Literacy Lesson Plan

Term 3
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Number of Students 4
Time: 45 minutes
WHAT: This lesson is aimed at teaching about setting. Setting is when and where a story takes place.
Students will use their imagination to help them better visualize setting when reading and writing. This
will allow them to better communicate the setting of a story with elaborate detail within their writing.
HOW: The first part of this lesson is a hook. The hook provides students the time to visualize the a
setting of their choice in their heads. The teacher will also present a good example of setting. Next the
teacher will give a formal definition of setting and begin to introduce the strategy of using all sense to
create a well written setting for a story. The teacher will present this scaffolding strategies to their
students by showing examples of each of each of the 5 senses used within a description of setting. The
students will then have an opportunity to pick a picture of a setting and then attempt to write a narrative
setting for that picture. Students will be provided the time for peer feedback. This lesson will end with
students sharing aloud what they wrote to the whole class.
WHY:
Setting is the time and place where a scene occurs. It can help set the mood, influence the way characters
behave, affect the dialog, foreshadow events, invoke an emotional response, reflect the society in which
the characters live, and sometimes even plays a part in the story. It can also be a critical element in
nonfiction as the setting provides the framework for what is being discussed.
To make the setting come alive, its important to include significant details. That doesnt mean describing
everything the characters see, or giving a complete history of where the scene occurs. Giving enough
information to help readers visualize the setting is important, but too many minor details will bog down
the story rather than move it forward. It is important for students to understand what the role of setting is
in a story and how to create it.

Comment [1]: The how was adjusted. We decided to

only use one scaffolding strategy instead of two. We
chose to only use the 5 sense strategy. We also added
time for peer revisions and sharing aloud.

Literacy Lesson Plan

Term 3
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Number of Students 4
Time: 45 minutes
Lesson Plan
Objective: Students will be able to use their imagination to help them better visualize setting when
reading and writing. This will allow them to better communicate the setting of a story with elaborate
detail within their writing.
Student-Friendly Version: SWBAT will use their imagination to better create and describe setting.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Comment [2]: A "student friendly version" of the

objective was added so that students can also access
the objective printed on the board.
Comment [3]: Added common core standards so that I
know exactly how it links to national writing standards.

Hook (10 minutes): We will present a good example of setting in class. Students will close their eyes and
attempt to visualize the setting that is being described to them. They then will try to verbally describe it
using elaborate detail. Questions will be asked about what was imagined, how it was imagined, and why.
This hook will launch us into an exploration to discuss our central literary question: What strategies can
we use to create a good written setting for a story?
Activity (25 minutes)
- Setting will be defined to students as when and where a story takes place.
These strategies are aimed at providing students with scaffolded support to better answer the
central literary question.
- Scaffold 1: For the first strategy we will present the fives senses for students. we We will then
present fives example sentences that use the 5 senses, one example of each sense, for the students
to identify the sense that is used in the example.
- Example: As I walked in the room, the aroma of gingerbread and peppermint filled my
nostrils.
- Question: What sense is used in this sentence.
- Students will then break out into pairs of two to select a picture which will act as a setting that
they must describe in 5 sentences utilizing the strategy above. Students will be required to use all
of the five senses in their paragraph. While students are discussing their thoughts and writing, we
will circulate around the class to see the types of the thoughts and descriptions that are being
communicated, and to see what is being written down. This will also be done to provide
assistance to students who need additional help. The types of settings that will be depicted in the
pictures are listed below.
- Model: Teacher will use the setting of a corner-store to model this scaffold. Aloud the teacher
will ask himself/herself what senses (sight, sound, smell, touch and taste) they experience while
at the corner store. In other words they ask him/herself: what do I see, hear, smell, touch and taste
while at the corner-store? Teacher, while pointing at the picture of a corner-store, say:

Comment [4]: We decided to only introduce one

scaffold and not two.

Comment [5]: We co-created this model for students so

that they would have a better understanding of the
thought process that goes in to creating setting.

