Lesson Plan Examples from English 1010 (Introduction to Academic Writing ) Unit 2

Instructor Andrea Richards

Sample #1
Text Analysis using Jigsaw Groups
Primary Objective: Unit 2 Objective 1: Students will be able to critically read, analyze and
summarize a text. Weber (LO1) (LO5) *

Secondary Objective: Unit 1 Objective 3: Students will be encouraged to contribute to the

creation of a safe and collaborative learning community benefitting from peer interaction
and peer teaching. (LO1) (LO5)

Students will have received the following assignment on Canvas and in class with a due date
prior to class: Read and take notes in your Reading/Writing Journal: "Are Too Many People
Going to College?" by Charles Murray pages 234-253

Supplies: (They Say I Say text book), multiple dry erase marker in different colors

Procedure:

1) When students arrive they will begin work on a writing prompt. (The prompt may be
related to previous reading, current events as they related to the class, or from the
instructor’s writing files of text, visual or video prompts)
2) Instructor will lead sharing of responses to the prompt.
3) Students will then transition to their preassigned work groups.
4) After determining that groups have sufficient numbers for the assignment, and making
necessary adjustments, each member of the original groups will be assigned to an
“expert” group where they will collaborate on analyzing an assigned section of the
reading. They will be looking for main ideas, supporting evidence for those ideas, how
the material is presented by the writer and connections to previously read text. The
Murray text breaks effectively in the following sections p.234-237, 237-241, 241-244,
245-248, 248-249, 250-253.
5) After groups appear to have thoroughly covered the assigned material they will return to
their home groups to assist in preparing an outline of the entire article with each “expert”
member taking turns conveying their conclusions to the recorder of the home group with
the fact checker making sure documentation for sources and examples is specific and
accurate (page number, paragraph position etc). The discussion leader of the home group
should make sure time is used wisely within the group. The presenter in each group
should be prepared to represent their home group when the class wide discussion begins.
6) When groups are ready presenters are invited to write one observation for each section of
the reading on the board. Each group should have their own colored marker so the
instructor can monitor the contributions of each group. Presenters must contribute
something different than other groups but they can underline agreement with other groups
observations or place an X next to a statement they would challenge. At the instructors
discretion writing can continue until the material from the article has been covered. A
class wide discussion can then ensue exploring challenges to the material, connections
between other articles and eliciting personal responses from students.
7) Students should be encouraged to take notes from the board or take a picture of it to be
entered into their lit review matrix being kept as they prepare for the lit review and to aid
in the writing of the following summary & connection essay assignment.
8) Explain the assignment and remind students to bring a paper copy of the writing
assignment to class for peer review. Remind student of any upcoming reading
assignments. Once students have asked any questions about the writing assignment or
any other assignment they can be dismissed.

Evaluation:

Instructor observation of small group work, assessing group contributions through board
work and class discussion, as well as summary and connection essay and literature review #1.
 Lesson Plan Examples from English 1010 (Introduction to Academic Writing ) Unit 2

Instructor Andrea Richards

Sample #2
Class Period Split between Peer Review and Write/Pair/Share
Discussion of Assigned Text
Primary Objectives: Unit 2 Objective 1: Students will be able to critically read, analyze and
summarize a text. Weber (LO1) (LO5) Objective 2: Students will be able to write a quality
summary and connection essay using academic conventions and following assignment
protocols. (LO1) (LO2) (L03) (LO5) (LO6) Objective 3: Students will be able to revise a text
giving and applying suggestions for both global and local revision. (LO2) (LO3) (LO5)
(LO6)

Secondary Objective: Unit 1 Objective 3: Students will be encouraged to contribute to the

creation of a safe and collaborative learning community benefitting from peer interaction
and peer teaching. (LO1) (LO5)

Supplies: (They Say I Say text book), dry erase marker, copies of peer review guidelines
(optional)

Procedure:

