Elementary Lesson Plan:
Can It Be … ? (Grades 3-4)

Lesson Overview

Students will create two labels — first, describing characters from the story and second, describing themselves. Each student will then use the label describing himself or herself as a prewrite for a descriptive paragraph. The paragraphs will then be placed inside containers, which will be used to help the students identify the importance of understanding the qualities of a character.

Standards

Reading Applications: Literary Text
1. Describe the thoughts, words and interactions of characters.

Writing Process
4. Us organizational strategies (e.g. brainstorming, lists, webs and Venn diagrams) to plan writing.

Drafting, Revising and Editing
5. Organize writing, beginning with an introduction, body and resolution of plot, followed by a closing statement or a summary of important ideas and details.
6. Vary simple, compound and complex sentence structures.
8. Vary language and style as appropriate to audience and purpose.
9. Use available technology to compose text.
14. Proofread writing and edit to improve conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization) and identify and correct fragments and run-ons.

Publishing
16. Prepare for publication (e.g., for display or for sharing with others) writing that follows a format appropriate to the purpose using techniques such as electronic resources and graphics to enhance the final product.

 

Materials

Part 1:
• A soup can with the label removed; save label for demonstration
• For each class group, an empty can with the label removed
• White construction paper cut to label size
• A variety of markers, crayons and colored pencils

Part 2:
• The items listed above
• Writing materials or computers

 

Procedure

Part 1:

1. Show students a soup can with the label removed. Ask if they can tell what’s inside the can just by looking at the outside.

2. After discussion, read the ingredients listed on the label and ask if they can now tell what’s inside the can. Why was it easier to talk about the contents when they knew the ingredients?

3. Relate how it is easier to understand or be understood when someone knows the true character of a person.

4. Brainstorm a list of adjectives that describe the qualities of the can of soup.

5. Compare the list of qualities to the ingredients listed on the can. You may think some are more desirable than others, but they all go together to make a terrific can of soup (show the label).

6. Divide students into five teams. Each team is assigned a character from the story. Their task is to design a label representing their character.

7. The teams share their new can labels.

Part 2:

1. Students design labels representing themselves.

2. Using the label as a prewriting activity, each student writes a descriptive paragraph about himself or herself.

3. Place completed paragraphs inside the cans

4. Share and/or display cans.

 

Evaluation

• Soup Can Rubric
• Writing Rubric

 

Soup Can Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Images	Images create a distinct atmosphere or tone that matches different parts of the story. The images may communicate symbolism.	Images create an atmosphere or tone that matches some parts of the story. The images may communicate symbolism.	An attempt was made to use images to create an atmosphere or tone, but it needed more work. Image choice is logical.	Little or no attempt was made to use images to create an appropriate atmosphere or tone.

 

 

Writing Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Accuracy of Facts (Content)	All supportive facts are reported accurately.	Almost all supportive facts are reported accurately.	Most supportive facts are reported accurately.	NO facts are reported OR most are inaccurately reported.
Grammar and Spelling (Conventions)	Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.	Writer makes one or two errors in grammar or spelling.	Writer makes three or four errors in grammar or spelling.	Writer makes more than four errors in grammar or spelling.
Sequencing (Organization)	Details are placed in a logical order and the way they are presented effectively keeps the interest of the reader.	Details are placed in a logical order, but the way in which they are presented sometimes makes the writing less interesting.	Some details are not in a logical or expected order, and this distracts the reader.	Many details are not in a logical or expected order. There is little sense that the writing is organized.
Flow and Rhythm (Sentence Fluency)	All sentences sound natural and are easy-on-the-ear when read aloud. Each sentence is clear and has an obvious emphasis.	Almost all sentences sound natural and are easy-on-the-ear when read aloud, but one or two are stiff and awkward or difficult to understand.	Most sentences sound natural and are easy-on-the-ear when read aloud, but several are stiff and awkward or are difficult to understand.	The sentences are difficult to read aloud because they sound awkward, are distractingly repetitive or are difficult to understand.