Learning Segment: Descriptive Paragraphs // ENL-Enteri

MIAH
Overview of Learning Segment:

Content Curriculum Standard(s) English Language Proficiency Standard(s)

Towards which content area standards is this WHOLE
learning segment driving? Choose no more than 2
may be from Common Core and/or NY State Standards.
[CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and
convey complex ideas, concepts, and information
clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.]
Which language skills is this learning segment teaching,
practicing, and assessing? Choose no more than 2use
WIDA or NY State New Language Arts (ESL)
Progressions.
[NY State New Language Arts Progressions: Common
Core Anchor Standard (W.2): Write
informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey
complex ideas and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection, organization and
analysis of content.]

Big Idea Content Language Target Performance

Understanding(s) Function Vocabulary Assessment
What essential What is the content What is the Content-specific: What will students
questions or big understanding you want language function What are the produce for you to
ideas does the to develop in this that students will content/discipline assess both content
larger unit learning segment? be working words in this understanding and
address? Where Choose 1-2 clear and towards in this learning segment language skills at the
does this learning focused content learning segment? (1-3)? end of this learning
segment sit within understandings. Choose 1 language segment? It should
the larger unit of function. [Claim, Evidence, be in one modality-L,
study? Counterclaim, S, R or W.
[SWBAT to [SWBAT write a Adjectives,
[How can we demonstrate an claim by using the Conjunctions [Students will write
convey to someone understanding of a conjunction because and one coherent
that our chosen particular NYC borough because in their but] paragraph describing
New York City by describing their statement and their particular NYC
borough is the best selected boroughs incorporate at least Cross-content: borough by writing a
by writing a characteristics and, in 2 adjectives in What are the words claim and evidence
descriptive writing, describe 1-2 their writing to in this learning statements with
paragraph?] attractions.] describe their segment that cross adjectives.]
particular disciplines (1-3)?
boroughs tourist
attractions.] [Claim, Evidence,
Counterclaim]

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 Learning Segment: Descriptive Paragraphs // ENL-Enteri
Lesson Plan Day 1:

Content Objective Language Objective

[SWBAT to demonstrate an understanding of a [SWBAT write a claim by using the conjunction
particular NYC borough by describing their selected because in their statement.
boroughs characteristics and, in writing, describe 1-2 SWBAT incorporate at least 2 adjectives in their writing
attractions.] to describe their particular boroughs tourist attractions.]

Materials
[Power point presentation, modified handouts/checklist, white board & markers]

Opening
Do Now/Starter with Anticipatory Set/Motivation Time (approximated in
minutes)
[From the definitions of claim and evidence provided in the previous days lesson, fill 5-7 minutes
in the following sentence:
A claim is but evidence is .
Students will share out their answers. Teacher will plot student responses on the board.
]

Introduction to New Material (I Do/We Do)

Statement of Lesson Objectives Time
[Today we are going to learn to describe various attractions around NYC by using 3 minutes
descriptive words and also writing a claim about which borough you think is the best.
Aim: How can we convey to someone that our chosen New York City borough is the
best by writing a descriptive paragraph?]
Guided Practice of Lesson Task Time
[Quick Review: claim, evidence and adjective definitions. 20 minutes
Students will each receive a copy of a paragraph about NYC.
Teacher will project it on the power-point presentation. Teacher will model how to find
the claim in the paragraph and ask students to box around the claim sentence. The
claim will have the conjunction because in it.
Students will then work in pairs to find and underline the evidence that supports the
claim that the teacher identified in the paragraph. Students will be able to explain how
the evidence appropriately supports my claim.
Students will then independently circle all the adjectives in the paragraph that the
author uses to describe the city.]
Checking for Understanding of Task (Informal Assessment) Time
[Students will share the evidence from the paragraph and understand that these 10 minutes
statements support the authors claim. Teacher will explain in depth how the evidence
properly supports the claim made in my paragraph. Students will correctly identify the
adjectives and share them with the class.]
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 Learning Segment: Descriptive Paragraphs // ENL-Enteri

Independent Practice (You Do)

Differentiation of Lesson Task Time
[Students will sit with a partner of a shared L1. Students will each receive a graphic 40 minutes
organizer that they will use to research their particular borough. (Pairs will be assigned
a specific borough by the teacher.) Teacher will distribute 3-4 pictures of attractions
from each borough. Teacher will also distribute lists of possible adjectives for students
to use to describe their chosen attractions in their particular borough.
Students will work together to choose 2-3 attractions from their sheet of their particular
borough. Next to each attraction, students will write down 1-2 adjectives describing the
attraction.
After the students fill out their graphic organizer, students will write full sentences
using their chosen attractions and adjectives of their particular borough. ]
Feedback on Lesson Task (Informal Assessment) Time
[I will circulate the classroom, helping students find adjectives to describe the During above
attractions in their particular borough. When students choose the attractions they want
to describe, I will be looking to hear the students use various adjectives to describe the
place. I predict many students will have trouble choosing descriptive words so I will
provide a word bank of adjectives on the board.

Model answer: The Statue of Liberty is an enormous and beautiful monument in

Manhattan.]

Closing
Students Reflection on Learning/Homework Extension Time
[Exit Slip: Students will independently fill out the sentence below to write their claim 10 minutes
of their particular borough by using the because conjunction and by incorporating at
least one adjective:
The borough I am interested in is because _ .]
Impact on Student Learning (Informal Assessment)
[I will collect the exit slips to study if the students were able to make a coherent claim sentence using the
conjunction because and one adjective.]

Lesson Plan Day 2:

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 Learning Segment: Descriptive Paragraphs // ENL-Enteri

Content Objective Language Objective

What will students leave the lesson understanding that What language will the students be asked to
they didnt know before? practice/learn in this lesson?

