ELA SWAT LESSON 4-6– Week of 9/15
All of the activities used below were taught in our Abydos training. I have referred to them with the
assumption that you took notes in preparation for using them in your classes. Please see me if you
need clarification or additional information.
Tuesday, Lesson 4
1. Review the concepts taught last week. Display the handout “A Poem in Two Voices” again
to review what expository writing is (have the two sides say it out loud as a refresher).
Return the papers you collected on Thurs (their notes on the essay structure of an
expository essay). Review the intro paragraph – what a hook is, the types of expository
hooks (personal, emotional tag, startling statistic, interesting fact, combo platter
[combination]}, and the criteria of a good thesis (Assertive, Be an insider, Clear).
2. Discuss the Do’s and Don’ts of Thesis Statements (remind them that the thesis is a promise
the writer makes to the reader:
a. DO express the point of the paper (ex. People should neuter their dogs)
b. DO defend with assertion and confidence (ex. Neutered dogs develop fewer tumors).
c. DO be specific (ex. Neutered dogs prevent unwanted litters).
d. Do be concise (ex. Neutering dogs extends their lives).
e. DO use strong (action) verbs (ex. Neutered dogs escape cancer of the reproductive
tract). Do the following activity to show them the difference between strong, action
verbs and weak “to be” verbs (am , are, is, be, was, were, being, been) – have them
stand up and play Simon Says. Simon Says put your hands up, Simon Says put your
hands down (do several of these showing action verbs) – then say, “Simon says IS.”
They won’t know what to do. Or “Simon says BE.” Explain that action verbs can be
DONE while “be” verbs cannot be done.
f. DO make a statement with a declarative sentence (ex. Neutered dogs make like easier).
g. DON’T have two points – choose one point and make it narrow and specific - in other
words, don’t BIFURCATE (ex. Neutering makes a cleaner and calmer dog – choose either
cleaner or calmer). Bifurcate –“bi” means two – “furcate” means fork – so “bifork”
means two tines or two points.
h. DON’T describe the strategy of the paper – (ex. I am going to explain how neutering
helps dogs_.
i. DON’T be wordy (ex. Statistics on the pros and cons of neutering dogs state that eightyfive percent of unprovoked dog bites happen by males who have not been neutered) –
those are FACTS that belong in the body, not the THESIS.
j. DON’T write the thesis as a question (ex. Did you ever think about neutering your dogs?)
Wednesday, Lesson 5
1. Briefly review the DO’s and DON’Ts of a thesis statement.
2. Display the handout we received at training entitled “Kid Friendly Mentor Central Ideas
(Theses).” Separate students into small groups and assign them each a few of the incorrect
thesis statements. Using the DO’s and DON’Ts, have them figure out why they are incorrect and
decide how they can be corrected.
3. Have each group share out their responses, allowing the whole class to contribute to
corrections. You might consider having a group choose one of the theses and write it correctly
on the board, pointing out the problems with the original version. The theses can also be
discussed in whole-group discussion with all students participating and correcting.
Thursday, Lesson 5
1. Now move on to the body of the expository paper. Make sure that you are using accurate essay
terminology (intro, body, conclusion) rather than story terminology (beginning, middle, end).
Draw an umbrella on the board to show how expository explains using a wide variety of
methods, not all of which are used all or the time (therefore, expository writing is an amalgam).
Have the students draw the umbrella in the body section of the outline paper they began last
class period. Ask them to call out the different types of things a writer can use to explain
something (facts, examples, reasoning, argument, anecdotes, definitions, details, and
description). Write down their suggestions on your umbrella as they call them out and add in
the rest.
2. Discuss how writers who choose to explain by using examples can use the following kinds and
give specific examples of each:
H – Historical
E – current Events
L – Literature
P – Pop Culture
3. Discuss some basic examples of elementary students’ expository writing by displaying this on
the board:
1st grade expository writing sample:
Arachnids are spiders. Tha do not have antennas. Tha have eight legs. Ther are 30,000 difrat
spiders. Tha have two body parts. I no how to make an oreo spider. It is fun. I will tell you how
to make it…..
(Explain how this would actually be a 4 for this age group. Ask them to identify what the
student did to explain – gave facts and used a brief anecdote that goes directly into a how-to).
Show them another example of a 3rd grade expository essay that received a 4:
Why is technology important or good?
I am a 21-st century learner who has a invisible ink pen with a revealer light, uses an Ipad to
find new work, can test her friends, travle to other places using Skype, play and learn with my
DS, and make videos. (point out the great lead) I can do all of this because of technology. (Ask
them to identify the thesis [it’s the last line of the intro]}.
A computer helps me study for school and for a test. You can go on google a look up words
that you don’t understand or find out what something looks like. I am lucky to be growing up in
a world full of cool and new technology. My mom didn’t have a computer growing up. With an
Ipad you can learn how to read or learn how to do math problems or practice on your hand
writing. Every day technology changes. People invent stuff to make stuff easier for people.
Maybe I could invent something with a computer. Learning is more fun with an Ipad! (ask
them to identify the supporting data she provided [the types of examples she used] as well as
the other logical reasons she gave as to why computers should be used at school).
POINT OUT THAT IF A 1ST AND 3RD GRADER CAN DO IT, THEY CAN, TOO!