Writing Informational Texts: Writing a Conclusion about My Freaky Frog | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G3:M2:U3:L7

Writing Informational Texts: Writing a Conclusion about My Freaky Frog

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.3.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  • W.3.2d: Provide a concluding statement or section.
  • W.3.4: With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
  • W.3.6: With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
  • W.3.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can write a conclusion to effectively close my informative essay about a freaky frog. (W.3.2d, W.3.4, W.3.6, W.3.10)
  • I can create a contents page for my Freaky Frog book. (W.3.4, W.3.10)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Informative Essay about a Freaky Frog: Conclusion (W.3.2d, W.3.4, W.3.6, W.3.10)
  • Freaky Frog book: Contents Page (W.3.4, W.3.10)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Drafting a Conclusion (20 minutes)

B. Creating a Contents Page (30 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Citing Sources (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students write a conclusion for their informative essay about a freaky frog (W.3.2d). Then they generate a contents page for their Freaky Frog book based on their writing over the course of the module.
  • Students participate in a teacher-led Language Dive that guides them through the language structure and vocabulary of the conclusion from the Poison Dart Frog Model (RI.3.1, RI.3.4, RI.3.8, W.3.2a, L.3.1a, L.3.1g). Students will apply their understanding of the structure of this conclusion to draft their own conclusions in Work Time A.
  • This lesson is designed to address W.3.6. If access to the necessary technology is not available, give students a copy of their introduction and proof paragraph submitted for the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment. Remind students to write on every other line so they have room to make revisions later.
  • A Contents Page template is included in the Performance Task Overview. Decide whether to give this to all students or only to those who may need more support in organizing their writing.
  • In this unit, the habit of character focus is contributing to a better world. The characteristic students are reminded of in this lesson is: taking care of and improving our shared spaces and the environment as they work to continue drafting on class computers.
  • The research reading that students complete for homework helps them to build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to frogs and specifically frog adaptations. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.

How it builds on previous work:

  • Students refer to the planning completed in Lesson 6 as they draft the conclusion paragraph of their informative piece.
  • Continue to use Goals 1-3 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas where students may need additional support:

  • Students may require support writing their conclusions and organizing their writing in an order that is compelling to the reader. Refer back to the writing lessons in Module 1 and consider providing similar sentence frames if students need this additional support in writing their conclusions.

Assessment Guidance:

  • Observe student work during and after the lesson to determine whether they will require additional time and/or support in writing conclusions for their informative writing.
  • Consider using the Writing: Writing Process Checklist to informally assess the writing process in Work Time B.
  • Collect in Informative QuickWrites homework from Lessons 3 and 6, and Verbs I and Verbs II homework from Lessons 4 and 5. See Verbs I and Verbs II (answers, for teacher reference).

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will begin revising their informative essays, and in Lesson 10 they will finish revising them for the End of Unit 3 Assessment. They will require feedback from their Mid-Unit 3 assessment for the End of Unit 3 Assessment in Lesson 10.

In Advance

  • Prepare any necessary informal checklists.
  • Locate three informational texts with contents pages.
  • Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the questions and goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting materials). Select from the questions and goals provided to best meet your students' needs.
  • Post: Learning targets.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Students use word-processing tools to write their informative essays. See the Unit 3 Overview for suggested word-processing tools.
  • Work Time B: Students could word-process their contents page or type straight into an online book using sites such as My Storybook.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 3.I.A.2, 3.I.C.10, 3.I.C.12, 3.II.A.1, 3.II.A.2.

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs in coming full circle on an essay. Help students celebrate completing the first full draft of their freaky frog informative essay. For ELLs, this may be a moment to be especially proud, as they have completed the task in English, a language they may struggle with.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to "let go" of their draft. The language in their text may not be complete or always correct, so encourage the class to celebrate the overall communication and knowledge of freaky frog adaptations. Also, students have limited work time to finish their conclusions before moving on to writing their contents page. This may be a difficult transition. Encourage students and let them know that writing takes time and that they have learned and improved a lot even if they do not feel finished. Acknowledge that ELLs not only possess a lot of content knowledge, but they are also able to communicate about it in at least two languages. "Fantastic!"

