Shaffner Grade 1
Word Choice Mini Lessons: Using Powerful Verbs
By Andrea Shaffner
Essential Question: How can we use verbs to make our writing stronger?
Enduring Understanding: Students will understand that they can strengthen their writing
and engaging their audience by using powerful verbs in their writing.
Standards: 1.5.4 Use descriptive words when writing.
Other Standards Addressed:
1.4.1 Discuss ideas and select a focus for group stories or other writing.
1.6.1 Print legibly and space letters, words, and sentences appropriately.
1.6.2 Write in complete sentences.
1.6.6 Correctly use periods (I am five.), exclamation points (Help!), and question marks
(How old are you?) at the end of sentences.
1.6.7 Capitalize the first word of a sentence, names of people, and the pronoun I.
1.6.8 Spell correctly three- and four-letter words (can, will) and grade-level-appropriate
sight words (red, fish).
Goals:
Students will use at least one powerful verb in their daily writing.
Students will be able to identify powerful verbs in the writing of others
Kid-friendly learning target:
I can use powerful verbs to make my writing stronger.
I can identify powerful verbs in other people’s writing.
Strategies to help ELLs:
Class list of powerful verbs to keep up for reference
Think-Pair-Shares for wait time and create safe environment
Think-Pair-Share to increase confidence to share whole group
Day One: (Review)
 Review what verbs are
 Verbs Song (Tune: The Farmer in the Dell)
All action words are verbs, all action words are verbs
Hi-ho the derry-o all action words are verbs
They tell what you do, like jump or swim or chew
Hi-ho the derry-o all action words are verbs
Each sentence must have one
Verbs add all the fun
Hi-ho the derry-o all action words are verbs
 Think-Pair-Share example of a verb
 Make a class list of verbs
 Assessment: Write 5 verbs in your notebook.
Shaffner Grade 1

Writer’s workshop
Day two:
 Anticipatory Set: Show t-chart with the following verbs on the left: ran, said,
watched. Right side: dashed, exclaimed, gazed
 Think-Pair-Share about what they noticed in my lists
 Gather students’ ideas about these words and what’s going on.
 Not all verbs are the same. Some verbs are more powerful than others. Discuss this
idea.
 Think-Pair-Share powerful verbs
 Create a teacher chart together of powerful verbs to refer to during writer’s
workshop.
 Writer’s workshop
 During sharing time, invite students to share examples of how they used powerful
verbs to strengthen their writing.
Day three:
 Read mentor text with powerful verbs. Discuss some of these examples and make a
class list. (Text Suggestion: Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings by
Deborah Hopkinson)
 Ask students to help you with verbs in one of your writing samples. Think-Pair-Share
one weak verb they would change in my writing.
 Change weak verbs together to powerful verbs to make the writing stronger.
 Assessment: Highlight 5 verbs in your writer’s notebook and change them to more
powerful verbs.
 Invite students to try to use powerful words in their writing during writer’s
workshop.
 Writer’s workshop (Assessment: monitor use of powerful verbs during individual
and group conferences)
 During sharing time, invite students to share examples of how they used powerful
verbs to strengthen their writing.
Day four:
 Read two samples of writing – use one containing more powerful verbs. Have a class
discussion of the two pieces of writing. Which piece was stronger? Why?
 Invite students to try to use powerful words in their writing during writer’s
workshop.
 Writer’s workshop (Assessment: monitor use of powerful verbs during individual
and group conferences)
 During sharing time, invite students to share examples of how they used powerful
verbs to strengthen their writing.
Day five:
 Have students fix three weak verbs in a writing sample with powerful verbs. They
students can continue to refer top powerful verbs teaching chart made on day two.
Shaffner Grade 1

Writing Marathon