Introduction to Explanatory Essays
Instructors Manual
TAT2 – Technology Production
Danielle Vasquez
11/30/2019
WGU
Table of Contents
Unit Overview ................................................................................................................................. 3
Performance Objectives .................................................................................................................. 3
Intended audience ……………………………………………………………………….3
Length ………………………………………………………………………………….3
Delivery Approach .......................................................................................................................... 4
Learning Theory …………………………………………………………………………4
Instructional Sequence……………………………………………………………………4
Materials Needed ............................................................................................................................. 5
Resources ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Detailed Lesson Plans ..................................................................................................................... 6
Lesson 1 ............................................................................................................................... 6
Lesson 2 ............................................................................................................................... 7
Lesson 3 ............................................................................................................................... 8
Lesson 4 ............................................................................................................................. 9
Lesson 5 ............................................................................................................................. 10
Lesson 6 ............................................................................................................................. 11
Lesson 7 ............................................................................................................................. 12
Lesson 8 ………………………………………………………………………...13
Lesson 9…………………………………………………………………………14
Lesson 10 ……………………………………………………………………….15
Lesson 11 ……………………………………………………………………….16
Lesson 12 ……………………………………………………………………….17
Unit overview
This unit introduces students from IPLA 11 to Explanatory essays. IPLA 11 is a special education English class for juniors that are receiving special education services in the areas of reading and writing. There are 3 Cycles of Inquiries that thoroughly break down the essay writing process. This unit will only focus on one COI that focuses on structure.
Performance Objectives
The instructional goal is for at least 80% of students to be able to write an explanatory essay using a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) format independently using their resource journal.
Intended audience
The instructional setting of this technology product is an IPLA11 class. This is an English class for students who have learning disabilities in the areas of reading and writing. There are currently 15 students in this class. Student reading levels range from 3rd grade to 7th grade
Length
A cycle of inquiry that will last around 3 weeks has been planned to introduce explanatory essay writing to IPLA 11 Special education English class. The plan is designed to break it down in small chunks with lots of modeling and practice.
Delivery approach
The delivery approach of this unit will be a mix of multimedia, lectures and demonstrations.
Learning Theory
This COI leans more toward constructivism as it focuses largely on students ability to interpret and recreate instruction. Also, there is engagement and discussion throughout the teacher instruction, so students aren’t just listening to a lecture but are also interacting both by questions that are asked, but also because they are writing in their journals as instruction is happening.
Instructional sequence
The instructional sequence will follow an “I do, we do, you do” model. It will begin with the teacher introducing a prompt and modeling how to write a paragraph making a claim, using evidence and reasoning. Students will copy instructor’s example in their notebooks to create resources that that they will be able to use to create their own essays.
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Day 1 Introduce prompt 1 with YouTube clip Model WEB using Inspiration
60 min |
Day 2 Introduce prompt 2 with YouTube clip Practice WEB Using Inspiration
50min |
Day 3 Model explanatory outline from P-1
30 min |
Day 4 Practice Building Ex. Outline from P-2
45 min |
Day 5 Have students write Intro structure in their journals. Model intro paragraph from P-1
Remind student purpose of thesaurus 55 min |
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Day 6 Use Resource to practice building intro paragraph from p 2 40 min |
Day 7 Build Body P. (CER) Model body P.
40 min |
Day 8 Building Body from p -2
40 min |
Day 9 Build conclusion paragraph form p-1
40 min |
Day 10 Use resource to build conclusion paragraph from p- 2 40 min |
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Day 11 Begin Keyboarding Draft (CFA) 45 min |
Day 12 Complete Keyboarding draft (CFA) 45 min |
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Materials needed
Notebooks for each student and instructor
Pencils
Pens
Highlighters
Resources
Overhead projector
Computers for each student
Explanatory essay structure resource
Web example resource
Cycle of Inquiry quick look calendar
Access to YouTube
- Day 1 – Prompt #1: “Nature Valley: Ask Nature” commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmanKzJlsYo
- Day 2 – Prompt #2: “mom you always were the perfect fan” commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIBG-og4sXg
Inspiration organization software, or another online/Word resource for web building.
