In this lesson you will learn how to write the first draft of
your essay by using the boxes and bullets outline as your
guide.
Let’s Review Essay Outline
Introduction
Body
One way to invent something new is by studying nature.
Another way to invent new things is by accident. New objects are also invented through trial and error.
There are many ways to invent new things.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature.
• Biomimicry is creating a new design by studying nature.
• The Wright brothers’ plane was designed through biomimicry.
• George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs.
• Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature.
Another way to invent new things is by accident.
• Frank Epperson made the popsicle.• Cornelius Vanderbilt made the potato chip by
complaining• Dr Harry Coover tried to make a kind of plastic but
it came out as super glue.• Spencer Silver and Arthur Fry invented post-its
together
New objects are also invented through trial and error.
• Post-its: the glue wasn’t as strong as Silver wanted it, so Fry tried it out as page notes.
• The motor didn’t work on the Wright brothers’ airplane twice, but Orville fixed it himself.
• Plane was damaged after falling to ground during the first attempt, but they kept making attempts.
Core Lesson
Write each set of boxes and bullets out as a new paragraph, in full sentences.
1
2 After each body paragraph, ask yourself, “How does my evidence prove my thesis?”
3 Write your explanation after each piece of evidence.
Core Lesson
Write each set of boxes and bullets out as a new paragraph, in full sentences.
1
There are many ways to invent new things. One way to invent something new
is by studying nature. Another way to invent new things
is by accident. New objects are also invented
through trial and error.
Introductory Outline
It turns out that there are many ways to invent new things, including by studying nature, by accident, and through trial and error.
Have you ever been frustrated when you get to the end of the peanut butter jar and your knife just barely scrapes up what’s left? Most peanut butter eaters have had similar experiences, but how many people have actually come up with solutions to this problem? Many people don’t try their luck at inventing because they don’t know how to start or where to get their ideas.
Core Lesson
Write each set of boxes and bullets out as a new paragraph, in full sentences.
1
Body Paragraph 1One way to invent something new is by studying nature and trying to copy its design. This is called Biomimicry. The Wright brothers’ plane was designed by observing the way birds fly. George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs. Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature.
• George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs
• Biomimicry is creating a new design by studying nature.
• Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature.
• The Wright brothers’ plane was designed through biomimicry.
As I draft, what should I delete and add so my
reader best understands what I am
teaching?
Core Lesson
2 After each body paragraph, ask yourself, “How does my evidence prove my thesis?”
One way to invent something new is by studying nature and trying to copy its design. This is called Biomimicry. The Wright brothers’ plane was designed by observing the way birds fly. George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs. Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature.
How does this evidence prove
my thesis?
The Wright brothers based the airplane body design on a bird’s body.
Mestral noticed that hooks at the end of burrs legs helped them stick to things.
Anyone can be like scientists by observing.
Core Lesson
3 Write your explanation after each piece of evidence.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature and trying to copy its design. This is called Biomimicry. The Wright brothers’ plane was designed by observing the way birds fly.
The Wright brothers based the airplane body design on a bird’s body.
Mestral noticed that hooks at the end of burrs legs helped them stick to things.
Anyone can be like scientists by observing.
The Wright brothers based the airplane body design on a bird’s body. George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs. Mestral noticed that hooks at the end of burrs legs helped them stick to things, so he used hooks in his Velcro design. Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature. Anyone can be like scientists by observing. What can we observe in nature that might help us solve the peanut butter jar problem?
Core Lesson
Have you ever been frustrated when you get to the end of the peanut butter jar and your knife just barely scrapes up what’s left? Most peanut butter eaters have had similar experiences, but how many people have actually come up with solutions to this problem? Many people don’t try their luck at inventing because they don’t know how to start or where to get their ideas. It turns out that there are many ways to invent new things, including by studying nature, by accident, and through trial and error.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature and trying to copy its design. This is called Biomimicry. The Wright brothers’ plane was designed by observing the way birds fly. The Wright brothers based the airplane body design on a bird’s body. George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs. Mestral noticed that hooks at the end of burrs legs helped them stick to things, so he used hooks in his Velcro design. Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature. Anyone can be like scientists by observing. What can we observe in nature that might help us solve the peanut butter jar problem?
