Marie Webb

MLED 402/403

October 30, 2005

Motivating Lesson Intro

 

1.  Teaching Appositives – Grammar

Objective = To focus on how to make students’ writing more descriptive and their                                                                           

                                sentences stronger.

 

When students are ready to being, I will hand out the “Sunglasses (Altered)” passage, turn the lights off and turn the overhead projector on.  I will ask my students to read the altered story passage on the overhead projector and on the back of the handout to write down any questions that come up and note where, as an analytical reader, they need more information.

 

When everyone seems ready I will ask the students what questions they have.

 

Having confirmed what the composition does not have, I will tell them to turn the handout I passed out over and to read the unaltered version, underline any additions made to the paragraph and to be ready to explain what effect the new information has on the passage and on the reader’s understanding of the passage.

 

(Passages attached)

 

2.  Descriptive Writing

            Objective = Guide students to use more active verbs.

 

Once the class is ready to begin I will go around the room and ask each student to give me a descriptive word that could describe the characteristics that an apple may have.  I will write every word given on the board and the class will continue to share for as long as they are able to come up with words to describe an apple. 

 

This shows students that there are many ways to perceive an object and that descriptive writing is more than telling about something.  Descriptive writing is becoming the object of the writing and to thoroughly observe.

 

3.  Dominant Impression

            Objective = Creating a dominant impression by writing a mini profile of a real or        

                                Make-believe person.

 

I will have a series of different types of pictures on hand of people, real, cartoon like, caricatures, etc.  I will then go around the room asking students what the first thing that comes to mind when they see the picture.  For example, an old man who is bald on top with fuzzy white hair on the sides of his head, with bags under his eyes and a pointy, beak-like nose might appear to be some semblance of an owl.