Lesson Plan #3
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for offline reference.
Using Writing to Explore the
Importance of Pastimes for Personal Growth
GRADE LEVEL
Grades 7 to 12
CURRICULUM
Language Arts, Social Studies, Health
OVERVIEW OF LESSON PLAN
In this lesson, students take part in writing exercises about
the most important pastime or activities in which they participate
and the personal growth gained through this participation Students
will participate in this activity discussing what a particular
sport or activity have taught him or her. Then, incorporating
this work, each student writes a descriptive/profile story about
an experience with this activity that made him or her particularly
proud of possessing these skills or of participating in this
activity.
SNN can assist teacher and student with learning more about
journalism skills, provide student and teacher interaction with
other student/teachers throughout Canada and provide a safe,
structured environment for students to publish their writing.
MATERIALS AND PREPARATION
- SNN Writing Guide (for reference)
- Description article on a sport or activity selected by Teacher
ACTIVITIES/PROCEDURES
1. WARM-UP/ DO-NOW: In their journals, students
respond to the following (written on the board prior to class):
- List your favourite activities in which you participate outside
of the school day (sports, playing music, group activities, hobbies,
etc.).
- Circle those that require you to have specific skills. Then,
after each of these circled items, jot down a few of the skills
one must possess to be successful at this activity.
Students can then share their responses.
2. Teacher will then read and discuss a profile of
their choice re: physical sports (hockey, karate, baseball),
art (singing, music, painting) or other activity. Discuss activity
with class focussing on the following questions:
- Based on the article, how does the writer feel about this
activity? How do you know?
- What "lessons" about one's self and about others
can one learn through this activity?
- What skills, both physical & mental, can one acquire
through learning the activity?
- Do the lessons & skills in this activity apply to any
of the activities in which you participate? Why or why not?
3. Ask students to return to the original journal-writing
exercise completed at the beginning of the class, and tell each
student to select the one activity on the list that they feel
is most important to them. Each student then titles a new piece
of paper with this hobby and makes note on the following information
for the chosen activity.
- Who introduced you to this activity?
- Has someone taught or is someone currently teaching you the
skills you need, and what do you know or remember about this
person? If you taught or are teaching yourself, who or what inspired
you to learn this?
- What tools or instruments do you use in this activity, and
how is each important?
- What important words or vocabulary are involved in this activity?
- What "lessons" have you learned from this activity?
What has your participation in this activity taught you about
yourself?
4. WRAP-UP/ HOMEWORK: Each student writes
a descriptive article recalling an experience with the activity
that he or she wrote about in class that made him or her particularly
proud of possessing these skills or of participating in this
activity. Students should incorporate as much of the information
they have noted previously in class.
REMEMBER THE FIVE W's of WRITING: Who, What, When, Where,
Why (and sometimes How). Use the inverted pyramid style. This
means that articles should be written with the most important
information first and the least important last. Use SNN's Writing Guide for further
information on journalistic writing.
5. When students have completed their descriptive article
on their activity, they should share their stories with their
classmates, either by passing them out for others to read silently
or by reading them aloud, in a future class. These stories can
submitted to your school newspaper or an online youth ezine for
publication.
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on written journal response,
participation in class discussion, and descriptive story based
on free-writing work.
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