Lesson Title: Lets Make a Monster!

Grade Level: First

Teaching Date: NA

Readiness
I.

Goals/Objectives/Standards
a. Goal: Students will make a monster and describe it
b. Objective:
-Students will use descriptive words to describe their monster
well.
-Students will draw a monster including a body, arms and/or legs,
eye(s), mouth(s), and at least one color.
-Students will describe their monster using at least seven
complete sentences.
c. Standards:
1.W.3.3 Develop topics for stories or poems, using precise
words to describe characters and actions and temporal
words to signal event order, with ideas organized into a
beginning, middle, and ending.
(2.W.6.1c Adjectives/ Adverbs Writing sentences that use
adjectives and adverbs.)
1.W.2.1 Write all uppercase (capital) and lowercase letters
legibly, and space letters, words, and sentences appropriately.

II.

III.

1.W.6.2 Demonstrate command of capitalization, punctuation,

and spelling
Materials
a. Time: Day 1 30 minutes/ Day 2 1 hour
b. Space Students will be at the carpet during some discussion
and the read aloud. Students will be at their desks for most of
their writing. I will be doing conferences at the u table.
c. Behavior I use a stoplight system for my students. I will tell
students my expectations before the lesson. If they are doing
something they shouldnt be, I will move students to yellow
and/or red.
d. Materials Go Away Big Green Monster book. crayons,
worksheets
Anticipatory Set

IV.

a. Version of iSpy:
b. I will sit with the students in the nook and explain the game. I am
going to describe two objects and they will have to guess which
object they think it is in the room after I finish describing it, just
like iSpy. Students will raise their hand to guess.
c. Item 1: This object is smaller than my hand, it has a cap that
comes off, I can write with it, and it is purple. Answer: Purple
Expo Marker
d. Item 2: This object is square. Answer: Magic Tree House Book
e. Which item was easier to guess? Why? The first one was easier
because I described it in much more detail right? This is one
example of why using describing words is really important.
Purpose:
a. Today we are going to be practicing using descriptive words in
our writing. We are going to do this by creating our very own
monsters and describing them. This is important because when
we use describing words, it helps others to know what we mean.
If I just said can you hand me that, you wouldnt know what I
meant. I would have to say can you hand me that small yellow
pencil for you to understand what I mean.

Plan for Instruction

V.

VI.

Adapting to Diverse Needs

a. I will some students work in pairs when doing their rough drafts.
These students struggle with reading, writing, and spelling. Their
buddy will be able to help them spell the words they dont know.
Some of these students will not have to complete all seven
sentences. They will be allowed to only write 5 because writing is
harder for them. I will say reminders throughout their writing to
keep students focused and on task. I will also leave the anchor
chart up so that students know how to spell some words.
Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)
a. The first thing I will do is read the book Go Away Big Green
Monster by Ed Emberley to the students on the carpet. We will
discuss the words he used in the story and which ones the
students think are good describing words. Then we will create
categories of the words we should use in our writing. Our list
should resemble: color, size, number, feeling, etc.
b. Next, I will take the list we made of the types of describing words
he used in the book to make an anchor chart. The chart would be
titled describing words. I would write the categories the students

came up with and we would brainstorm examples of these

describing words and write them on the chart.
c. Next, students would be given their paper and they will be given
time to draw and color their monster. (I will color an example
monster during this time)
d. Next, I will model for students how to use their graphic organizer
to brainstorm describing words for their monster. I will do this
using the monster I drew and talking aloud for students to hear
my thought process. Ex. My monster is colored purple, so I am
going to write purple in one of these boxes. Now I can look at our
anchor chart and see that size is on there. So in another one of
my boxes, I am going to write big or even huge because my
monster is big. Now when I look at my monster, I see that she
has 4 legs and 2 arms. I would want to write that down too. I
could put that in the same box or two different boxes.
e. Students will be given time to fill in their own graphic organizers.
Day 2:
f. Students will be given share time to get ideas from others and
finish their graphic organizer. You are going to get with a buddy
and read to each other your graphic organizers and show each
other your monsters. This is a time to finish your organizer. So
when you are with your buddy, and you realize you forgot to
describe something, like the eyes, you want to fill that in.
Another thing is if your buddy has written down a really good
describing word, you may borrow it and put it on your own
paper.
g. Writing: I will model for students how to transfer their thoughts
from their graphic organizer into their writing. Example I wrote
purple in one box. So I might start off saying: I am purple all over.
In another box I wrote huge so for that sentence, I might say: I
am a very huge monster. Etc.
h. Students will begin writing their rough draft.
Conferences: Small Groups (This will be during their rough draft writing)
I have six table groups. I will pull students back by tables and see what
they have so far and discuss describing words more if needed. I will give
suggestions to individual students and whole group. Each conference will
only last about 4 minutes because of my large class size.

VII.

VIII.

i. I will ask a student who has done a really nice job if they will read
what they have so far to the class. This allows other students to
hear what their writing should resemble.
j. I will sit at the u table. When students complete their rough draft,
they will bring it to me to be checked. After I have checked it,
students will start their final draft.
Check for Understanding
a. How will I assess?
i. I will check for understanding during conferences
b. What will I do if students dont understand?
i. After I have finished conferences, I will pull back the
students who are struggling to achieve the objectives. We
will talk in more detail about describing words and their
monsters. I will also go into more depth on what needs to
be on their graphic organizers.
Closure
a. I will choose about 7 students who volunteer to share their
writing in the share chair.
b. Then students will do a craft with their monsters. They will each
get a piece of construction paper. On one side, students will glue
their monster, and on the other side, students will glue their
story.

Assessment
IX.

X.

Formative Assessment
a. Answers from whole group discussion on describing words,
students graphic organizer, students rough drafts, talking with
students during conferences
Summative Assessment
a. Final draft of student writing

Reflection
1. How many students achieved the lesson objective? Why didnt they?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?

5. Were all students participating? Why not?

6. How did I reach learning styles and ability levels?
a. Blooms:
b. Multiple Intelligences:
7. Additional questions:
Were students able to stay on task during their writing?
Were some students finishing much more quickly than others?
Did students include other describing words on their graphic
organizer other than the ones I gave them?