CEP Lesson Plan

Teacher/s: Caitlyn Alley Pea

Level: A5 Date/Time: 7/22/14


Goal: Improve student knowledge of informal and formal writing and help students
develop skills to narrow down a research topic

Objectives (SWBAT):
Students Will Be Able To
1. Define words from the text by using context clues and English dictionaries (as a last
resort)
2. Identify characteristics of formal and informal writing through the partner
brainstorming activity and class discussion
3. Evaluate a piece of writing for formality by analyzing a text and discussing with a
partner
4. Label the parts of a research paper by analyzing a research paper with a partner
5. Narrow a research topic by using an idea map

Theme: Hooked on Horror

Extensions: ____________________________________________________


Aim/Skill/Microskill Activity/Procedure/Stage Interaction Time

Review or Preview (if
applicable)


Linking & Transitioning to rest of
lesson:

Vocabulary relay race.

SS split into two teams. I will say a
definition of a word that we learned
from yesterdays class. If the S knows
the answer, they have to run to the
board and grab the correct word.

This continues until all words have
been defined. SS rotate being the one
to go grab the word each time a new
definition is presented. The runner can
get help from their team mate if they
dont know the answer.




SS-SS







5 min









Activity 1: Informal vs.
Formal Writing Activity












































1.1 Pre-Stage: In pairs, SS will discuss
the following questions:

1) Why do you think people like to see
horror movies?
2) Do you think that watching horror
movies could have a negative effect on
our well-being?
3) Do you know who Stephen King is?
If so, can you think of any of his books
or movies?

Ask SS to share some of their opinions
about the discussion questions as a
class. Make sure everyone knows who
Stephen King is and give some
examples of his work.

Explain that we are going to read two
different texts about horror movies.
One has to do with their negative
effects, and one is an essay about why
people like horror movies.

Group A will receive the text about
negative effects (an article from an
academic publication) and Group B
will receive the text about why we like
horror movies (essay by Stephen
King).

Each group will be given a vocab list
corresponding to the article they were
assigned. SS should simply skim the
article and try to figure out the meaning
of the vocab words in pairs. T will
allow SS to look words up on their
phones in the final 2 minutes.

SS will switch partners and explain
their vocabulary words to their new
partners.

Ask if SS have any remaining
questions about the vocabulary.




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3-4
min







3-4
min




1 min












7 min







7
min


3 min



































Transition to #2: Now that
weve discussed ways to
recognized the formality of a
piece of writing when youre
reading, were going to
move on to talk about
writing our own research
papers. The information
weve talked about today
will help you to write your
paper at an appropriate level
of formality.

1.2. During Stage: Ask students to
brainstorm in pairs the differences
between formal and informal writing.
They will write their ideas on a piece
of butcher paper.

Discuss student ideas as a class and add
any that they may have missed.

Ask students to talk in pairs about what
factors determine the formality of our
writing. (Audience, purpose, topic,
etc.)

Briefly discuss as a class.


Have SS read the article they were
originally assigned and determine
whether it is an example of formal or
informal writing. They should
underline or circle clues in the text that
help them make their decision.

SS who have article A will discuss with
SS who have article B. Each S should
explain whether they think the article is
formal or informal and what features
helped them make their decision.

1.3 Post-Stage: Discuss the formality
of the articles as a class. Have a couple
of volunteers put their article under the
doc cam to show examples of
language.

Explain that understanding differences
in formality is important not just for
reading, but will also help them in their
own writing.


Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer
feedback: marked up articles,
vocabulary handout, formal vs.
informal writing characteristics on
SS-SS





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3-5
min




5 min


3-5
min



3-5
min

10
min





7 -10
min




5 min















butcher paper

Peer feedback: SS work together to
figure out vocab and then explain to
another S; SS discuss their idea of
whether the article they read is formal
or informal with a partner and must
justify their answers; SS show their
article under doc cam and explain to
class

T. feedback: T feedback on
characteristics of formal/informal
writing on butcher paper; T will answer
any remaining questions about vocab;
T will give feedback in class discussion
about the formality of the articles; T
will be available for feedback and help
during all partner activities




Activity 2: Analyzing
Research Paper Structure
























2.1 Pre-Stage: In pairs, students will
race to write down as much as they can
remember about the structure of a
research paper on the board.

