Process Writing Lesson Plan- 4th Grade (Science/

Opinion Writing)
(Plants Support Life)

Standards Addressed (Writing): W.1a, W.4.1b, W.4.1c, W.4.1d, W.4.4,

W.4.5, W.4.6. W.4.8,
Standards Addressed (Science): 4.2a, 4.2b, 4.2c, 4.3c

Content Objective: SWBAT generate ideas of how to organize their

thoughts and ideas and place them into a persuasive writing format by
stating an opinion with reasons and information.

Language Objective: SWBAT generate their ideas of an easy topic such

as ice cream (or another dessert) and write them down in a persuasive
writing format providing a thesis, reasons, evidence, and transitions.

Material: Writing Folder & Journal, pencil, Science Textbook, iPad, reading
article, chart paper

Lesson Rationale: This is the first mini lesson in the entire persuasive
writing unit. The purpose of this lesson is to get students to understand the
structure of writing a persuasive essay. Students will learn the routine of
learning how to write a basic essay, fitting their thinking into boxes and
bullets. Though this is not related to plants, this session is
freestanding. Students will leave this work behind until session 6,
where writers take their opinions and craft them into a plan for an
essay relating to plants, habitats, animals, etc. Depending on time, this
lesson should take 1 or 2 days to complete.

Charts: Use these charts as the fundamental frameworks for generating a

persuasive writing unit.
 Chart #1
Thesis stmt: I love ice cream
●
●
●

Chart #2
(Thesis statement) because (reason 1), (reason 2), and most of all,
because (reason 3).

● One reason that (thesis statement) is that (reason 1). For

example (evidence a), (evidence b), and (evidence c).
● Another reason that (thesis statement) is that (reason 2). For
example, (evidence a), (evidence b), and (evidence c).
● Although (thesis statement) because (reason 1) and because
(reason 2), especially (thesis statement) because (reason 3). For
example, (evidence a), (evidence b), and (evidence c).

Lesson:
This lesson keeps the kids on the rug for a long time, engaged in a
whole-class piece of shared writing.

Tell students that this lesson is a continuation of last years third grade unit
opinion writing of Changing the World. This is where you wrote a persuasive
speech. Remember students you learned a structure that listed reasons to
bring about changes you wanted to see in your school, such as more
magazines in the library. Instead of writing a speech, now you’ll be writing
essays. You will need the skills of writing good essays for middle, high
school and college.

Show students Sophie’s writing on pg. 5 (I put it into google classroom, so

students always have access to it).
Tell students it helps to study the work of someone who has written the
type of text that they will be expected to write.

https://drive.google.com/a/dusd.net/file/d/0B800YBcD3YWJS3BNS0dN
emxsSFE/view?usp=sharing

Establish the reason for today’s lesson:

Tell students: Today we will do some shared writing together to write a
flash-draft essay that you will then write onto paper, or write on a doc in
your google writing folder. Last year you may have worked to write a
shared speech to make a change in the school, arguing for a cause such
as getting more magazines for the school library. This time, instead of a
shared speech, we are going to work together to write a shared essay, and
as we do this I want you to learn about how writers structure or organize
essays.

Name the teaching point:

Tell Students: When writers write essays about their opinions, they
structure their essays so that they communicate their thesis statement
(their idea) and their reasons for their thesis statement. Sometimes writers
refer to this as boxes and bullets.

Teaching:
● Give students a thesis statement and channel them to generate
reasons.
Tell Students: We will be begin by writing about loving ice cream.
● Show chart #1, wherein the thesis statement is written inside a box,
with bullets under the box. Tell students to think of reasons to
support this thesis statement. Have students partner talk why they
love ice cream.
● Tell Students: To do this, you might want to say “I love ice cream
because….”

Record student responses, (Ex: It’s fun to add different toppings.

Add it to the box below.)
 I love ice cream

I love ice cream because you can add different toppings.

Tell students you are going to add the first reason below the thesis stmt.
(make sure students understand that I love ice cream, is the thesis stmt.
Tell students) (we will continue to use bullets to list more reasons, why you love ice
cream).
● I love ice cream because (there are so many flavors)
● I love ice cream because (it’s refreshing on a hot day).

Explain to the students that we now have a thesis statement (point to it),
and reasons-boxes and bullets (point to them). We have our plan.

Tell students: Now we need to write a body paragraph that supports our
first reason.
● Think of some details or evidence at least three that you can use to
support the first reason (students can map this out in their
journal) .
● Clarify for students that you have your thesis statement you want to
prove, and you are going to use your three reasons which is your
bullets, but now you must write a paragraph for each of the three
reasons, and each paragraph must have at least 3 details, or
evidence to support the reason. Use this and refer back to this
information as the essay is being created.
*This is the tricky part of the lesson: You must explain and point out
where all this information goes in the following chart, especially the
evidence!!!!

