Leapin' leprechauns

This lesson will allow first graders to use their imagination while practicing newly learned writing skills. The end product will be wonderfully creative leprechaun stories.

A lesson plan for grade 1 English Language Arts

By JoAnn Lazaro

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Related topics

• Learn more about graphic organizers, language arts, leprechauns, modeling, pre-writing, thinking skills, and writing.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• create an imaginatively written story describing their encounter with a leprechaun.
• practice using capital letters, punctuation marks, and appropriate word spacing.
• use describing words in their stories.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

• Writing paper
• pencils
• chart paper and pen for teacher to model story
• leprechaun for final copy of edited story (see attachment lep.jpg)

Pre-activities

The students should have the opportunity to listen, read, and discuss stories about leprechauns, such as Clever Tom and the Leprechaun by Linda Shute. By this time in the year, children will have had a multitude of occasions to learn and practice the mechanics of writing that are appropriate for first graders.

Activities

Day 1

1. The first ten minutes will be spent reviewing leprechaun stories.
2. The teacher will use a graphic aid (circle map) to assist the children in organizing a list of all the things they know about leprechauns. (see attachment circle.jpg)
3. Then the teacher will draw another graphic aid (bubble map) and encourage the children to list words that describe leprechauns. (see attachment bubble.jpg)
4. The teacher will then tell the children that they will use their imaginations and the information from the maps to write about a pretend meeting with a leprechaun. It is very important that the maps are placed in a highly visible area so that the children can refer to them easily.
5. The teacher will now model a story. The teacher will refer to the maps and use information and words from the maps in the stories. While writing the model, the teacher will ask for help in placing capital letters and punctuation marks. Words should be “run together” and then discussed by the group and corrections made. If time allows, the teacher may send the children back to their seats to begin the writing lesson or this information and model put away until the next day.

Day 2

1. Quick review of maps and model
2. Materials given out and the children sent back to their seats to begin their projects.
3. The teacher should walk about the room and monitor the students progress and offer assistance if needed.
4. As the children begin to finish, the students and teacher will edit the stories together looking for capital letters, sentence sense, punctuation marks, and spacing.
5. The teacher will give the students a copy of the leprechaun writing sheet on which they will rewrite the stories.
6. When the students are finished, the teacher will collect the stories and save them to be shared later in the week during author’s time.

Assessment

• The teacher can assess by conferencing with each student. During the conference the teacher can use a numerical rubric or a checklist to evaluate:
  • the students’ understanding of capital letters
  • punctuation
  • the use of phonics in spelling unfamiliar words
  • the use of describing words
  • the logic and clarity of the story by how the students used these skills in their writing.
• Also the teacher can help the students edit their papers by asking leading questions such as, “What is this sentence missing at the beginning?” or “What should go at the end of this sentence?”and “Can you help me spell this word?”
• During the final presentation of the stories to the class, the teacher can make a final check for clarity of the story making certain that each story is about leprechauns and is descriptive.
• Final drafts should be assessed for accuracy of punctuation and capitalization skills, and phonetic spelling.

Supplemental information

There are many excellent books available for the teacher to read and share with the class. Pick and choose what would be most appropriate for your class. I also used the Thinking Maps which are available from Innovative Learning Group:
Thinking Maps: Tools for Learning
Innovative Learning Group
975 Walnut Street, Suite 342
Cary, North Carolina 27511
(800) 243-9169

Comments

This lesson can be adapted for any “special” day during the school year.