Review student answers as a class and
add anything that may be missing.


2.2. During Stage: Hand out the
sample research paper. Explain that
the paper was quite long, so parts of it
had to be deleted.

Group A will read the first two
paragraphs and Group B will read the
last two paragraphs.

After they have read, SS should try to
identify which parts of the research
paper are present in the portion they
read.

SS will switch partners and explain
what parts were in their portion to their

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SS



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2 min




3 min








7 min



5 min




5 min














Transition to #3: Now that
everyone is clear about the
structure of a research paper,
lets start talking about how
to choose and narrow our
topics.


new partner.


2.3 Post-Stage: Review answers as a
class. Ask if anyone has any remaining
questions about how a research paper
should be structured.

Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer
feedback: brainstorming on the board,
marked up research papers

Peer Feedback: Switching partners to
explain the parts of the research paper
they found in their portion of the text

T. Feedback: Will provide feedback
after brainstorming session and after
SS have discussed their portions of the
research paper




SS-T



5 min
Activity 3: Choosing and
Narrowing a Topic Listing
and Freewrite



3.1. Pre-Stage: In pairs, SS should
discuss how they would choose a topic
for an essay. Tell them that they are
allowed to write about anything they
want, so how would they go about
choosing a topic?

Have a few students share their
answers with the class.

Elicit/ emphasize that they should
probably choose something that they
already know a little bit about and that
they are interested in.

Have SS read the strategy on pg. 77.
Ask a student to summarize.

Explain to SS that in their research
paper, they can write about any topic
they choose. Today, we would like to
try to decide on a topic.

Individually, SS will brainstorm a list
of topic ideas that they might want to
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SS

5 min






5 min







2 min


1 min




2 min

write about for their research paper.

SS then share their list with a partner,
and try to come up with 2-3 additions
to the list.

3.2 During Stage: SS will choose one
of the topics from their list and do a 2
minute freewrite on that topic.

SS are instructed not to stop writing,
even if they have to write I dont
know over and over.

3.3. Post-Stage: SS then trade papers
with a partner. SS will underline 1-2
interesting phrases from their partners
freewrite.

SS will then write for 1 minute about
the specific idea that their partner
underlined.


Tangible Outcome & T. feedback/peer
feedback: list of topics, freewrite
paragraphs

Peer feedback: SS share topic lists



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SS







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SS


3 min



2 min







2 min




1 min

Activity 4: Choosing and
Narrowing a Topic I dea
Maps
4.1 Pre-Stage: T will ask SS to look at
the example idea map in the textbook
and explain how to create one.

With a partner, SS will choose one of
the topic ideas that they had written on
their original list and write a practice
idea map.

One group will present their idea map
on the doc cam and the class will
discuss what more could be added to it.

4.2 During Stage: SS will work
individually to create their own idea
map using one of the topics they chose

before (preferably the topic they used
for their freewrite).

4.3 Post-Stage: SS will trade idea maps
with a partner and provide feedback on
what more could be added/ improved.

Tangible Outcome & Peer Feedback/
T. Feedback: completed idea maps

Peer feedback: SS provide one another
feedback on the idea maps

T. feedback: T will circulate and
provide feedback as SS are creating
their idea maps in pairs; T will
contribute to the class-wide feedback
discussion


Materials: formal/ informal writing articles, vocabulary handout, slides, butcher paper,
markers


Anticipated Problems & Suggested Solutions: Some SS may have difficulty coming up
with topic ideas. If so, I will circulate and provide some examples to get them started.


Contingency Plans (what you will do if you finish early, etc.): If we finish early, I will
allow SS to begin to write an outline for their selected topic. Even if they arent sure that
they want to use that topic, it will be good to practice writing an outline.