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • In Work Time A, provide shorter sentence frames during the close read and during the Closing and Assessment. Examples: "In summary, the _____frog has _____. Two of them are _____. However, _____. This will prompt language while requiring students to generate more of their own syntax and content. Alternatively, invite students to write the sentence frames for students who need heavier support.
  • Reinforce vocabulary and collocations that students need to use to show knowledge about the topic, e.g., adaptation, transparent from beneath, transparent skin, rain forest canopy. Invite students to play a guessing game in which one student defines or explains a word from the Word Wall or vocabulary log while another student tries to guess the word. Alternatively, underline words in the student's text that could be replaced with a more precise word and invite the student to revise.

For heavier support:

  • To kinesthetically familiarize students with the function of the contents page, copy the contents page of Everything You Need to Know About Frogs and use a paper trimmer to quickly cut out each entry without the page number. Shuffle the resulting strips. Copy random pages of information from Everything You Need to Know About Frogs. Give the contents strips to half of the students and the pages to the other half. Invite the students with the content strips to find the student who has the matching page.
  • To build schema around the concept of a conclusion, read a quick story but omit the ending. When the students notice that the story was not finished, explain that it is just as frustrating when an informative essay does not have an ending. That is why conclusions are so important.
  • Review academic vocabulary and essay structure as needed.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support students as they generalize skills that they learned from the previous session in order to set themselves up for success during independent writing.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): During Work Time A, students will be asked to offer suggestions to improve a partner's writing. Giving feedback is a skill that takes practice. Consider modeling this skill in advance or offering sentence frames for students to use that are connected to the Informative Writing Checklist.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to provide prompts and sentences frames for those students who require them to be successful in peer interactions and collaboration. Also support students in sustaining effort and/or attention by restating the goal of each activity.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • effectively (L)

Materials

  • Verbs I and Verbs II (answers, for teacher reference)
  • Poison Dart Frog Model (from Lesson 2; one to display)
  • Language Dive Guide: Conclusion Sentence (for teacher reference)
    • Language Dive Sentence strip chunks: Conclusion Sentence (for display; see supporting materials)
    • Language Dive Note-catcher: Conclusion Sentence (one per student and one to display)
  • Informative Essay about a Freaky Frog (begun in Lesson 4; one per student)
  • Informational Writing Planning graphic organizer (from Lesson 3, one per student)
  • Informative Writing Checklist (from Lesson 3; one per student)
  • Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (from Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Domain-Specific Word Wall (started in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Performance Task anchor chart (from Unit 1, Lesson 1; one per student)
  • Everything You Need to Know about Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures (from Unit 2, Lesson 1; book; one per student)
  • Selection of informational texts (three for display; see Teaching Notes)
  • Contents template (optional; see Teaching Notes)
  • Blank paper (one piece per student)
  • Scrap paper (one piece per student)

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Collect in Informative QuickWrites homework from Lessons 3 and 6, and Verbs I and Verbs II homework from Lessons 4 and 5. See Verbs I and Verbs II (answers, for teacher reference).
  • Focus students on the learning targets. Select a volunteer to read the first learning target aloud:

"I can write a conclusion to effectively close my informative essay about a freaky frog."

  • Underline the word conclusion. Ask students to discuss with an elbow partner and select students to share out:

"What is a conclusion? What is the purpose of a conclusion?" (the end of something; to bring the writing to a satisfying close)

  • Underline the word effectively. Ask students to discuss with an elbow partner and select students to share out:

"What root word can you see in effectively?" (effect or effective)

"What does effective mean? What other word or phrase could you use in place of effective to mean the same thing?" (successful, done well, achieved desired result)

"What is the translation of effectively in our home languages?" (efektno in Serbian)

  • Invite all students to repeat the translation in a different home language.
  • Ask:

"So if you are going to write a conclusion that effectively closes your writing, what does that mean?" (a conclusion that brings the writing to a satisfying close for the reader)

  • Select a volunteer to read the second learning target aloud:

"I can create a contents page for my Freaky Frog book."

  • Underline contents page and ask students to discuss with an elbow partner and select pairs to share out:

"What is a contents page? Where do you find a contents page and why?" (It tells a reader what is in a book and where to find each section or chapter. You find it at the beginning of a book.)

