Lesson Plan

Creative Coin Stories

Main Subject Area: Language Arts

Duration of Lesson:  45 minutes

Keywords:

• Cooperative Writing
• Creative Writing
• U.S. Coins
• Writing Process

Brief Description:

Students will participate in a round-robin writing activity started from a single writing prompt. Different coins will be worked into the story throughout the course of the activity.

National Standard(s):

• Demonstrate competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process
• Demonstrate competence in the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing
• Use grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions

Additional Subject Area Standard(s):

Objectives:

Students will practice writing from a prompt.

Students will practice using effective transitions to connect ideas.

Students will apply rules for grammatical and mechanical conventions to their writing.

Materials (online):

Materials (offline):

Timer

Computer lab

1 paper lunch bag full of coins

Coins Used in Lesson:

Any U.S. coins can be used

Grade Level(s):   3-5     6-8  

Procedures (online):

Procedures (offline):

This lesson is best facilitated in a computer lab.

1. Each computer should be open to a word processor with the same story starter on each computer. An example would be “It all started when I was walking home from school….”

2. When you tell them to start, students will begin adding to the story.

3. When the timer goes off (2-3 minutes) the students SAVE what they have started and move over one computer.

4. The first student in the row will pull out a coin from the bag in the front of the room. They will describe the coin to the class including words or phrases on the coin, numbers, people and building or other symbols.

5. In the next 3 minutes, each student will incorporate one element from that coin into the story started on the computer they now sit in front of.

6. This pattern can continue for several moves. Be sure to tell the students when it will be the last time so they can end the story.

This is a great fast paced activity and the moving from story to story adds excitement and creativity. The computers help to motivate and organize the lesson. Besides adding some entertainment to the stories, using coins help students also learn about the different symbols and sayings on coins.

Assessment / Evaluation:

Students can take one story and continue it through the writing process. The can edit it for spelling, capitalization, punctuation and grammar.

Differentiated Learning Options:

If you do not have access to a computer lab, your students can do this with writing paper right in their own classroom. Instead of having your students move, however, simply have them pass their writing paper on to the person next to, across from, or behind them.