Holistic Lesson Plan #6

This plan reflects varied modalities and domains -- cognitive [thinking], affective [feeling], and psychomotor or physical [digital, haptic, tactile, kinesthetic]. 

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Grade Level:  High School English (11^th Grade)—This plan uses activities in all three domains in order to develop more effective written communication skills.

Aim:  Students will improve their written communication skills.

Goal:  Students will improve their descriptive writing skills.

Wisconsin Model Academic Standards:

Language:  D.12.1:  Students will develop their vocabulary and ability to use words, phrases, idioms, and various grammatical structures as a means of improving communication.

Writing B.12.1:  Students will write in a variety of situations (impromptu, over time, in   collaboration, or alone)

Materials:  Potatoes numbered 1-15

Time Frame:  25-30 minutes

General Procedures:

-Students will get into groups of three and receive a numbered potato

-Each group will keep the number on their potato top secret from other groups

-Groups will collaboratively write a description of their potato not using the number on their potato as part of the description

-The potatoes will be collected and displayed

- Groups will take turns reading their descriptions while others guess what potato is being described

Objectives:

Cognitive:  When presented with a potato, the students will identify and write key characteristics of it down with 80% accuracy.

Procedure:  In groups students will collaboratively decided what characteristics are unique to their potato.  They will then write these characteristics down.  They will later read their description aloud to peers.  Their peers will determine what number potato the group was describing.  If their peers are unable to guess accurately from their group description they will need to strengthen their written communication by inserting even more precise details and description into their potato writing.  

Affective:  Students will write in their journals and orally share their feelings about their experience with the potato writing activity.

Procedure:  After the potato activity is finished students will be asked to individually write in their journals for five minutes reflecting on their feelings generated from the potato activity.  Some writing prompts might include questions such as:  How did you feel when you learned you couldn’t use the potato’s number in your description?  Did you find it easier or harder to write in groups and why?  What are your feelings toward using description in writing?  What are your overall feelings toward the potato writing activity and why? (The prompts should allow students to express their feelings.)  After the completion of journal writing the students will be asked to share what they wrote with a partner.  Finally, each partner-group will report their findings to the whole class.    

Physical:  Students will use several of their senses such as touch and sight to match verbal descriptions to specific potatoes with 80% accuracy.

Procedure:  After the potato writings are complete, the potatoes will be randomly placed on a large table.  Students will have a chance to gather around the table and physically touch and examine the potatoes while one group reads their potato description aloud.  (Groups will take turns reading their potato writings and going up to the table.)  After using touch and sight the students at the table will have to agree upon two potatoes that best fit the description of what was read aloud.  If one of their guesses is correct they will return the potato to the group who read the description.  If their guesses were wrong the potato will remain unknown and stay on the table.  Groups that didn’t match a potato to a verbal description correctly will have a second chance to make a match after all the groups insert more detailed descriptions into their potato writings.  It should be easier for groups to match a specific potato to a verbal description the second time around because their will be less potatoes to choose from, and hopefully more detail in the descriptions.

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