  • Remind students that for the performance task, they are going to collect all of their writing from the module and organize it into a book, so they will need a contents page to show readers where to find information.
  • For ELLs: The figurative language "closes your writing" may confuse some students who understand open and close in the literal sense. Take a moment to use hand motions to demonstrate opening and closing. Explain the analogy: "When we start an essay, we are opening our writing; when we end our essay, we are closing our writing."
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. Ask students about the meaning of the chunks of the learning targets: write a conclusion; effectively close my informative essay. Write and display student responses next to the chunks. Examples:
    • "Where in our freaky frog essay do we write a conclusion?" (at the end)
    • "Why do we write a conclusion?" (to effectively close my informative essay; to finish my text; to quickly give the reader a new understanding of what I wrote in the introduction and conclusion)
    • "What does it mean to close a text?" (end it with an interesting idea that connects to the ideas in the introduction and proof paragraph; summarize what I said)
    • "How does the writer bring the Poison Dart Frog Model to a close?" (says something interesting about how these frogs are beautiful and dangerous)
  • For ELLs: Ask about the suffix -ly:

"What is the meaning of the -ly ending in effectively?" (the way something is done; manner)

"What part of speech does -ly help make? (adverb)

"What part of speech is effective? (adjective)

"Can we put an adjective before a verb to describe the verb?" (no)

"So, what does -ly do to the adjective effective?" (turns it into an adverb to describe a verb)

  • For ELLs: Invite students to join you as you clap out the pronunciation of effectively close. (Clap five times, once for each syllable in the phrase. Clap more softly and quickly on the first, third, and fourth syllables of efFECtively. Clap louder and longer as you say the second syllable of efFECtively. Clap louder and longer again on CLOSE.)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Drafting a Conclusion (20 minutes)

  • Focus students on the Poison Dart Frog Model.
  • Remind them that in the previous lesson, they analyzed the model's conclusion and planned the conclusion for their informative piece using the Informational Writing Planning graphic organizer.
  • Invite a student to read the model aloud for the whole group. Students have read this many times now and should be very familiar with it.
  • Focus students on the final paragraph and remind them that this is the conclusion--the writing that brings the text to a close. Reread it for the whole group.
  • Tell students they will analyze a sentence from the paragraph in which the author has restated her ideas to bring her writing to a close. Pair students and guide them through a Language Dive discussion using the Language Dive Guide: Conclusion Sentence (for teacher reference).
  • Invite students to take out their Informative Essay about a Freaky Frog and to read through their introduction and proof paragraph.
  • Ask students to retrieve their Informational Writing Planning graphic organizer and to read through their plan for their conclusion.
  • Invite them to take out their Informative Writing Checklist and guide them toward the W.3.2d criteria, including the specific criteria for this writing, added in the second column.
  • Explain that students are going to use their planning and their checklist to write their conclusions.
  • Give them 2-3 minutes to think about and then practice saying what they will write for their conclusion.
  • Invite students to pair up and use their planning graphic organizers to "rehearse" their conclusions with their partner. Invite students who share home languages to rehearse using their shared language. Each partner should consider what criteria on the Informative Writing Checklist might help his or her partner write a better conclusion.
  • Invite students to access the word-processing tool on their computer. Remind them that they are using the computer to draft and publish their writing.
  • Focus students on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, specifically taking care of shared spaces. Remind students that as they draft on the computers, they will need to take care of how they are using these shared tools.
  • Ask them to independently draft the concluding paragraph of their essays, using the corresponding box on their Informational Writing Planning graphic organizer as they work. Circulate to support students as needed, reminding them to refer to the Informative Writing Checklist and the domain-specific word wall as needed.
  • Invite students to record 'Y' for 'Yes' and the date in the final column of their Informative Writing Checklist if they feel the criteria marked on their checklists have been achieved in their writing in this lesson.
  • For students who may need additional support with reading fluency: Invite them to practice reading the Poison Dart Frog Model in advance and then call on them to read aloud to the class during this lesson. Giving these students an opportunity for public success will build their confidence and internal motivation. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Invite students to underline the focus statement in their introduction. If students haven't already rephrased their focus statement in the conclusion section of the graphic organizer, have them orally rephrase it to their partner. Then ask them to write the new version in their conclusion. Finally, have them underline the new version in the conclusion and draw a squiggly line to the version in the introduction to emphasize the connection.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with writing: Display the Poison Dart Frog Model and annotate key components as you discuss it. For example, underline where the author has restated her ideas and write "restate focus."
  • For ELLs: Repeat the instructions for rehearsing with their partners: Give students 2-3 minutes to think about and then practice saying what they will write for their conclusion.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for writing: Provide conclusion sentence frames to help them generate ideas: "In summary, the ______frog has special ways of surviving and staying safe. Two of them are ___________ and ____________. But the most interesting thing is ______________." (MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with strategy development: Model and think-aloud writing a conclusion for more practice, either as a whole class or with a small group, before independent work. Alternatively, consider drafting a conclusion interactively with a small group during independent work time. (MMAE)