Day 1 - Lesson 1
Time: 60 min
Overview
Teacher will introduce a web in response to prompt #1 and answer it according to the CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) format students are already familiar with. Students will copy teacher example into their notebooks to begin to create a resource.
Resources/materials
Notebooks
Projector
Pencils
Highlighters
Video clip
Performance Objective
Students will learn how to generate ideas for an essay by recreating the instructor’s example of a prewrite WEB model into their notebooks.
Introduction
Teacher will display You Tube video “Nature Valley: Ask Nature” on overhead projector.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmanKzJlsYo
Activities
Teacher will then ask the question “imagine that you could give advice to someone you know personally, a historical figure, or a famous person living today. Write an essay that identifies the person and the advice you would give. Provide details and elaborations that explain why this person needs your advice.”
Teacher will then model how to build and use an explanatory web, showing students how to generate ideas using Imagine software (or Word design). This will be projected.
Students will write the model in their journal to use the next day as a guide for their independent practice.
Assessment
Each student will have copied the instructor’s example of the completed WEB in their notebook accurately.
Day 2 – Lesson plan
Time: 50 min
Title: Practice Explanatory Web using prompt #2
Objectives:
Students will practice constructing an explanatory web independently using their journal resource using prompt #2
Introduction:
Teacher will display the YouTube video “mom you always were the perfect fan”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIBG-og4sXg
Teacher will then ask the question “Write an essay explaining why someone you care about is important to you”
Teacher will remind them to use the thesaurus to vary their vocabulary.
Activities:
Students will practice building an explanatory WEB using Inspiration/or MS Word design, and the resource they built yesterday in their journals.
This will be independent practice.
Materials:
Notebook resource
Pens/pencils
Highlighters
MS Word
Evaluation:
Students will have a completed a web in the likeness of their resource example, with ideas that are well constructed and connect to the prompt.
Day 3 – Lesson plan
Time: 30 min
Title: Model Explanatory Outline from prompt #1
Objectives:
Teacher will model how to use ideas from a web to create an explanatory outline from prompt #1.
Introduction:
Teacher will have students pull out their journals and will read prompt #1 again.
Activities:
Teacher will show students how to plug ideas from a web into an explanatory outline.
Students will pull out their resource journals and will copy verbatim the explanatory outline the teacher models for them via the overhead projector.
Materials:
Projector
Notebook
Pencil
Pen
highlighter
Evaluation:
Students will have completed the explanatory outline the teacher modeled for them on the projector accurately.
Day 4 – Lesson plan
Time: 45 min
Title: Practice Building Explanatory outline
Objectives:
Students will practice building an explanatory outline.
Introduction:
Teacher will remind students of the outline yesterday by showing them the resource journal with the completed outline used with prompt #1.
Teacher will re-read prompt #2 and inform them that they will be re-creating an outline using their ideas from the web they created with prompt #2.
Activities:
Student will practice building ex. Outline from prompt #2 independently, using their ideas from the web they created using prompt #2.
Materials:
Journals
Pencils
Pens
highlighters
Evaluation:
Students will display understanding of the concepts of an ex. Outline as shown in their notebook resource.
Day 5 – Lesson plan
Time: 55 min
Title: Model Intro paragraph
Objectives:
Students will learn how to write an intro paragraph by watching the instructor model it. Students will also be encouraged to use a thesaurus.
Prior knowledge:
The purpose of a thesaurus.
Introduction:
Students will be asked to bring out their resource journals.
Teacher will use the overhead projector to display the “Intro paragraph structure” resource and ask students to copy it in their journal resources while there is a brief discussion about each element.
Activities:
Students will finish copying the “Intro paragraph structure” resource in their journals.
Teacher will model building an intro paragraph using prompt #1. Students will copy teacher model into their journal resources.
***This should not be a uniform answer/paragraph that the teacher uses for each class. Students should see the teacher answering the prompts as they write, however there is an example of an answered prompt in the resource manual for clarity purposes.
Materials:
Projector
Pencils
Journals
Pens
highlighters
Evaluation:
Students will display understanding of the concepts of an intro paragraph as shown in their notebook resource.
