Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

Zepure T. Kurumlian

Southern New Hampshire University

SPED 630-Q3685: Expressive Language - Skills & Writing 15TW3

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

Part I - Expository writing prompt for Transition/Level 5 ELL students (college prep).

Before you read, look at the title and think about what you already know about the topic.

Problems with Goal Setting

Setting goals can be motivating and lead to personal success. However, as Ray Williams

summarized in his online article “Why Goal Setting Doesn’t Work,” there are also several

potential problems with goal setting.

One area of potential problems is with “stretch goals” — goals that are so challenging

that they extend the goal-setter to the limit all at once rather than in incremental steps. In

business and industry, an employee who focuses on his goal may neglect other work that is

unrelated to the goal; that other work can then become the responsibility of co-workers. For

example, a team leader who has to prepare a presentation for the manager neglects her other

responsibilities, such as ordering supplies. Co-workers become resentful because they have to

cover for her. For individuals, there is also a danger with stretch goals. Often stated in terms of

the ideal, goal-setters who don’t reach their goals may feel they are failures. For example, a

student whose goal is to get straight As gets one B. Rather than recognizing what he has

achieved, he focuses on what he didn’t achieve.

A goal combined with other work can impact the quality of one’s work and one’s life.

When we set goals, we need to think about the other work that will be happening at the same

time. Even if both the new goal and the other work can be completed, each might take longer

than projected. The quality of each might also be diminished; that is, outstanding work may

become mediocre work. Even if other work doesn’t suffer, the effort to complete goals could

eventually disrupt a person’s work-life balance; home life and personal enrichment outside of

work could be negatively impacted.

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

Ethical issues can also occur as a result of goal setting, especially when set by others.

Say, for example, that an employer gives its repair staff a targeted amount of money to generate

within a specific time period. The repair staff may overcharge or perform unnecessary repairs.

This was the case in the 1990s when Sears established a quota for its auto repair staff. Unethical

behavior can also occur even when people set their own goals if they are required to self-report.

Experiments conducted by Schweitzer and Ordonez have shown that in these cases many people

who haven’t achieved their goals will lie in the self-report.

Yet another problem with goals is the danger of spending more time making them than

trying to achieve them. Setting goal after goal and constantly reevaluating them is time-

consuming. While it might be worthwhile to reevaluate a goal, the time it takes to create and

manage a goal shouldn’t overshadow the fact that it needs to be completed. In situations like this,

goal setting can actually become a waste of time and an excuse for procrastination.

In summary, goal setting can be detrimental rather than beneficial for several reasons.

First, stretch goals at work can result in co-worker resentment; and for individuals, the stretch

goal can lead to failure. Additionally, too much focus on goals can upset the work-life balance,

and constant reevaluation can deflect from achievement. Finally, the desire to achieve a goal

can lead to unethical behavior.

© Cambridge University Press 2015 Photocopiable Extended reading worksheets Unit 1

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

Part II - One week lesson plan outlining steps for writing a paragraph using the prompt
above (expanded five-step writing process).

1. Check your understanding - DAY 1 (in class discussion/forum)

Answer each question with the other students in the class. Discuss your answers.

1. What four potential problems with goal setting does the author of Problems with Goal Setting
discuss?
2. According to the article, why do co-workers get upset when a team leader fulfills one goal and
neglects others?
3. What example does the author provide to show how quality of work can be affected by goal
setting?
4. Explain in your own words how work-life balance can be impacted by goal setting.
5. In the fifth paragraph, what word does the author use to mean valuable?
6. The article describes an experiment conducted on people who self-report on their goals.
Describe in your own words the unethical behavior that the results revealed.

2. Build your vocabulary - DAY 1 (take home assignment)

A) Find these words in the paragraph indicated and underline them. Which words are positive
in this context? Which words are negative? What clues helped you guess?

Word Positive Negative Clue

1. motivating, ¶1 X . . . lead to personal success

2. incremental, ¶2

3. resentful, ¶2

4. mediocre, ¶3

5. failure, ¶2

6. time-consuming, ¶5

7. detrimental, ¶6

© Cambridge University Press 2015 Photocopiable Extended reading worksheets Unit 1

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

B) Find each of the following academic words in the article and underline the sentence. Then
complete the chart.

Academic Phrase or sentence Part of Dictionary My sentence

word from article speech definition

achieve Yet another problem with verb to reach or The student achieved her dream of
goals is the danger of acquire attending college.
spending
more time making them than
trying to achieve them.

challenging

constantly

diminished

ethical

goal

© Cambridge University Press 2015 Photocopiable Extended reading worksheets Unit 1

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

3. Talk with a partner - DAY 2 (in class paired activity)

A) Answer each question with evidence from the reading. Use one of the phrases in the Useful
Language box.
Useful Language
Phrases to report someone else’s ideas:

________ indicated that . . .

________ observed that . . .

1. How can goal setting be detrimental? Give an example.

2. What might cause resentment in the workplace?
3. How might goal setting promote unethical behavior?

B) Identify the topic sentence, supporting sentences, supporting facts and the conclusion
sentence for each of the 6 paragraphs. Remember, there is more than one supporting
sentences and facts in each paragraph. Copy the chart and use a separate piece of paper.