B. Creating a Contents Page (30 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group. Congratulate students on finishing the first draft of their informative essays about a freaky frog.
  • Focus students on the Performance Task anchor chart. Read it aloud as they follow along, reading silently in their heads.
  • Explain that since all of their writing is being compiled in one book, like chapters, students should think about how to organize their writing in a way that makes sense to readers and keeps them interested.
  • Invite students to take out Everything You Need to Know about Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures and to turn to the contents page.
  • Ask students to discuss with an elbow partner and cold call students to share out:

"What does the reader learn from the contents page?" (how the book is organized and how to quickly find sections of particular interest)

"What features can you see on the contents page?" (the name of the page, title of each section, page numbers for each section)

  • Record student responses as criteria on the board. Ensure that the following are included: page title (contents), title of each section, page numbers of each section, images to make it attractive.
  • Show students a selection of informational texts with contents pages. Add any new criteria students think are important to the list on the board.
  • Emphasize that the contents page for Everything You Need to Know about Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures is useful but also eye-catching.
  • Explain that students are going to create their own contents page for their informative books. Ask them to discuss with an elbow partner and cold call students to share out:

"What steps will you need to take to create a contents page for your Freaky Frog book?"

  • Write student responses as numbered steps on the board next to the criteria. For example:
  1. Collect all of the writing listed on the performance task anchor chart.
  2. Organize the writing in a way that makes sense to readers and engages them.
  3. Create a contents page based on the order of the writing.
  • Focus students on the second step about organizing the writing in a way that will make the reader want to read more. Ask them to discuss with an elbow partner and cold call students to share out:

"Think about a student in grade 2 or 3 picking up this book to read. Which of your pieces of writing will capture their attention at the beginning most and make them want to read more?" (Answers may vary, but most likely the pourquoi narrative.)

"Which of your informative writing should go first? Your Unit 2 or Unit 3 writing? Why?" (Answers may vary. This is a student decision based on what they know about their own writing.)

  • Explain that students should not number their pages yet or write numbers on their contents page because they still need to revise their informative essays about a freaky frog, which could change the page count. They will number the pages at the end when they put everything together for the performance task.
  • Distribute the contents template and/or blank paper and scrap paper.
  • Tell students they can practice any lettering or pictures on the scrap paper before they create their final contents page.
  • Invite students to organize their writing and create a contents page.
  • Circulate to provide support as needed.
  • Focus students on the learning targets. Read each one aloud, pausing after each to use a checking for understanding protocol for students to reflect on their comfort level with or show how close they are to meeting each target. Make note of students who may need additional support with each of the learning targets moving forward.
  • Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they took care of shared spaces in this lesson.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with planning for writing: Model doing quick sketches within the contents template as placeholders for information. Say: "You can sketch first so that you don't forget the information you want to add. Then you may go back later and write." (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: To reinforce the function of a contents page, ask: "Where would I go if I wanted to learn about how crocodiles breathe underwater? How do you know?"
  • For ELLs: The figurative language "eye-catching" may confuse some students. Take a moment to use body language to illustrate the concept. Explain the analogy: "When you see something really cool and you cannot look away, it catches your eyes and will not let go!" Make the connection to the introduction, which is also meant to grab readers and hold their interest. Talk about how the contents page has a similar job.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with writing: Invite students to use the contents template if they would benefit from additional prompting. They can work with a partner of a more advanced proficiency level. (MMAE, MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Citing Sources (5 minutes)

  • Display again the Poison Dart Frog Model and focus students on the sources at the bottom.
  • Remind students that researchers cite their sources, and that they can do this by writing the author's name, the title of the book, and the page numbers.
  • Invite students to check the criteria against their Informative Writing Checklist to check that author has cited sources correctly.
  • Ask students to cite their sources at the bottom of their essays.
  • If productive, cue students with a challenge:

"What if we don't cite our sources at the bottom of our essays? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary, but could include: People might question the credibility of our work.)
  • For ELLs: Remind students that cite means to say where authors found their information. Clarify that it sounds the same but is different from sight and site.

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with writing: Refer to the suggested homework support in Lesson 1. (MMAE)

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