carpet.
Close 10:40 6. Show students my monster. Ask students to think about all of the
20 minutes different drawings. Questions: What types of differences did you see in
the drawings? Is it possible for everyone to draw the exact same picture?
Or will there always be small differences?
(If there is time, have students that did not get to share their 100
collection clues go today)
Part 3: Resources
Sendak, Maurice (1963). Where the wild things are. New York, New York: Harper Collins.
My monster drawing:
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90. How to Draw a Monster:
1. Draw a large circle for the head.
2. Add two floppy antennae to the top of the head. There is a tiny
square at the end of each antenna.
3. The body of my monster is shaped like a sideways oval.
4. Now add two skinny legs with bouncy ball feet.
5. My monster has 4 arms, but 3 are on one side of the body and only
one arm is on the left hand side.
6. Each hand has just three fingers.
7. Then add the face. The monster has three square shaped eyes. One
is in the center of his head, and the other two are on either side of
his face. If his head was built like ours, the two eyes would be in
the same place as our ears.
8. The monster‟s nose is like two triangles turned sideways, with only
the points of the triangles touching.
9. The monster has a silly grin on his face.
10. Now it is time to add some color. He has really long, green and
orange striped hair on his head. The hair is about the length of a
pinky, and it covers his whole face.
The fur on his body looks like a tie-dye shirt. This fur is shorter
and spirals all around the body. The fur is red, yellow, and blue.
11. The fur on his legs and arms are each a different color—the arms
are purple, silver, brown, and pink. One leg is black, and one leg
is gold.
12. Make the fur look really fuzzy on the monsters arm and legs.
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