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Thursday Friday Instructional Notes
Target Skill: Organizational – thesis
statement (generalize with details)
Mini-lesson: (10-15 minutes)
Review the importance of details in the body of
a writing piece. Reread the descriptions of Trevor
from the last long paragraph of the first chapter
of Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson. Discuss the
way the last sentence of the paragraph forms a
general conclusion thesis statement about Trevor
(others are afraid of him). Reread each group of
related details from your personal description
model created during the previous lesson. Work
with students to write a thesis statement that
draws generalizations about each group of
related details.
Workshop: (10-15 minutes)
Students will write a general-conclusion thesis
statement about each group of details, based on
the color-coded groups of related details from
personal description lists created during the
previous lesson.
Response: (10-15 minutes)
Allow volunteers to share their thesis
statements with the class. Identify thorough lists
and logical linking of details.
Crosswalk
CD: Handouts-Boring paragraph 1, Peer conferencing;
High-Frequency Word List.
Assessment: word choice (strong verbs),
pre-writing, thesis statement
Mini-lesson: (5-10 minutes)
Review strong verbs and thesis statements.
Review the first few steps to writing a descriptive
piece about yourself (list details then clump
them, form thesis statements). Verbally model
how you would use your details and thesis
statements to write a descriptive piece about
yourself, being sure to add strong verbs.
Workshop: (20-25 minutes)
Students write a descriptive piece about
themselves using their groups of related details
and thesis statements. Students should include
at least five strong verbs in their pieces.
Response: (5 minutes)
Collect and score pieces using a multiple-skills
rubric.
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Have partners interview each other, then use
the information to write descriptive pieces
about each other.
Give students categories to use in listing
details about themselves (appearance, talents,
interests) and have them list details and write a
thesis statement for each.
Conventions
Capitalization (first word in sentence, dialogue,
proper noun, date, the word “I”)
End marks (exclamation mark, period, question
mark)
Name/date on paper (continue throughout year)
Noun (common, proper)
Sentence structure (simple, compound,
complex)
Subject/predicate review
• Verbs (strong; linking + strong and -ing)
• Usage: it’s/its; they’re/their/there
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Write complete sentences (fragment vs.
sentence; run-on)
Alternative literature model suggestion: Over the course of this week, read the first two
chapters of The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket. Identify strong verbs (skip, construct,
perished) and thesis statements. (Of course, it didn’t make things any easier that they had lost
their home as well, and all of their possessions; Their home destroyed, the Baudelaires had to
recuperate from their terrible loss in the Poe household, which was not at all agreeable.) Point
out that the details following thesis statements presented at the beginnings of paragraphs
support the generalization made by the thesis statements. Review the details used to
describe Count Olaf and have students construct a thesis statement about this character.
Seventh Grade / Week One 5