Space Exploration
10 Days
ELA
Lesson Plan
Teacher: 7th Grade English/Language Arts Teacher
Grade: 7th
Lesson Title: Rocket-Powered Verbs
STRANDS
Writing, Reading Literature, Language
Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario,
problem, or community link.
LESSON OVERVIEW
In these lessons, students will begin learning about the importance of using vivid verbs in their writing to make it more interesting. To begin with, students will review
the difference in linking and action verbs. Then, they will begin to analyze their own writing that they will create in science class to become accountable for improving
their writing through revising and editing of the verbs they use. While they are learning about verbs and how to improve their writing through their understanding of
vivid verbs, students will also be reading a novel. There are two novels that students can choose from: “Life As We Knew It” and “The Dead and the Gone.” Both books
are by Susan Beth Pfeffer and they both focus on the same event but are told from different points-of-view. Students will choose one of these two books and begin
reading it in this unit. Students will analyze the two points-of-view through class discussions and compare and contrast the two books. Students will also observe the
usage of vivid verbs within selections of each novel and begin to understand that making writing interesting is vital in fiction. Students will tie this language arts
component into the project day by analyzing the verbs within their own writing that they create through the social studies portion of the project.
Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the
week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites, literature)
MOTIVATOR
As a motivator for this week, students will conduct a video teleconferencing discussion with a local business partner specializing in aerospace engineering. The
presentation will focus on topics such as fin and nose cone design and the basic aerodynamics of a rocket in order to motivate and engage students for the Rocket
Launch project.
DAY Objectives
(I can….)
Materials &
Resources
Instructional Procedures
Differentiate Assessment
d
Instruction
Project Day: “Take Me to the Moon” Rocket Launch
1
2
I CAN
provide
precise, vivid
verb choice
to inform or
explain
about a
topic.
Engineering Design
Process
“Fly Me to the Moon”
Rocket Launch Project
Rubric, ELA component,
adapted from the word
choice column of the TN
Informational /
Explanatory Writing
Rubric.
Video: “Lights! Camera!
Action Verb!”
Essential Question: Why is it important for me to use precise word choice in my
speaking and writing?
Differentiation Formative
Assessment
Students may
use an online
The teacher will
Procedures:
thesaurus for
assess student
1. Warm-Up: On the board, project the question, “Did you get that?” Ask
help in
progress toward
the students to come up with a synonym for the word get, as used in the identifying
incorporating
question, taking care not to tell anyone else the word they have chosen.
vivid verbs into
synonyms.
After students have all come up with a synonym, go around the room and
technical writing
Enrichment
ask each student to share his/her response with the class. Answers may
by evaluating
include understand, remember, obtain, retrieve, pick up, and many
students’
Students will
others.
science EDP
be able to
2. Mini-Lesson: One important reason for being precise in our word choice is
reports
change the
for clarity, as demonstrated in the warm-up question “Did you get that?”
according to the
form of the
Depending on how the listener interprets the meaning of the word get,
word choice
word and
the question could vary in intended meaning from “Did you pick that up?”
column of the
make it
to “Did you understand that?” to even “Did you record that on film?”
another tense. TN
However, another important reason for using precise words when we
Informational/
speak and write is for variety.
Explanatory
3. Examples from Student Writing: Show student examples of their own
Writing Rubric.
writing in which the same verbs are used over and over. In this lesson,
the student examples will be our yearbook Favorite Project Quotes about
our favorite STEM projects this year. In the writing, students used the
verb said over and over again, to the point that the writing becomes
repetitive and less interesting to read.
4. Writer’s Workshop: In small groups, have students brainstorm for as
many variations of the word said as they can. Then, each student in the
group will select a quote from the Favorite Project Quotes and add a
more vivid, precise verb instead of the verb said.
5. Problem-Spot Prediction: Inform students that in science class today, they
will be writing a lab report on the steps of the Engineering Design Process
(EDP) used in yesterday’s project day, “Fly Me to the Moon” Rocket
Launch. What overly-used, less-precise verbs do student predict are
commonly used on EDP reports? Using the six steps of the Engineering
Design Process for a guide, have the class brainstorm a list. (For the first
class of the day, the teacher may need to help the students begin the
list.) Then, brainstorm more precise, vivid verbs for students to
substitute instead of overly-used, generic verbs.
6. Closure: Watch the verb song from Grammaropolis: “Lights! Camera!
Action Verb!”
3
I CAN
replace
boring,
overly-used
verbs in my
writing with
more
interesting
verbs.
“Verbs: They’re Not
Really Boring”
Essential Question: How can I replace boring, overly-used verbs in my writing with
more interesting verbs?
Power point Notes
Procedures:
Video Tutorial: Linking
Verbs vs. Action Verbs
1. Warm-Up: “Verbs: They’re Not Really Boring”
2. Students will generate notes: Verb PowerPoint
3. Begin with the End in Mind: Display the “Fly Me to the Moon” Rocket
Launch Project Rubric, ELA component, adapted from the word choice
column of the TN Informational / Explanatory Writing Rubric. Review
expectations with students. Emphasize that for today’s class assignment,
students should aim to eliminate linking verbs and boring, overly-used
action verbs from their Engineering Design Process science report.
4. Writer’s Workshop:
a. Students take out their first drafts of the Rocket Launch EDP report
from yesterday’s science class.
b. Guided practice: Ask a student to airplay his/her EDP report. Walk
the class through an example of underlining all of the verbs in the
first paragraph. Replace linking verbs and boring, overly-used action
verbs with more vivid verbs.
c. Independent Practice: Students individually work to underline the
verbs in each section of their Rocket Launch EDP reports and to
replace the linking verbs and boring, overly-used action verbs with
Remediation
For additional
practice on
distinguishing
action verbs
from linking
verbs, refer
students to
the online
tutorial
Linking Verbs
vs. Action
Verbs.
Enrichment
Summative
Assessment
“Fly Me to the
Moon” Rocket
Launch Project
Rubric, ELA
component,
adapted from
the word choice
column of the
TN
Informational /
Explanatory
Writing Rubric.
vivid verbs.
d. Assessment: If time allows, invite students to airplay their progress.
Go through the “Fly Me to the Moon” Rocket Launch Project Rubric,
ELA component, to determine how student work would be scored if it
were turned in today.
5. Closer: Have small table groups discuss the essential question, “Why is it
important for me to use precise word choice in my speaking and writing?”
6. Homework: Complete revisions of Rocket Launch EDP Reports, due in
class tomorrow.
4
I CAN
analyze the
use of vivid
verbs in a
novel that I
am reading.