Day 6 – Lesson plan
Time: 40 min
Title: Practice Building Intro paragraphs
Objectives:
Students will practice building intro paragraphs independently, using their journal resources.
Introduction:
Teacher will show students the model resource from the day before via the overhead projector and remind them the elements of an introduction paragraph using the introduction from prompt #1.
Activities:
Students will use their journal resources to practice writing an intro paragraph with prompt #2, using their journal resources.
Materials:
Overhead Projector
Pencils
Journals
Pens
highlighters
Evaluation:
Students will display understanding of the concepts of an intro paragraph by building one independently using prompt #2.
Day 7 – Lesson plan
Time: 40 min
Title: Teacher model Build Body (CER)
Objectives:
Students will learn how to build a body using their previous knowledge Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning.
Prior knowledge: CER – Students have had previous exposure to using Claim, Evidence and Reasoning.
Introduction:
Teacher will briefly discuss the Claim, Evidence and Reasoning element of writing an explanatory essay.
Activities:
Students will bring out their resource journals and prepare write what the teacher does.
Teacher will model building the body of an explanatory essay using CER and prompt #1, via the projector.
Materials:
Projector
Pencils
Journals
Pens
highlighters
Evaluation:
Students will display understanding of the concepts of building a body by using teacher example to write the body in their journal resource accurately.
Day 8 – Lesson plan
Time: 40 min
Title: Practice building body independently
Objectives:
Students will independently build body of an explanatory essay using information from prompt #2
Introduction:
Teacher will show students the example of the body paragraph built the day before from prompt #1, in teacher resource via the projector screen and briefly go over the elements of it.
Activities:
Students will use their resource to build their own body paragraph using their information from prompt #2
Materials:
Projector
Pencils
Journals
Pens
highlighters
Evaluation:
Students will display understanding of the concepts of a body paragraph by building one independently using prompt #2.
Day 9 – Lesson plan
Time: 40 min
Title: Model building conclusion from prompt #1
Objectives:
Students will learn how to build a conclusion by watching the teacher model one from prompt #1.
Introduction:
Teacher will have students bring out their journals and prepare to copy model.
They will be reminded that a conclusion consists of a restated thesis statement.
Activities:
Teacher will model writing a conclusion paragraph from prompt #1 via the projector.
Materials:
Projector
Pencils
Journals
Pens
highlighters
Evaluation:
Students will display understanding of the concepts of building a body by using teacher example to write the conclusion in their journal resource accurately.
Day 10 – Lesson plan
Time: 40 min
Title: Build Conclusion independently
Objectives:
Students will learn how to construct a conclusion paragraph using their resources independently.
Introduction:
Teacher will review teacher resource from the day before of the conclusion paragraph that was modeled using prompt #1.
Activities:
Students will use their resource journals to build a conclusion paragraph from prompt #2.
Materials:
Projector
Pencils
Journals
Pens
highlighters
Evaluation:
Students will display understanding of the concepts of building a conclusion paragraph by using teacher example to write the conclusion from prompt #2 in their journal resource.
Day 11 – Lesson plan
Time: 45 min
Title: Common Formative Assessment (CFA)
Objectives: Students will demonstrate knowledge of essay writing by completing a keyboarding draft.
Students will demonstrate knowledge of essay writing by completing a keyboarding draft of their completed explanatory essay.
Introduction: Students will be instructed to bring out their computers and resources. They will take the essay they have independently built and will begin typing it into a final draft.
Materials:
Resource journal
Written draft
Evaluation:
Students will demonstrate knowledge of constructing an explanatory essay by providing a typed draft in the format that has been taught.
Day 12 – Lesson plan
Time: 45 min
Title: Common Formative Assessment (CFA)
Objectives: Students will demonstrate knowledge of essay writing by completing a keyboarding draft of their completed explanatory essay.
Introduction: Students will be instructed to bring out their computers and resources. They will take the essay they have independently built and will finish typing it into a final draft.
Activities: Students will continue keyboarding draft.
Materials:
Resource journal
Written draft
Evaluation:
Students will demonstrate knowledge of constructing an explanatory essay by providing a completed typed draft in the format that has been taught.