1) When students arrive they will begin work on a writing prompt. (The prompt may be
related to previous reading, current events as they related to the class, or from the
instructor’s writing files of text, visual or video prompts)
2) Instructor will lead sharing of responses to the prompt.
3) Transition students to preassigned groups or partners for peer review. Have students
exchange papers. Depending on the class dynamic students can do reciprocal exchanges,
or circular exchanges with students being assigned to global or local revision suggestions
in different exchanges. Remind students to use the assignment rubric and peer review
guidelines supplied in class Canvas files or through printed handout. At instructor
discretion students can be assigned to focus on global or local issues.
4) Instructor should circulate to take questions and observe interaction and to record if
students were prepared for peer review documenting scores for later entry into gradebook.
5) When students seem to have completed the review depending on time restraints the
instructor can ask for the sharing of exemplary work or additional questions.
6) Students will be assigned to choose from today’s or a previously written summary and
connection essay and revise the chosen essay for submission to instructor.
7) Ask students to put away their essays and get ready to write about the assigned reading. It
can be a free write or from a written or oral prompt. Give students 3-5 minutes to write.
8) Have students pair with a peer to share what they have written.
9) Have students share in a class wide discussion of their writing.
10) Instructor can make board notes on the article or have students take their own notes in
preparation for a summary and connection essay at a later date or to prepare for the
upcoming lit review.
11) Depending on the course schedule confirm any reading or writing assignment due for the
next class and dismiss students.

Evaluation:

Instructor observation of peer review, assessing contributions through class discussion, as

well as summary and connection essay revised submission and literature review #1.
 Lesson Plan Examples from English 1010 (Introduction to Academic Writing ) Unit 2

Instructor Andrea Richards

Sample #3
Review of Articles Prior to Writing Literature Review #1 Using Group
Panel Discussion/Debate

Primary Objectives: Unit 2 Objective 1: Students will be able to critically read, analyze and
summarize a text. Weber (LO1) (LO5) Objective 2: Students will be able to write a quality
summary and connection essay using academic conventions and following assignment
protocols. (LO1) (LO2) (L03) (LO5) (LO6)

Secondary Objective: Unit 1 Objective 3: Students will be encouraged to contribute to the

creation of a safe and collaborative learning community benefitting from peer interaction
and peer teaching. (LO1) (LO5)

Supplies: (They Say I Say text book), dry erase markers, place cards for author of each article
to be reviewed (can be created from folder construction paper or cardstock), A list of prompts for
the discussion

Procedure:

1) Arrange classroom seating in group conference (circular) style. Have identifying place
cards for the author of each article that will be discussed in the review.
2) When students arrive they will begin work on a writing prompt. (The prompt may be
related to previous reading, current events as they related to the class, or from the
instructor’s writing files of text, visual or video prompts)
3) Students will have been assigned 1-2 of the previously assigned articles to prepare to be an
expert on. The assignments can be posted through Canvas. Students will represent the
author during a panel discussion that serves as a review. This encourages students to
remember the main positions of different articles and the connections between them.
4) Have a prepared list of questions and/or topics to cover although students may move from
one topic to another on their own. Be prepared to moderate and redirect the conversation.
Possible starters can be specific, “Charles Murray in his article ‘Are Too Many People
Going to College?’ discusses the fact that brick and mortar colleges are a thing of the
past?" In what ways is this true or false? How is this subject addressed in any of the other
writings represented? Or more general—“How does choice of major affect the financial
implications of higher education?” Cold calling by the name of the author may actually
 help students feel less intimidated as they are speaking for the author, not for themselves.
This also keep personal opinion from being used. Students should have the texts with them
so they can specify pages and paragraphs if necessary to support their points.
5) Board notes can be taken (optional).
6) Time should be left to discuss the assignment prompt and rubric for Literature Review #1.
This could be done at the beginning of class if the instructor wanted to so that reference to
synthesis and conversation between the articles could be demonstrated in the activity.

Evaluation:

Instructor observation of panel discussion (students could be given a formal score for being
prepared, presenting information well, and demonstrating familiarity with the article) and
literature review #1.
 Lesson Plan Examples from English 1010 (Introduction to Academic Writing ) Unit 2

Instructor Andrea Richards

Sample #4
Group Analysis of a Sample Literature Review in Preparation for
Writing a Literature Review
Supplies: Sample lit review and sample questions (can be just a master list for instructor, used
as an overhead or distributed to student groups before or at the analysis)

Procedure:

1) When students arrive they will begin work on a writing prompt. (The prompt may be
related to previous reading, current events as they related to the class, or from the
instructor’s writing files of text, visual or video prompts)
2) Instructor will lead sharing of responses to the prompt.
3) Divide students into at least 5 groups to analyze section of the lit review and to summarize
articles within the review and their interaction with other articles in the text. Group
assignment should look something like Group 1—Intro and Conclusion, Group 2 body of
the text, Groups 3-5 divide the articles as listed in the Works Cited. (This reinforces the
relationship between the Works Cited and the articles represented in the review. Based on
their assignments students would now work to be prepared to discuss with the class how
the author introduces her subject including the use of ethos, pathos and logos and how that
corresponds to the conclusion. They would report on how students use personal pronouns
if applicable or what further research is suggested by the author in the conclusion.
Students working on the body would explore the use of transitions, the conversation
between sources in the text and choice of vocabulary, pros and cons of repetition and
cohesion. Groups assigned specific sources would describe the frequency of the article
within the text, evaluate if a reader would feel like they could summarize the article from
it’s place within the review, how it interacts in the text and what purpose it serves.
4) Write the articles title or author on the board for taking notes.
5) As students are called upon to report on their assigned areas note their responses on the
board.
6) This is a good time to make connections between this exercise and what is expected in the
literature review assignment/rubric.

Evaluation:

Instructor observation of discussion and literature review #1.

Literature Review #1 Draft for Peer Review--minimum 3 pages.
This first draft should have at least 3 pages prepared for review. Submit in Canvas and bring
a paper copy to class for peer review. 5 points will be awarded for a submission of 3 pages. 5
points for bringing a paper copy to class.

Requirements of submission:  The literature review should be 6-8 pages in length, not
including the works cited page, and follow the formatting guidelines outlined below. Failure to
adhere to these requirements of submission may result in the paper being returned ungraded.
Returned papers will need to be resubmitted, and the late policy as stated on the syllabus will be
applied.
How to Proceed:

1.  Review the summary & connection essays that you previously wrote.
2. Identify the specific areas of education that your review will focus upon. Consider some of
the topics addressed in the articles, during our discussions, and in your journal.  
3. Conduct some research and locate 2 additional sources of information on your specific focus
and read those sources.
4. Construct a thesis statement for your literature review. Since your review is meant to provide
information on the topic for your reader, it should be informative in nature, not persuasive.
5. Create an outline for your review based upon your thesis statement. A basic outline might
look like this:

 Introduction: Introduce the topic of the review, its significance, and the thesis statement.
 Body: Group your sources into different categories and devote 2-3 pages to each category.
For a review of this length, 2-4 categories should be sufficient.
 Conclusion: Summarize the review’s main points, restate the thesis, and provide suggestions
for further research.
 Using your outline, write a draft of your literature review.
 Submit your draft in canvas.
 Bring a draft of your literature review to class to be reviewed by a peer.   

 Formatting:

 Times New Roman 12-point font , one-inch margins, double-spaced throughout

 MLA-style heading: Name, instructor’s name, course, date
 Last name, page numbers in the upper-right corner of the header
 Title centered above the first paragraph
 Works Cited page with citations in proper MLA format

Evaluation:

 a clear introduction and thesis statement

 well-developed body paragraphs that effectively integrate source information
 an effective conclusion
 effective synthesis of the sources reviewed
 proper use of the conventions of standard written English
 proper MLA-style formatting

Instructor Feedback: Please use my feedback in conjunction with the rubric to improve
upon future writing assignments.

Points—10 –Submitting a file upload (5 for submission and 5 bringing a paper copy to class)
Read and take notes in your Reading/Writing Journal: "Are Too Many People Going to
College?" by Charles Murray pages 234-253

"They Say / I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings (Third Edition)
ISBN: 9780393937510 Edition: 3

 Read and take notes in your Reading/Writing Journal:

o "Is College Still Worth It?" by Jaden Larson in Weber Writes

Writing Assignment Literature Review #1
Requirements of submission:  The literature review should be 6-8 pages in length, not
including the works cited page, and follow the formatting guidelines outlined below. Failure to
adhere to these requirements of submission may result in the paper being returned ungraded.
Returned papers will need to be resubmitted, and the late policy as stated on the syllabus will be
applied.
How to Proceed:

1. Review the summary & connection essays that you previously wrote.
2. Identify the specific areas of education that your review will focus upon. Consider some of
the topics addressed in the articles, during our discussions, and in your journal.  
3. Conduct some research and locate 2 additional sources of information on your specific focus
and read those sources.
4. Construct a thesis statement for your literature review. Since your review is meant to provide
information on the topic for your reader, it should be informative in nature, not persuasive.
5. Create an outline for your review based upon your thesis statement. A basic outline might
look like this:

 Introduction: Introduce the topic of the review, its significance, and the thesis statement.
 Body: Group at least 6 of your sources into different categories and devote 2-3 pages to each
category. For a review of this length, 2-4 categories should be sufficient.
 Conclusion: Summarize the review’s main points, restate the thesis, and provide suggestions
for further research.   

