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English SOL Enhanced Scope and Sequence for Grades 9-12: WRITING
WRITING Lesson Plan  Balancing Act
Organizing Topic
Usage and Mechanics
Related Standard(s) of Learning
9.7
Objective(s)
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The student will use parallel structures across sentences and paragraphs.
Prerequisite Understandings/Knowledge/Skills
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Students are expected to have basic editing skills.
Students are expected to be able to define repetition and parallelism.
Students are expected to have basic grammar knowledge.
Materials needed
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Text that demonstrates repetition for rhythmic purposes
Overhead projector
Transparencies
Lesson procedure
1. Use a poem or song lyric to show how repetition is used for rhythmic purposes. Use a Venn diagram on the
overhead projector to explain the differences between repetition and parallelism.
2. Have the students make a list of at least three things to complete a statement, such as, “This weekend, I plan
to....” Walk around the room and identify students who have used parallel structure to complete their lists.
Have a few of these students write their lists on the board. As a class, discuss how the items in these lists are
parallel (e.g., all are nouns or all statements beginning with verbs).
3. Have students rewrite their own lists to use parallel structure, if necessary.
4. Have the students write down directions for completing a task with which they are familiar, such as making a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich or making a bed. Then, have them revise their directions by beginning each
sentence with a specific verb. Have them exchange papers with a classmate, and have the classmate highlight
all specific verbs that the writer used to begin a sentence. Have the writer revise any sentence that is not
parallel.
Specific options for differentiating this lesson
Technology
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Provide access to software programs that color-code the parts of speech.
Allow students to use word prediction software.
Provide access to word processors.
Provide access to text-to-speech software.
Provide a template for completing directions and of the Venn diagram.
Provide access to an audio of the song or poem.
Multisensory
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Provide students with prewritten sentence strips to revise and edit.
Provide alternative highlighting devices.
Allow students to use colored index cards to distinguish the repetition and parallelism indicators.
Virginia Department of Education 2004
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English SOL Enhanced Scope and Sequence for Grades 9-12: WRITING
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Allow students to use digital cameras and/or pictures to complete the task.
Community Connections
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Invite guest speakers to the class, such as school or local newspaper editor.
Small Group Learning
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Allow additional practice time.
Vocabulary
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Provide a visual chart of the vocabulary of the editing process.
Student Organization of Content
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Provide graphic organizers or storyboards.
Provide numbered index cards.
Virginia Department of Education 2004
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