[SWBAT to demonstrate an understanding of what a [SWBAT write a counterclaim by using the but
counterclaim is by reading various paragraphs and write conjunction. SWBAT incorporate evidence to support
a counterclaim for each one.] their counterclaim by offering an alternative to the
prompt.]

Materials
[Power point presentation, modified handouts/checklist, white board & markers]

Opening
Do Now/Starter with Anticipatory Set/Motivation Time (approximated in
minutes)
[Describe a time you disagreed with someone over something. Describe the situation 5-7 minutes
and explain why you disagreed. Be prepared to share out with the class.]

Introduction to New Material (I Do/We Do)

Statement of Lesson Objectives Time
[Today we are going to learn about counterclaims and work in pairs to develop 3 minutes
counterclaims using the but conjunction.
Aim: How can we read various topic paragraphs to write counterclaims using the
conjunction but?]
Guided Practice of Lesson Task Time
[Teacher will provide students with the definition of counter claim. 30 minutes
Counterclaim: a statement that disagrees with a claim
Teacher will model a paragraph and how to construct a counterclaim using the but
conjunction. First find the claim and then construct your counterclaim. (Model 2
paragraphs)
Students will then work in pairs to read various paragraphs and construct their own
counterclaims. Students will use the but and because conjunctions in their writing.]
Checking for Understanding of Task (Informal Assessment) Time
[Students will write the counterclaim for the second paragraph before I provide the 5 minutes
answer to see if they understand what a counterclaim is.]

Independent Practice (You Do)

Differentiation of Lesson Task Time
[Students will sit with a partner of a shared L1. Students will each receive a handout 35 minutes
with sentence starters for writing their counterclaims. Teacher will distribute 3-4
paragraphs on a handout. Paragraphs will be modified with high-interest low-level
text.]

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 Learning Segment: Descriptive Paragraphs // ENL-Enteri
Feedback on Lesson Task (Informal Assessment) Time
[I will circulate the classroom, helping students construct counterclaims using the but During above
conjunction. When students write their counterclaims, I will be looking to hear the
students use various adjectives to describe their disagreement. I predict many students
will have trouble choosing descriptive words to negate a claim so I will provide a word
bank of adjectives on the board.]

Closing
Students Reflection on Learning/Homework Extension Time
[Exit Slip: Students will read a short paragraph and write a counterclaim using the 10 minutes
but conjunction on a slip.]
Impact on Student Learning (Informal Assessment)
[I will collect the exit slips to study if the students were able to make a coherent counterclaim using but.]

Lesson Plan Day 3:

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 Learning Segment: Descriptive Paragraphs // ENL-Enteri

Content Objective Language Objective

What will students leave the lesson understanding that What language will the students be asked to
they didnt know before? practice/learn in this lesson?

[SWBAT to demonstrate an ability to create a
counterclaim in response to a classmates descriptive
paragraph about a NYC borough.]
[SWBAT write a counterclaim using the conjunctions
because and but in response to a classmates
paragraph.
SWBAT incorporate adjectives in their writing to
describe their rebuttal for the counterclaim.]

Materials
[Power point presentation, modified handouts/checklist, white board & markers]

Opening
Do Now/Starter with Anticipatory Set/Motivation Time (approximated in
minutes)
[From the definitions of claim and counterclaim, fill in the following sentence: 5-7 minutes
A claim is but a counterclaim is .]

Introduction to New Material (I Do/We Do)

Statement of Lesson Objectives Time
[Today we are going to work on our own descriptive paragraphs about our selected 3 minutes
NYC borough. We are going to listen to our classmates paragraphs to compose a
counterclaim in response to their writing.
Aim: How can we write a counterclaim in response to a partners descriptive paragraph
using the conjunctions because and but?]

Guided Practice of Lesson Task Time

[Teacher will review the definition of counterclaim on the board. Teacher will briefly 30 minutes
explain what a conjunction is.
Students will self assess their graphic organizer for the descriptive paragraph for a
coherent claim, adjectives and a closing statement.
Students will synthesize the info on their graphic organizer into a well-developed
descriptive paragraph.
Students will be seated in assigned groups and read aloud their descriptive paragraphs.
As the students read, the rest of the students will be listeners. As they listen, students
will use their group work graphic organizers to jot down notes about their partners
paragraphs, i.e. borough name, attractions mentioned, adjectives used.
Students will choose which borough they want to write a counterclaim for. Students
will use this information during the reading/listening activity to compose a
counterclaim about one classmates paragraph using the conjunctions because and
but.]
Checking for Understanding of Task (Informal Assessment) Time
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 Learning Segment: Descriptive Paragraphs // ENL-Enteri
[Students will jot down notes/ answer graphic organizer prompts as they listen for 10 minutes
details about their partners descriptive paragraphs.]

Independent Practice (You Do)

Differentiation of Lesson Task Time
[Students will sit in a super group where each student will represent a different 30 minutes
borough in NYC. Students will be with a group with at least one shared L1 partner.
Teacher will list sentence starters on the board for students to use to construct their
own counterclaims.]
Feedback on Lesson Task (Informal Assessment) Time
[I will circulate the classroom helping students compose a coherent counterclaim During above
sentence and I will be looking to hear the students using the conjunctions because
and but. I predict many students will have trouble choosing descriptive words so I
will provide a word bank of adjectives on the board.]

Closing
Students Reflection on Learning/Homework Extension Time
[Exit Slip: Students will choose one counterclaim from their notes and write a 10 minutes
supporting sentence (evidence).]
Impact on Student Learning (Informal Assessment)
[I will collect the exit slips to study if the students were able to compose a coherent paragraph for their selected
counterclaim.]