I CAN
understa
nd
Essential Question: What components of fiction make it interesting?
Remediation
Procedures:

1. Hook: The teacher will have students turn to a portion of the book that
they feel is interesting. Next, the teacher will have students list the verbs
that are found within their one-page selection.
2. Once students have listed the verbs, they can pair with their table group
and discuss their answers. Then, the teacher will facilitate a class
discussion where the students will identify the best verbs used within
their selection. Students will begin to understand that vivid verbs make
writing more interesting and that fiction writing often uses vivid verbs to
describe events and attract the reader’s attention.
3. After the lessons on verbs from previous days and the analysis of verbs
used in the novel today, students will replace any “uninteresting” verbs
from their novel with more vivid verbs in the verb book chart.
4. Finally, students will work in teams of 3 called book club groups as they
read from their novel.
5. For homework, students will continue reading their novel.
Materials for Enrichment

5
Verb Book Chart
Novels: “Life As We
Knew It” and “The
Dead and the Gone”

Moon Enrichment
Novels: “Life As We
Knew It” and “The
Dead and the Gone”

Use of
thesaurus
Use of
book
chart to
keep track
of verbs
and
replaceme
nt words

Verb Book
Chart
Enrichment

Moon
Enrichmen
t
Essential Question:
Remediation



What is point-of-view?
How does the differing point-of-view in each novel change the story even
Formative
Assessments
Heterogen
eous
Formative
Assessments

Observation

point-ofview.
I CAN
analyze
how the
differing
pointsof-view
in each
novel
depicts a
different
story
through
the
same
overall
event.




Point-of-View Video
http://www.teachert
ube.com/viewVideo.
php?video_id=13981
5
Group Delegation
Chart, Appendix A
Point-of-view
exploration,
Appendix B
Writing Closure,
Appendix C
Materials for Enrichment

Journal Writing
Enrichment,
Appendix D
groups
with
student
roles for
each
students’
strengths
though the story was an account of the same event?
Procedures:
1. Hook: Students will watch the Point-of-View Video to activate their prior
knowledge about points-of-view.
2. Then, the teacher will divide students into groups of 3. The students will
assign roles to each person in the group. The three roles should be the
manager, the recorder, and the speaker. Each role has specific duties that
are outlined in the group delegation chart in the resource folder.
3. Students will then begin working on the Point-of-view exploration within
their team. The teacher should time each page for about 8 minutes per
page. At the end of each page, the teacher should lead a group
discussion where the speaker of each group can speak out about the
topics that they their group discussed and wrote down.
4. Exit Ticket Closure: After the point-of-view exploration, students will
choose a minor character from the book they are reading and write a
short journal entry from this character’s point-of-view. They will then
write one paragraph about how this journal entry differs from the original
text.
5. For homework, students will complete the writing closure.
6
Project Day-Refer to Unit Plan
7
Project Day-Refer to Unit Plan
Enrichment

Journal
Writing
Enrichmen
t

s of group
discussions
Exit ticket
journal
entry
8
Project Day-Refer to Unit Plan
9
Project Day-Refer to Unit Plan
10
Project Day-Refer to Unit Plan
STANDARDS
10
Identify
Project Day-Refer to Unit
Plan what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT
College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding
as needed at the high end of the range.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.






CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.a
Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds
naturally and logically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.b
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.c
Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.d
Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3.e
Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.