Introduction
Body paragraph 1
Core Lesson
Have you ever been frustrated when you get to the end of the peanut butter jar and your knife just barely scrapes up what’s left? Most peanut butter eaters have had similar experiences, but how many people have actually come up with solutions to this problem? Many people don’t try their luck at inventing because they don’t know how to start or where to get their ideas. It turns out that there are many ways to invent new things, including by studying nature, by accident, and through trial and error.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature and trying to copy its design. This is called Biomimicry. The Wright brothers’ plane was designed by observing the way birds fly. The Wright brothers based the airplane body design on a bird’s body. George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs. Mestral noticed that hooks at the end of burrs legs helped them stick to things, so he used hooks in his Velcro design. Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature. Anyone can be like scientists by observing. What can we observe in nature that might help us solve the peanut butter jar problem?
Another way to invent new things is by accident. In fact, one of the best summertime treats, the popsicle, was created by accident when Frank Epperson made the popsicle. He wanted a refreshing drink one summer, so he mixed soda powder and water and left it on his porch to cool but then forgot about it and left it there all night long. In the morning, his straw was frozen in his pop, but he enjoyed eating it anyway. Mr. Epperson did not mean to create something so delicious, but people ended up loving his refreshing dessert. Cornelius Vanderbilt made the potato chip by complaining about the thick, soggy fries at a restaurant. He kept sending the fries back to the kitchen telling the chef to make them thinner, until the fries were so thin that they were crunchy. Even though they were no longer fries, people have enjoyed this accidental invention across the world.
New objects are also invented through trial and error. Although the Wright brothers’ initial design idea came from nature, they had to test out many designs and fail a lot before they found something that worked.
Essay Draft 1
Core Lesson
Twice the motor didn’t work on the Wright brothers’ first airplane design, but Orville fixed it himself. Also, the Plane was damaged after falling to ground during the first attempt to fly it, but they kept making attempts even with a damaged plane. The Wright brothers found that they needed to change some parts of their design when they ran into problems. They kept trying and made a successful first airplane. With Post-its, the trial was making a really strong glue, but the error was that the glue ended up being really weak. The next trial was using the glue on the back of note paper so that it could stick to sheet music and be moved easily from page to page. This time, the trial worked, and post-it notes were made. : the glue wasn’t as strong as Silver wanted it, so Fry tried it out as page notes.
Essay Draft 1
Core Lesson
Write each set of boxes and bullets out as a new paragraph, in full sentences.
1
2 After each body paragraph, ask yourself, “How does my evidence prove my thesis?”
3 Write your explanation after each piece of evidence.
In this lesson you have learned how to write the first draft of
your essay by using the boxes and bullets outline as your
guide.
Guided Practice
Write the outline below in full sentences to make body paragraph 2.
The mosquito larva lives in water. It breathes through a tube that it places on the
surface of the water to inhale oxygen. The larva sucks food like bacteria through its tube
from the surface of the water. The larva moves by wiggling its body.
The second stage of the mosquito life cycle is the larva stage.
Guided Practice
Review the body paragraph you just wrote.
1. Ask yourself, “How does this evidence prove the thesis?”
2. Write your explanation at the end of the paragraph.
Extension Activities
Extension Activities
Write out the introduction below in full sentences. Don’t forget to flip the introduction on its head and leave the thesis last.
Eggs are the first stage of the mosquito life cycle. Second, mosquitos go through the larva stage. The next stage of the life cycle is the pupa stage. The last stage of the cycle is the adult stage.
The lifecycle of mosquitos consists of four stages.
Extension Activities
Extension Activities
Work backwards!
• Look at a completed student essay.• Circle the evidence the writer uses to
prove his point.• Underline the parts of the essay that
explain how the evidence supports the thesis.
Let’s Review
Quick Quiz
Write the first draft of your own essay by using your boxes and bullets outline as a guide.
Writing Lesson Rubric Criteria for Success Things to avoid
Storyline or Arc of the Lesson
There is a clear arc to the lesson. One slide leads naturally to the next so that there is a flow and a building of meaning
All the components of the lesson are there but they seem disconnected, as if the author wrote each without thinking about how they fit into the whole.