Paragraph Topic sentence Supporting Supporting Conclusion

Sentences Facts sentence

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Adapted from © Cambridge University Press 2015 Photocopiable Extended reading worksheets Unit 1

4. Analyze the texts (data synthesis) - DAY 2 (take home assignment)

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

Review the following texts to answer the questions below: (1) Student Book, p. 6, Setting Goals
for the Future; (2) Student Book, p. 8, Keys for Success at Work; (3) Extended Reading,
Problems with Goal Setting. Answer the questions below.

1. According to the text Setting Goals for the Future, how does the author define setting goals?
2. In the same text, the author gives several important points to consider when setting goals.
Identify three and give examples from the text to support your choices.
3. What does the author of Keys for Success at Work suggest people do if they are not strong in
the skills and qualities he lists?
4. How does the author of Problems with Goal Setting define “stretch goals”? Restate the
definition in your own words. Which point in the article Setting Goals for the Future would
prevent this problem?

5. Before you write - DAY 3 (in class group activity)

Is goal setting more beneficial or detrimental to achieving success? Use the information from
Exercises 1-4 and evidence from the three texts to support your opinion. Complete the graphic
organizer your teacher gives you with your opinion, 3 key arguments, and evidence to support
each argument on a separate piece of paper. Add a conclusion. Make sure your work is
unique and not resembling anyone elses paragraph in the class.

Opinion: Topic sentence - Make sure your topic sentence is not too narrow or too broad. It will
need to be approved by the instructor before continuing to next step.

3 Key Arguments (supporting sentences) Evidence to Support Arguments

(supporting facts)

1. define/explain/give example 1. use applicable fact from DAY 2/Part B

2. define/explain/give example 2. use applicable fact from DAY 2/Part B

3. define/explain/give example 3. use applicable fact from DAY 2/Part B

Conclusion: Restate opinion sentence using one of the following starters:
As you can see, In short, On the whole, That’s why,
In brief, In summary, In conclusion,

Adapted from © Cambridge University Press 2015 Photocopiable Extended reading worksheets Unit 1

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

Directions: Use the template below to write an opinion, and brainstorm five key arguments
for the following paragraph prompt. Pick three arguments and number them in order.

Prompt: Is goal setting more beneficial or detrimental to achieving success? Use the
information from Exercises 1-4 and evidence from the three texts to support your opinion.
Complete the graphic organizer your teacher gives you with your opinion, 3 key arguments, and
evidence to support each argument on a separate piece of paper. Add a conclusion.
Make sure your work is unique and not resembling anyone elses paragraph in the class.

OPINION (topic sentence): _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

BRAINSTORM KEY ARGUMENTS

•___________________________________________________________

•___________________________________________________________

•___________________________________________________________

•___________________________________________________________

•___________________________________________________________

Adapted from © 2014 Landmark School Outreach Program. All rights reserved.
www.landmarkoutreach.org

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

6. Write - DAY 3 (at home assignment)

Is goal setting more beneficial or detrimental to achieving success? What is your opinion?
Use your graphic organizer and evidence from the three texts to support your opinion.
Opinion Graphic Organizer
OPINION:

3 Key Arguments Evidence to Support Arguments

1. ___________________________________ 1. ___________________________________

2. ___________________________________ 2. ___________________________________

3. ___________________________________ 3. ___________________________________

CONCLUSION:

Adapted from © Cambridge University Press 2015 Photocopiable Extended reading worksheets Unit 1

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

7. After you write - DAY 4 (in class individual and paired activity)
A) Check your writing. Did you include all the ideas in your graphic organizer? Read to
yourself. Correct any capitalization, omitted words, and punctuation errors.

PROOFREADING CHECKLIST

•C___________________________________________________________

•O___________________________________________________________

•P___________________________________________________________
Adapted from © 2014 Landmark School Outreach Program. All rights reserved.
www.landmarkoutreach.org

B) Share your writing with a partner.

a. Take turns. Read your writing out loud to your partner.
b. Read your partner’s writing to yourself. Compare it to your partner’s graphic organizer.
c. Comment on your partner’s writing: Ask one question; share one thing you learned.

8. Final draft - DAY 4 (at home assignment)

Compose your final draft of the opinion paragraph with all required components and
incorporated corrections and feedback.

9. Professional editing - DAY 5 (tutoring session, tutoring lab)

Bring your finished draft to your tutor at the SASC in room 202. Have your tutor edit and revise
if necessary.

10. Type finalized version - DAY 5 (computer lab)

During or after class, type up your finalized version of the opinion paragraph. Remember to use
font style “Times New Roman,” font size “12”, and “double” spacing. Make sure your name,
class name, number, and section, and the date are at the top of the paper.

Adapted from © Cambridge University Press 2015 Photocopiable Extended reading worksheets Unit 1

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

Part III - Explanation of how the students are guided through the five - step writing

process (with some modifications) using the above five day lesson plan.

Original five-step process: brainstorming, organizing, drafting, editing, and finalizing.

Modified nine-step process for ELL students: assisting with reading comprehension, expanding

vocabulary/academic English transitioning, discussion and analysis of the mechanical and

contextual content of the expository writing sample, researching, brainstorming, organizing,

drafting, editing, typing finalized draft.

Students will be guided through instructional lectures, instructor support, peer support

and explicit samples/examples provided to articulate each step highlighted in the lesson plan.

1. Assisting with reading comprehension: Students will be provided with an expository

writing sample. We will read the sample as a class and answer questions to establish

understanding of the writing sample. We will hold a discussion/forum to highlight the

finer points of the main ideas developed in the writing sample. This will ensure that all

of the students will have a full understanding of the passage.

2. Expanding vocabulary/academic English transitioning: Students will be asked to

identify use of specific words that they may not be familiar with in the writing sample.

They will be asked identify whether the specific word establishes a positive or negative

view of goal setting, and they will be asked to identify academic words in the writing,

define them, establish part of speech, and utilize it in a sentence. This activity will

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

expand the student’s ability to paraphrase, comprehend written work, develop word use,

and make a transition between common and academic English language use.

3. Discussion and analysis of the mechanical and contextual content of the expository

writing sample: Students will be required to break down each paragraph of the writing

sample into a topic sentence, supporting sentences, supporting facts, and conclusion.

Students will also begin the contextual analysis with the use of questions to begin the

brainstorming process and to get them thinking about both sides of the argument.

4. Researching: Students will be responsible for additional research in order to better

prepare in backing up their opinion. This will provide students with an ability to

synthesise information from different sources. Standard: CCR Anchor 9: Analyze how

two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to

compare the approaches the authors take.

5. Brainstorming: Students will begin to brainstorm an opinion (topic sentence), key

arguments to support their opinion (supporting sentences), and facts drawn from the

original writing samples to support their arguments (supporting facts). Students will be

provided with templates to help guide them in this task. The templates will provide a

little independence to the students while they begin structuring their arguments.

6. Organizing: Students will begin to isolate, redefine, and revise key arguments and fully

develop their opinions and conclusions. Templates, group exercises, and paired exercises

are involved in establishing that the students fully comprehend the organizational process

of the written work.

7. Drafting: Students will use a template to draft their first draft at home. This will provide

the student with additional independent work so they may identify trouble areas in the

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

process. They will be expected to resolve these issues in class the next day. Asking for

help is the goal of having students do the drafting at home.

8. Editing: Students will be editing their own work, peer editing their partner’s work, and

having professional editing done by assigned tutors in the tutoring center. This is to

heighten the student’s understanding of the mechanical processes of writing from one

another and from a professional source.

9. Typing finalized draft: Students are required to know the basic components of typed

work, such as, font size, style, spacing requirements, margin, etc. This satisfies the

technology aspect of the ABE curriculum requirement.

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 Assignment: Teaching Paragraph Writing Lesson Plan

References

Cambridge English: English Language Teaching - Resources | Adult Courses. (2015, January 1).

Retrieved March 19, 2015, from

http://www.cambridge.org/us/cambridgeenglish/catalog/adult-courses/resources

Landmark School Outreach Program. (2014). Module Six Landmark Outreach Video: Paragraph

Writing.[Video file]. Retrieved from:

https://snhumedia.snhu.edu/files/imedia/sped630/module_6_landmark_video.mp4

Macleod, S. (2012, November 15). Paragraph Structure. Retrieved March 19, 2015, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLzKqujmdGk

Mather, N., Wendling, B.J., & Roberts, R. (2009). Writing Assessment and Instruction for

Students with Learning Disabilities. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Parady, J., Newhall, P., Ahearn, D. and Kwedor, K. (2014) Teaching Writing Skills: Paragraphs

to Essays. Prides Crossing, MA: Landmark School, Inc.

Roberts, M. (2013, July 10). Paragraph Structure (Part 2). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yoF-MnJYTo

Roberts, M. (2013, July 12). Paragraph Structure (Part 3). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfV_yM7A1SY

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