Using different colors:

Give students Chart #2, and point out the boxes and bullets.
(Thesis statement) because (reason 1), (reason 2), and most of all,
because (reason 3).

● One reason that (thesis statement) is that (reason 1). For

example (evidence a), (evidence b), and (evidence c).
● Another reason that (thesis statement) is that (reason 2). For
example, (evidence a), (evidence b), and (evidence c).
● Although (thesis statement) because (reason 1) and because
(reason 2), especially (thesis statement) because (reason 3). For
example, (evidence a), (evidence b), and (evidence c).

https://docs.google.com/a/dusd.net/document/d/1AjoOKptkE00HYeTO
ej1Gbr9ueRqwOYAoDbMtfHLpKOs/edit?usp=sharing

Point out to students that each bullet point represents a new

paragraph, that they will need transitions to ease into the different
paragraphs. (Transitions will be learned in the next few lessons but
give them a few like also, and another example etc.)

Tell students that before we start writing a paragraph for each bullet
point we need a clear, precise Thesis statement: (write this
beforehand).

● I love ice cream because you can add different toppings (R1),
there are many different flavors (R2), and most of all it is
refreshing on a hot day (R3). (again point out the frame, and point
out the thesis statement, and how this becomes the first paragraph.
Students can also note how the thesis statement also shows the
three reasons.)

Engagement: Tell students this is the second paragraph: The first

reason I love ice cream is because you can add different toppings. There
are at least sixteen kinds of candy to put on ice cream, maybe more.
There’s also stuff like shredded coconut. In addition, there are a lot of
sauces to go on top, too. (Tell Students: They can then add a closing
sentence to their first paragraph by saying:) The toppings are a reason why
I love ice cream.

Point out the underlined is the thesis statement, (the box), (and it got
repeated in the first body paragraph). Go back to the frame, bullet
point “1” and show how the text relates to the frame. (tie it together).

Tell students that when they are ready to start their next paragraph the
writer can begin with another transition: Another reason why I love ice
cream is…. Or I also love ice cream because…

Active Engagement: Tell students that we will now write the whole
essay together: (use the first paragraph that you have already done (the
thesis paragraph and the second paragraph about the toppings moving
onto the second and third bullets, which creates the third and fourth
paragraphs).

(Start the next paragraph, pointing out the transition, Another reason).

The paragraph below should be written out on a chart to save time.

Another reason I love ice cream is because there are so many

different flavors. For example, at the ice cream shop near me, you
can choose….

Link: Send writers off to finish flash-drafting the essay (formative

assessment) This will allow you to see who is struggling with ideas
and the basic format structure and whether or not you need to revisit
or emphasize certain steps. This meets standard W.4.1 which
students are to write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a
point of view with reasons and information.
Give students 15 minutes and have the students write the whole essay.

Conferring and small group work:

Don’t interrupt students while they work, they only have 15 minutes, use
voiceovers or whisper quickly to students as you observe their work.
Remind them they should have 5 paragraphs: The thesis statement, a
paragraph for each bulleted item, and a closing paragraph.
Note students that have started quickly, compliment and push writers
purposefully.
Remind them to incorporate transitional phrases, indent paragraphs, coach
them to write more than one example. Don’t expect perfection.

The idea was for students to write a complete essay with a thesis
statement, several body paragraphs, and a closing all within fifteen
minutes. (extend the time if needed for ELs, RSP, etc.).

This is a form of exit ticket for this lesson,

Share (Response Groups): Have students turn and talk with their
partners/or groups about things they already know about opinion writing:
(hopefully you will hear: You need reasons, and give evidence, or you
need quotes or examples, and hook the reader).
Students need to ask themselves: How can I do more? How can I make
this work even better?

Give students a copy of their opinion writing checklist and a copy of their
prewriting:
Have them review their prewriting with the checklist to see what they have
already done, and what they need to do to get ready for next steps. They
need to judge their writing critically!!!! Tell students this will help them with
new goals they need to set for themselves.

Students then turn and talk with their partners/groups about what their
goals are for their writing. They can write these goals down and keep
them. Teacher is walking around conferring with students. (This allows you
to see where students thoughts are and how you can adjust that moving
forward in your lesson).

Students then rewrite their pre-opinion writing and share with their group to
discuss the ideas and ways to enhance their writing. (By doing this,
students are meeting standard W.4.5 which has students using guidance
from peers to develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, and editing.)

Final summative assessment: In unit 6 students will take all the information
from all of the mini units and create an opinion writing piece about the
plants and how they support life.