Lesson: Write a Hook

Level: 4th Grade

Lesson Time: 60 minutes
Objective: Students will be able to identify and create their own hooks in an introductory
paragraph.

Introduction: (5 minutes)
- Students will pair up and discuss what an introduction is.
- Teacher will explain that an introduction gives readers a preview of what the rest of a text
will be about. Introductions usually start with a hook.
- Explain that a hook is an opening sentence that catches a reader's attention.

Instruction/Teacher Model: (10 minutes)

- The teacher will rewrite the introduction to “The Chicken-Fried Rat” to be boring. Ex:
“Eric woke up late for school”.
- Have students listen to the rewritten boring sentence and the actual hook.
- Ask the students, “What are the differences?” and “Which one was more interesting?”
- The teacher will rewrite the introduction to “George’s Marvelous Medicine” to be boring.
Ex: “George’s mom went shopping and she told George to be good.”
- Have students listen to the rewritten boring sentence and the actual hook.
- Ask the students, “What are the differences?” and “Which one was more interesting?”

Guided Practice: (20 minutes)

- Explain the Hook your Readers diagram.
- “Good writers have interesting introductions as their very first sentence!” Here are some
examples of how to write a hook:
- Questions: Have you ever gone to the swimming pool?
- Onomatopoeia: Splash! I dove into the pool feet first.
- Dialogue: “I want to go swimming!” He yelled.
- Setting: The crisp, blue water of the pool sparkled.
- Fact: Children need practice to learn how to swim.
- Funny: A belly flop is one way to do it!
- After the explanation, have each student explore a few introductory paragraphs of a novel
and pick their favorite one. Have them identify the hook of the introductory paragraph
and categorize it into one of the following “hooks” that were taught above.
- To ensure they have done what they were assigned, I will randomly call on a few students
to share what they found. This way students will have to be prepared, in case they are
called on.

Independent Working Time (25 minutes)

 - Students will then take out one writing assignment they worked on in the year that they
want to improve.
- They will choose three strategies (questions, dialogue, onomatopoeia, setting, and fact,
funny…) and write three different hooks using the worksheet provided below.
- Then have them share with their neighbor their improved hooks.

Take Home Assignment:

- Have students read the introduction to a novel and rewrite their own hook for the story.
Lesson Plan: Write a Hook
1. Includes a self-assessment of the assignment indicating what you learned from
preparing the lesson plan.
a. I learned that when preparing a lesson plan it requires an adequate amount of time
on research. The research includes activities, appropriate worksheets, objectives,
ideas and more. I also learned that the teacher must be cautious with how much
material they plan on teaching or exposing to the students. While researching
ideas on teaching about how to write a hook, I found other useful lesson plan
ideas on coming up with great ideas, or organizing an introduction paragraph. I
found that I constantly had to remind myself to keep it simple and focus on one
particular topic instead of including new information, because that would drag out
a lesson and lose the attention of students.
2. Includes a description of the target student population.
a. The target student population is upper level elementary such as 4th or 5th grade. It
would be in an English speaking country or school and there would be about 15-
20 students.
3. Includes all materials needed to teach the lesson.
a. Students will need paper, pencils, erasers, a collection or library of age
appropriate novels, the “Hook your Readers” and “Fishing for readers with
hooks” worksheets.
b. Teachers will need a whiteboard and markers, and the two novels, “The Chicken-
Fried Rat” by Cylin Busby and “George’s Marvelous Medicine” by Roald Dahl.
4. Includes clearly stated objectives with strong action verbs to focus the objectives.
a. The objective of the lesson is that students will be able to create their own hooks
using multiple strategies in an introductory paragraph.
b. Students will also be able to identify various hooks from novels.
5. Includes an appropriate warm-up to the lesson content.
a. The teacher will include a warm-up to the lesson by taking five minutes to
introduce the topic.
b. First students will pair up and discuss what an introduction is.
c. Second the teacher will explain that an introduction gives readers a preview of
what the rest of a text will be about. Introductions usually start with a hook.
d. Lastly the teacher will explain that a hook is an opening sentence that catches a
reader's attention.
6. Includes a detailed description of 1) the writing focus and 2) how you will teach the
new writing focused information.
a. The writing focus is on identifying and creating a hook for an introduction
paragraph. I will teach the new writing focused information in two different
 segments. The first is a 10 minute instruction or teacher model which includes the
following:
● The teacher will rewrite the introduction to “The Chicken-Fried Rat” to be boring. Ex:
“Eric woke up late for school”.
● Have students listen to the rewritten boring sentence and the actual hook.
● Ask the students, “What are the differences?” and “Which one was more interesting?”
● The teacher will rewrite the introduction to “George’s Marvelous Medicine” to be boring.
Ex: “George’s mom went shopping and she told George to be good.”
● Have students listen to the rewritten boring sentence and the actual hook.
● Ask the students, “What are the differences?” and “Which one was more interesting?”

The second segment is a 20 minute guided practice:

● Explain the Hook your Readers diagram.

● “Good writers have interesting introductions as their very first sentence!” Here are some
examples of how to write a hook:
○ Questions: Have you ever gone to the swimming pool?
○ Onomatopoeia: Splash! I dove into the pool feet first.
○ Dialogue: “I want to go swimming!” He yelled.
○ Setting: The crisp, blue water of the pool sparkled.
○ Fact: Children need practice to learn how to swim!
○ Funny: A belly flop is one way to do it!
- After the explanation, have each student explore a few introductory paragraphs of a novel
and pick their favorite one. Have them identify the hook of the introductory paragraph
and categorize it into one of the following “hooks” that were taught above.

7. Includes a detailed description of the practicing of the new writing information that
was just taught.
a. The practicing of the new writing information would be implemented in my final
segment which is an independent working time. This is a 25 minute segment
including the following:
i. Students will then take out one writing assignment they worked on in the
year, that they want to improve.
ii. They will choose three strategies (questions, dialogue, onomatopoeia,
setting, fact, funny…) and write three different hooks using the worksheet
provided below.
iii. Then have them share with their neighbor their improved hooks.
8. Includes a description of how the teaching and practice activity helped accomplish
your objectives?
 a. The teaching and practice activity helped accomplish my objective by allowing
students to see models of hooks in novels and allow them to explore on their own
by identifying hooks. The teaching provided the students with knowledge on the
different hook writing strategies and the independent and take home activity
requires them to create their own hooks.
9. Includes an evaluation of the practice activities. NOTE: your evaluation cannot
simply be that you are circulating and watching the students. Tell me how you will
know that the students have accomplished the purpose of the activity.
a. After the guided practice, to ensure they have done what they were assigned, I
will randomly call on a few students to share what they found. This way students
will have to be prepared, in case they are called on.
b. Another way to ensure students understood, is to have students summarize what
they were being asked.
c. A final way is after the student finds their favorite novel and identifies a hook
from that novel, have them raise their hand or write their name on the board.
10. Includes an appropriate out-of-class practice (application) of the content.
a. My out- of- class practice is to have students read the introduction to a novel and
rewrite their own hook for the novel using one of the strategies taught.