Literacy Lesson Plan

Term 3
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Number of Students 4
Time: 45 minutes
Hmmm, when I am at the corner-store I usually hear people talking in spanish. I also see candy that I
can buy at the counter. I smell freshly cut onions that people eat on hoagies. I touch the quarters and
dollar bills in my pocket as I pay for the chips I pay for a bag of hot cheetos. Okay. What narrative can I
write using these senses. Then presents students with an exemplary example narrative:
As I entered the corner store I checked my pockets to see if I had any money. I felt crumpled dollar bills
brush in between my fingertips, as I checked my pockets for cash. My stomach grumbled, as I thought of
how good a large hoagie would taste, right now. As I walked over to grab a bag of hot cheetos, I
overheard the loud voice of the cashier as she yelled to the guy in the back of the store. I could see that
they were very busy from the long line of people in front of the sandwich counter.
After reading the example the teacher poses this question: Where do we see the sense sight, sound, smell,
touch and taste in this short setting paragraph?
After students respond the teacher will give instructions for the activity.
Okay, now with a partner you will try the same thing! With a partner you will select a picture from the
pile of pictures we have on this desk. With a partner think about the senses you use when you are in this
setting. Then use those senses to create a narrative paragraph that flows. Your exit ticket is to hand in this
description of setting.
-

Settings:
- Beach
- Haunted house
- Winter Cabin
- Concert
- Rainforest
- Basketball court
- Football Field
- Movie theater
- Carnival /Amusement Park
- Bus/ Subway
- Inside the Corner Store
- Arcade
- Busy City Street
- Grocery Store
Midpoint Check: As the teacher circulates see if students comprehend the activity and strategy. If some
students are finished early have them pair up with another partner group to share their setting and provide

Comment [6]: This was added to the lesson plan so

that I remember to observe what students did a good
job at and struggled with while crafting setting.

Literacy Lesson Plan

Term 3
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Number of Students 4
Time: 45 minutes
each group with feedback. For students that are struggling provide a sheet of paper with sentence starter.
See sentence starters below.
Conclusion (15 minutes)
- After students are done working in pairs, teachers will highlight a few things they saw being done
well. Students will be asked why is setting important.
- Teachers will describe the importance of setting
- set the mood
- create emotive effects
- create a certain feeling or scene
- foreshadowing (explain what foreshadowing is if necessary)
- Students are given a few minutes to provide a little bit of peer feedback to one another on their
writing.
- Students will then share aloud their examples.
- Students will be asked if they have any residual questions.
- Teachers will then asked how this lesson improved their understanding of setting.
- Collect exit ticket.
Accommodations:
Potential Sentence starters:
Taste:
The _____ tasted _____.
The ______ melted in my mouth.
I closed my eyes and could almost taste____.
I could just imagine the taste of ______.
Sight:
I looked closely at _______.
In the distance I spied_______.
Out of the corner of my eye ______.
I caught glimpse of _______.
Touch:
I felt the _______.
I noticed the ______ feeling of the _____.
I ran my hand along ______ and realized _____.
Hear:
If you listened closely_____.
In the distance, I heard ______.
I heard______.
Smell:
I got a strong whiff of ______.
I took a deep breath and smelled _____.

Comment [7]: This was added so that student

understand that revision and feedback is an important
component of the writing process.

Comment [8]: These sentence starters where made to

help students that were really struggling with creating
sentences of their paragraph.

Literacy Lesson Plan

Term 3
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Number of Students 4
Time: 45 minutes
I love the smell of ______.

Other Strategies for Future Lessons:

- The second strategy will be a list of descriptive word that can be used when writing about a
setting.
- Question: Can someone use one of these words to describe something in a setting?
- The third strategy will be the acronym SETTING, which can be used to remember the various
aspects of setting.
- acronym for setting
- S - Scene of a story
- E - Environment
- T - Time
- T - Temperature
- I - Inside
- N - Nature
- G - Geographic Location

Comment [9]: These are sections of the lesson plan

that were deleted and reserved for future possible
lessons.