Lesson Plan: Paragraph Challenge

written by: Trent Lorcher edited by: SForsyth updated: 1/17/2012

Motivate students by tapping into their co petitive side! This si p"e activity otivates students to write better paragraphs ore o#ten! $t e"i inates the need to grade every sing"e

assign ent! $t he"ps writers o# a"" "eve"s wor% on a speci#ic aspect o# writing without the need to critici&e every "itt"e #au"t! $t #ocuses on the positive and pub"ic"y rewards students #or 'ua"ity wor%! ("though nothing wi"" rep"ace your e)pertise* the paragraph cha""enge a""ows ore ti e to grade #or a" writing and essay tests* and prepare students #or standardi&ed writing e)a s!

K12 teaching resources

www!etap!org

b"ended+#"ipped "earning #or succes Free Tria"* Schoo" + ,o e use

(ds by -oog"e

Instructions

(ssign a writing topic! .aragraphs are

ost e##ective #or this activity /hence* paragraph cha""enge "esson p"an0!

1ach student shou"d write on the sa e broad topic! Te"" students their paragraph wi"" be read to the c"ass anony ous"y and eva"uated pub"ic"y! (ssign co p"etion points i# desired* but do 23T grade the ! So eti es $ co""ect the assign a #ew points #or co p"etion* and give the at the end o# c"ass*

bac% the ne)t c"ass! So eti es $ do a wa"% by chec% and assign co p"etion

points! The %ey is to reward students #or doing so ething /especia""y ear"y on and especia""y with nonpro#icient writers0!

$nstruct students to c"ear everything o## their des%s e)cept their co p"eted paragraph! (ssign students in groups o# #our or "et the choose their groups! e bers! (""ow the to a%e changes as they read!

,ave students read their paragraph out"oud to their group ,ave the group ran% each paragraph 145 /optiona"0!

Option 1

6ead one paragraph #ro

each group! They can be chosen at rando

or by ran%ing!

-o over the strengths o# each paragraph* #ocusing on anything speci#ic they need to "earn! ,ave the c"ass vote #or the top 7 paragraphs! (ssign points: 8 points #or 1st9 7 points #or 2nd9 1 point #or third! :ontinue unti" ti e runs out or there are no ore paragraphs to read!

Option 2

paragraph 2

;raw a tourna ent brac%et on the board! Tea s wi"" go head to head! 6ead one paragraph #ro tea 1 and one paragraph #ro tea 2! a%es

Let students argue #or each paragraph! For e)a p"e* why is paragraph 1 better< =hat speci#ica""y ore e##ective< Te"" students to vote on the winner! >ou vote too! The winning paragraph oves on to the ne)t round

6epeat unti" there?s a winner! ,ave the "osing tea s co pete in a conso"ation brac%et!

Important Points to Remember

;on?t get caught up on winning and "osing! -et caught up in e)p"aining why one paragraph is better than the other! @ring up good points about a"" paragraphs you read! 6ein#orce the positive! Than% each student #or participating* even i# it?s anony ous participation!

Evaluation

Te"" students in advance how they wi"" be eva"uated! 3ption 1: 1va"uate each paragraph as you read it and assign it a grade with the he"p o# the c"ass! 3ption 2: (ward points based on tea per#or ance: 1st p"ace A (9 2nd p"ace A (49 7rd p"ace A @B

3ption 7: -ive everyone who co p"etes the assign ent and participates satis#actori"y an ?(? with bonus points to the winning group! 3ption 5: -ive participation points on"y* hand bac% the paragraphs* assign a #ina" dra#t due the ne)t day* and grade each one individua""y with the paragraph cha""enge dra#t as the rough dra#t!

$n an eva"uation paragraph* you re#erring to your criteria! Example:

a%e Cudg ents about peop"e* ideas* and possib"e actions! >ou need to

a%e your eva"uation

based on certain criteria that you deve"op! $n the paragraph* you wi"" state your eva"uation or reco

endation and then support it by

=rite a paragraph eva"uating whether pesticides shou"d be used on #ar s!

The ollo!ing !or"s can help #ou to !rite a goo" evaluation paragraph:

Criteria or Evaluation Example

good/bad correct / incorrect ora" / i ora"

The use o# pesticides such as ;;T is bad #or the environ ent! The be"ie# that pesticides ust be used is incorrect! ora" because it har s the environ ent! the environ ent!

The use o# pesticides to contro" pests is i

right / wrong i portant / trivia"

$t is wrong to use pesticides because they har

The issue o# pesticides is an i portant one because it a##ects the environ ent!

Recommen"ation Example

suggest reco advise argue end

$ suggest that pesticides shou"d not be used to contro" pests! $ reco end that pesticides shou"d not be used because they are har #u" to the environ ent!

$ wou"d advise #ar ers not to use pesticides i# possib"e! $ wou"d argue that pesticides shou"d not be used because they har the environ ent!