Lesson Plan by Whitley Starnes Lesson: Descriptive Writing using the book Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky Length: 60 minutes (Reading: 30 minutes, Writing: 30 minutes) Age or Grade Level Intended: 3rd grade Academic Standard(s): 3.3.3 Reading Determine what characters are like by what they say or do and by how the author or illustrator portrays them. (Core Standard) 3.4.2 Writing Discuss ideas for writing, use diagrams and charts to develop ideas, and make a list or notebook of ideas. (Core Standard) Performance Objective(s): 1. Given a graphic organizer that has a picture of Rumpelstiltskin in the middle with 4 lines extended outward from the character, the students will write 4 adjectives describing Rumpelstiltskin with 100 % accuracy. 2. Given a class list of adjectives describing Rumpelstiltskin, the students will write four descriptive sentences about Rumpelstiltskin with each sentence including 1 adjective from the class list provided. 3. When writing the four descriptive sentences about Rumpelstiltskin, the students will determine what Rumpelstiltskin is like by providing 1 example from the book for each of their 4 descriptive words of Rumpelstiltskin with 100% accuracy. Assessment: My assessment will be a rubric, which is located at the end of the lesson plan. The maximum points a student can earn is 12 points. Advance Preparation by Teacher: - Locate copy of Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky - Make copies of Descriptive Writing Rubric (1 copy for each student) - Make copies of Graphic Organizer (1 copy for each student) - Make copies of Writing Template (1 copy for each student) - Whiteboard, dry erase marker, whiteboard eraserProcedure: Introduction/Motivation: 1. Say: “Yesterday, we learned a new jingle, the Adjective Jingle. Let’s say the jingle together. Ready? Begin. “An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun. An adjective asks What kind? Which one? How many'? To find an adjective: Go, Ask, Get. Where do I go? To a noun or pronoun. What do I ask? What kind? Which one? How many? What do I get? An ADJECTIVE! (Clap) That's what!” (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Musical) 2. Remind students about the descriptive writing they did yesterday about themselves. Ask them what adjectives they used to describe themselves. Say: “We are going to read a story today and afterwards we are going to write about one of the main characters using adjectives in our descriptive writing.” (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Intrapersonal) 3. Share the title of the book and the author with the students, Rumpelstiltskin by Paul O. Zelinsky. Also, tell the students that this is a Fairy Tale story. Ask the students to describe the two characters on the cover of the book by using adjective words. (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Interpersonal) Step-by-Step Plan: 1. Have students meet you in their special spots on the carpet, which is located by the teacher’s chair. 2. Before reading the book, introduce and explain the vocabulary words, which are straw, spinning wheel, and spool by pointing to the object they represent on the cover of the book. (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Visual/Spatial) 3. Read the book out loud to the students. As the story is being read, ask the students questions that are located on sticky notes throughout the book. (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal) a. Why do you think the little man is helping the woman? (Bloom: Analysis) b. At this point in the story, how would you describe the king, little man, and woman? (Bloom: Comprehension) c. What is a promise? (Bloom: Knowledge) d. Do you think the woman will keep her promise to the little man? Why or why not? (Bloom: Analysis) e. How do you think the little man felt when the woman did not keep her promise? (Bloom: Synthesis) f. How would you feel if someone broke a promise to you? (Bloom: Application) g. How do you think the woman felt when she knew she would not keep her promise to the little man? (Bloom: Synthesis) h. What do you think his (little man) name is? (Bloom: Synthesis) i. What were the three things that the woman offers Rumpelstiltskin? (Bloom: Knowledge) j. Why do you think the woman tell Rumpelstiltskin that he could have her first born child? Was that a good idea or a bad idea? (Bloom: Analysis)4. Focus the student’s attention on the character, Rumpelstiltskin. Have students take a moment to think about how they would describe him using adjectives/descriptive words. (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Intrapersonal) 5. After the students have had time to think, have the students go back to their seats and pass out the Graphic Organizer with the picture of Rumpelstiltskin in the center of the handout. 6. Instruct the students to write 1 adjective in each of the 4 boxes that they would use to describe Rumpelstiltskin. (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Visual/Spatial, Intrapersonal) 7. After all the students have completed their graphic organizer, have them bring their graphic organizer handout with them to their special spots on the floor. 8. Write on the top of the whiteboard, Rumpelstiltskin. Then, have the student’s share their adjectives they wrote on their graphic organizer and write the words on the whiteboard underneath Rumpelstiltskin. (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Visual/Spatial, Interpersonal) 9. Taking a look at all the adjectives listed on the whiteboard, ask the students, “What does Rumpelstiltskin say or do to make you think he is ___________.” *in the blank, insert adjective from the class list* (Bloom: Analysis) 10. Explain to the students, that they will be using this class list of adjective words to write 4 descriptive sentences about Rumpelstiltskin. Each descriptive sentence has to include 1 of the adjectives from the class list provided, which means there will be a total of 4 adjectives used in all. In addition, the students will need to provide examples from the story to support their adjectives. To help guide the students with their writing, write out these sentence starters below for how to begin their sentences as well as incorporate their examples from the book. Rumpelstiltskin is __________ because _________________________. In the story, he says, “______________.” That makes him __________. Looking at the illustrations, Rumpelstiltskin is __________________. He __________________, which makes him __________________. (Gardner: Verbal/Linguistic, Visual/Spatial) 11. Have the students go