Elementary Lesson Plan:
Poster Power (Grades 3-4)

Lesson Overview

Students will work in teams to create posters showing each story element: character, setting, plot, problem and solution.

Standards

Reading Applications: Literary Text
1. Describe the thoughts, words and interactions of characters.
2. Identify the influence of setting on the selection.
3. Identify the main incidents of a plot sequence, identifying the major conflict and its resolutions.

Prewriting
4. Use 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 structure.
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
15. 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:
• Story element cards
• Poster paper
• Variety of colored pencils, markers or crayons
• Writing materials or computers

 

Part 2:
• Writing materials or computers

Procedure

Part 1:
After reading the story aloud to the class (or watching the video), review the story elements. Discuss each element and add story element cards to the board.

1. Review story elements:
       a. Character: Who was the story about? Why were they important characters?
       b. Setting: Where and when did the story take place?
       c. Plot: What was the sequence of events? What happened first? Next? Then what happened?
       d. Problem: Was there a problem in the story? What was it?
       e. Solution: How was the problem solved?

2. After discussion, divide students into five teams. Each team is assigned a story element.

3. Teams create a poster representing their element.

4. Teams share posters.

5. Display the posters in the classroom.

Part 2:
Using information from posters as a review, each student writes a retelling of the story.

 

Evaluation

• Completed Poster Rubric
• Writing Rubric

 

Completed Poster Rubric

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Content and Accuracy	At least seven accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	Five to six accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	Three to four accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	Less than three accurate facts are displayed on the poster.
Labels	All items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away.	Almost all items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away.	Several items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away.	Labels are too small to view OR no important items are labeled.
Graphics and Clarity	Graphics are all in focus and the content is easily viewed and identified from 6 ft. away.	Most graphics are in focus and the content is easily viewed and identified from 6 ft. away.	Most graphics are in focus and the content is easily viewed and identified from 4 ft. away.	Many graphics are not clear or are too small.

 

 

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.