Lesson title and big idea:

Friendship and community building

Strong descriptive language
Grade level:
5th grade
Lesson overview/summary:
This lesson will help students learn the importance of using strong, descriptive
vocabulary and understand the importance of building each other up. Students
design buckets and throughout the semester place positive words and phrases
about classmates inside the bucket. At the end of the semester, students will read
the contents of their bucket and form those words into a poem. Lastly, students will
create a micro studio piece that shows their personality through positive traits.

Class periods required:

Continually throughout the semester.
One full period to make the buckets
1-3 on creating the poems
1 on creating their micro studios
Key concepts (3-4)
Descriptive language
Positivity
Poetry

Essential questions (3-4)

What are descriptive words I can use to describe my peers?
How can I use words given to me and put them into a poem?
How can I create a meaningful piece to show these words?

Lesson objectives
Students will be able to write a poem based on the descriptive words provided to
them.
Students will be able to write positive, descriptive words about their peers.

Students will be able to create a piece of artwork that displays these positive
characteristics.
Grade level expectations
Big Idea 1.a: Demonstrate the personal characteristics to maintain a positive selfconcept
Big Idea 2.a Exhibit mutual respect and compromise in relationships
Big idea 2.b Demonstrate respect for individuals within diverse groups
Writing big idea 1: apply a writing process in composing text
Writing Big Idea 2: compose well-developed text

Identify and define common vocabulary that connects the art form with
the other identified content areas
Descriptive: serving or seeking to describe, classifying without expressing
judgement
Poetry: literary work with special intensity to expression of feelings and ieas

Content areas integrated

Writing
Lesson activities and procedures:
Part one:
1. Read Have you Filled a Bucket Today? By Carol McCloud
2. Talk about the importance of being friendly and kind
3. Discuss various ways we can fill each others buckets in our classroom
Part two:
1. Give each student a small bucket
2. Design buckets to show students personality and interests
3. Teacher will hang the buckets up in the classroom
Part three:
1. Explain to students what we will be doing with these buckets
2. Throughout the semester students will write positive words about each other
and place them in the bucket.
3. If the teacher sees a student performing a bucket filling task the teacher
should write a card for that student and put it in his/her bucket
4. Stress the importance of using strong adjectives and descriptions when
writing. We should not put words like kind, sweet, or funny on the card.
Part four:

1. At the end of the semester, each student will receive their bucket. They will
read all of the words that were placed inside their bucket.
2. After reading all of these words, students will create a poem about
themselves. The goal is that they use these strong adjectives they have been
working on all semester.
Part five:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Students will create a micro studio to show their positive traits

Each student will be given a small paper key
On this key, they can choose how they want to display their positive traits
Once done, we will hang them up above their desks with a sign that it is the
key to success

Anticipatory set (gaining attention)

Closure (reflecting anticipatory set)

Formative assessment strategy

Periodically I will look through the students buckets and ensure we are putting
descriptive and positive words in the buckets
Students will have multiple days to work on their poems. As they are working I will
ensure they understand how to write poetry and see if they need extra tools of
resources.
Summative assessment strategy
Once students complete their poems and micro studios, I will evaluate them and
ensure they met the standards and show understanding of the concepts.
What prior knowledge will this lesson require?
Students should know what it means to use descriptive language.
How will you engage in imagining, exploring and/or experimenting in this
lesson?
Multiple times students will be able to explore and experiment. When creating their
poems, students will be given the opportunity to have multiple drafts and revisions.
Additionally, students can imagine while creating their micro studio.
How will this lesson allow for/encourage students to solve problems in
divergent ways?
Students will solve problems divergently when placing words within the buckets.
Students will have creative freedom, as long as they speak positively about each
other. Additionally, they will use whatever creative route they choose when
designing their micro studios.

How will you engage students in routinely reflecting on their learning?

Reflection will occur throughout the semester. About every other week we will have
a discussion about some words they have placed inside the buckets. While creating
their poems students will assess their own work while revising.
How will you adapt the various aspects of the lesson to differently-abled
students?
Students who struggle will be provided extra resources when creating the poems.
Students who have trouble seeing will be given a larger key for the micro studio and
we will ensure all students can read the names on the buckets.
What opportunities/activities will students be given to revise and improve
their understanding and their work?
Revision is continuous throughout this lesson. Students place words inside each
others buckets all semester. Therefore, they should grow in the vocabulary they are
choosing. With their poems, students will have multiple weeks to revise and edit
their poem to get it to be the exact form they like.
What opportunities/activities will you provide for students to share their
learning in this lesson?
All keys will be on display above their desks. This way students can see each others
keys to success. Additionally, we could share aloud the poems students wrote.
Sources: