Lesson 7: Independent Writing – Amazing Achievements

 Preparation

 Lesson Plan

Tuning In

• Project the Amazing Achievements prompt from the 5 Historical Recount Stimulus Sheets on the board. Discuss the pictures on the stimulus sheet, then read through text as a class. Explain to the students that they are going to independently research, plan and write a historical recount about an amazing achievement.
• Watch the Top 10 Inspirational Human Achievements of All Time (Part 1) and the Top 10 Inspirational Human Achievements of All Time (Part 2) videos on YouTube. Encourage the students to brainstorm additional examples of amazing human achievements and record these ideas on the board. Explain to the students that they may write about one of these achievements if they wish; however, they are also welcome to choose an alternate achievement that interests them.

Teacher Instruction

• Remind the students to apply their knowledge of historical recount structure, language and features when writing their text. Encourage the students to refer to their copy of the Historical Recount (Factual) Checklist – Structure, Language and Features throughout the writing process.
• Provide the students with a copy of Recount Writing Planning Template and the Recount Writing Scaffold. Explain that they will need to formally research the achievement they have chosen using appropriate sources before they begin writing their text. Remind the students about the importance of writing dot-point notes when researching and the importance of translating all information into their own words when writing their text.

Guided/Independent Learning

• Monitor and support the students as they research and write their historical recounts. Teachers may wish to set a time limit for researching and writing, or they may allow the students to take as much time as they need to complete the task. Ensure that the students know exactly how much time they have and provide regular reminders of how much time is remaining.

Wrapping Up

• Once the students have finished writing their historical recounts, encourage them to proofread and edit their work.
• Teachers may wish to collect this piece of writing and use it to assess the students’ understanding of the unit objectives. The Historical Recount – Assessment Rubric may be a helpful tool for teachers during this process.

 Differentiation

Extending Students

• Encourage strong writers to write their historical recounts directly into their workbooks so they are not restricted by the scaffold.

Supporting Students

• Support weaker writers through the research process, so they have information to draw from when writing their texts.

 Assessment Strategies

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• used strategic whole class or individual questioning
• observed student participation during learning activities
• recorded student progress on a checklist
• annotated student work samples
• collected and reviewed student work samples
• facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
• encouraged student self-reflection
• administered formal assessment tasks.

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