Student-Centric Lesson

The following is a lesson that could work for one 90 minute block, or split between two days with minor modifications. Additional class periods will be necessary to complete the steps of the Writing Process.

Engagement: Students will begin writing in "Free-Write" format for five minutes on a current news event chosen by either the teacher or the students. This will be followed by a class discussion of the event. In addition to engagement of all students, this activity allows all students to feel that their knowledge and opinion of the event are valuable and promote for a more student-centered opening to the class.

Lesson: Students will be working on a persuasive essay on a social issue. The class will be brainstorming topics for the essay that they feel could be possible choices to use for their papers. The teacher will model the formulation of a plan utilizing one of the student-generated topics on the whiteboard or overhead. The students will be allowed 30 minutes to access the Internet and library materials for information that they may need to assist them in the composition of their essay. The students will then be working on organizing their information and formulating a plan for their essay. Over the next two days(three if needed), the students will go through the steps of the Writing Process ultimately leading to a published draft. Each student will have a scheduled time to conference with the teacher after they have self and peer edited their essay. In addition to allowing for student choice (false empowerment), I believe that the students are made to feel that their knowledge and personal opinion of the topics chosen are valuable and important, and they are encouraged to let their personal voice to be heard. This allows for students to take ownership of their assignment and the classroom in general. The individual conference sessions allow for a one-on-one discussion about the student's essay and can be a quite successful method in the instruction of conventions that is tailored to the individual student's needs.

Closure: Students will have the opportunity to share one important event that is going on in their life, but of course have the right to pass. This activity aids in bell-to-bell engagement/learning and allows the students the opportunity to orally express something that is of particular interest in their lives. I have found that this decreases off-task behavior during student work-time when utilized as a reward for on-task behavior.