Hook Slide
The teacher poses a simple question that illicits the response, “yeah, I do wonder how that works…”
The question is short A relevant example is included when it is short and
further pulls the learner in The question mirrors what the student will do in
the guided practice
The question seems formulaic, inauthentic, or overly “school-ish” (message: you have to learn this because you’re in school rather than, this is genuinely interesting)
The hook is overly-complicated and potentially confusing The question does not parallel the guided practice
questions
Objective Slide
The objective follows the form (you will learn X by doing Y)
Is concise and follows the form provided in the examples
Does not follow the form Is overly vague in describing either the X or the Y Is too long Is written for teachers but not students
Let’s Review
Reminds the student of how this lesson fits within the writing process
Is as concise as possible
Is either too detailed or not detailed enough in connecting the lesson to other lessons
Leaves out important touch points Makes the lesson overly dependent on the other lessons
(student will be confused or feel like they’ve made a mistake, if they watch this lesson alone)
Is too elaborate
Common Mistake Points out a “common mistakes” that students
make and quickly explains why that is a mistake The mistake is overly simplistic or complicated. Does
not feel authentic
Steps
Clearly connects with the objective Includes 2-3 steps that a writer can take to achieve
the objective Is student focused (the steps accurately imagine
what a student who has never done this before will need to do)
Is logical and specific (you can visualize the act of doing the step. There is no magic leap that happens between steps)
The connection with the objective is unclear Includes 4+ steps (and therefore should be split into two
or more lessons) Involves a magic leap that assumes a student can make
a leap between steps that is natural to an adult
Modeling
Is in “think aloud” format. The teacher is opening up his/her thought process to the student and modeling the struggle; showing how he/she drafts and revises ideas in his/her mind
Engages the learner by asking questions along the way to build suspense
Examples are authentic - they show empathy for the learner and his/her interests, concerns, problems without speaking down the learner
Fails to explain his/her thinking along the way. The teacher effortlessly runs through the steps as if it’s all obvious and easy
Does not ask any questions along the way to pull the learner in
Uses examples which are unlikely to connect with the learner’s life
Steps and Objective Review
Reviews the steps and objective in a “see what I just did” way
Serves as a “let’s pull this all together” moment that helps organize the lesson in the learner’s mind
Creates abrupt feeling between the modeling and the reviewing (subtext: “we’re done modeling, let’s quickly bring this lesson to a close.”)
Guided Practice Challenges the learner to carry out the same steps Is at the same difficulty level modeled in the lesson
Seem unrelated to the hook question Is at a different difficulty level than that modeled in the
lesson
Extension Activity Suggestions
Includes suggestions for at least 2 extensions Includes a suggestion for a struggling student who
needs more opportunities for practice as well as a student ready to be challenged more
Suggestions should clearly build from the approach in the core lesson
Does not include differentiation Does not thoughtfully connect or flow from the lesson Does not clearly build from the approach in the core
lesson
Aesthetics
The slides use the correct colors (blue, green, red) in the correct sequence
The slides use the correct fonts The slides use handwriting and the handwriting
appears as written in the right places The slides only use the headers/titles provided The slides use the provided visuals or include
visuals created by the author or LearnZillion The slides use animation, highlighting, and circling
to scaffold the learning, keeping the eye focused on what the teacher is introducing/explaining
The slides clean and uncluttered. The visuals and text do not exceed the maximum amount (see tutorial for example of maximum)
The slides use other colors or vary the order of the colors
The slides add new headers/titles that aren’t part of the template
The slides use clip art The slides are cluttered Animation is distracting and feels more like sizzle than
part of the steak
Graphic and Image Templates
Copy and Paste items from these slides to make your presentation look great!
You can copy and paste these items into any slide
Green text box that appears letter by letter
Green text box that fades in
Blue text box that appears letter by letter
Blue text box that fades in
Red text box that appears letter by letter
Red text box that fades in
You can copy and paste these items into any slide—make sure you copy both the bubble and
the text!Do I feel strongly about it?
Do I have a lot to say?
Do I feel strongly about
it?
Do I have a lot to say? Do I have a lot to
say?
You can copy and paste these items into any slide. You can resize them as
needed!Use black text when you write in me please! Also, keep my text left-justified rather than centered!
Use black text when you write in me please! Also, keep the text left-justified rather than centered!
[Write first step here…]1
2 [Write second step here…]
3 [Write third step here…]
You can use these when discussing main ideas or steps in a process…