 Formatting:

 Times New Roman 12-point font , one-inch margins, double-spaced throughout

 MLA-style heading: Name, instructor’s name, course, date
 Last name, page numbers in the upper-right corner of the header
 Title centered above the first paragraph
 Works Cited page with citations in proper MLA format

Evaluation:

 a clear introduction and thesis statement

 well-developed body paragraphs that effectively integrate source information
 an effective conclusion
 effective synthesis of the sources reviewed
 proper use of the conventions of standard written English
 proper MLA-style formatting

You will be participating in periodic peer reviews of drafts listed and submitted as separate
assignments. You may also wish to visit the writer center at different points in the writing
process for additional feedback. Review the instructions above for each draft and evaluate
and apply appropriate suggestions from peers, writing center tutors, or your instructor.
Rework the lit review. Submit your final draft by the final due date.
Instructor Feedback: Please use my feedback in conjunction with the rubric to improve upon
future writing assignments.

Points—100 Submitting a file upload

Revised Summary and Connection Essay #2
After peer review select with your Summary and Connection Essay #5 or #6 and revise and
submit it.
This assignment will be graded with the same rubric as your other Summary and Connection
Essays and gives you the opportunity to see how the review, editing, and revising process can
improve your writing.
Writing Assignment Summary & Connection Essay #6
Write your essay using the following article: 
"Are Too Many People Going to College?"
"They Say / I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings (Third Edition)
ISBN: 9780393937510 Edition: 3
Requirements of submission:  The Summary & Connection Essays should be 1-2 pages in
length, not including a works cited page and follow the formatting guidelines outlined below.
Failure to adhere to these requirements of submission may result in the paper being returned
ungraded. Returned papers will need to be resubmitted, and the late policy as stated on the
syllabus will be applied.
How to Proceed:
1. Read the assigned texts.    
2. Read and annotate the texts. Consider some of the following questions:

o What is the main idea of each paragraph?

o What is the main idea of the entire text?
o What are the supporting details that make the main idea clear?
o How do the points made in the text connect to other texts that you have read?

3. Write a one-paragraph summary of the text (about half of a page in length):

 Begin with a sentence that summarizes the entire text.

 Follow that sentence with a summary of the most important supporting details.
 Make sure the summary is in your own words. Keep quotations and paraphrases to a
minimum.

4. Write a paragraph (about half of a page in length) that discusses how the text relates to another
text that you have read (connect to only one other text):

 Explain the main idea of the second text in a sentence or two.

 Explain how the readings relate (ideas, arguments, styles, etc.).
 Provide specific examples that illustrate the connection(s).

5. Cite your sources in-text and on a Works Cited page in MLA style.
6. Read your essay and revise for clarity, grammatical error, spelling, etc.
7. Make sure your essay is properly formatted in MLA style.
8. Submit your essay in Canvas and bring a paper copy to class for peer review.
Formatting:
 Times New Roman 12-point font
 One-inch margins
 Double-spaced throughout
 MLA-style heading: Name, instructor’s name, course, date
 Last name, page numbers in the upper-right corner of the header

 Evaluation:

 a well-constructed topic sentence that summarizes the entire selection

 clear explanation of the most important supporting details
 clear discussion of how the selection connects to other readings
 effective organization marked by clear transitions from sentence to sentence
 proper use of the conventions of standard written English
 proper MLA-style formatting

Instructor Feedback: Please use my feedback in conjunction with the n to improve upon
future writing assignments.
Writing Center: Consider taking your work to the writing center prior to submitting to ensure
you submit your best work.

Points—100 Submitting a file upload;

10 for peer review (5 for having a copy to work on in class, 5 for reviewing for a classmate)