| aidemia--modules-lessonstartideas_type | Give a creative idea how to begin a lesson |
| Which subject | English |
| What age group | Year or Grade 1 |
| What topic | Mentor text |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Any other preferences |
Today, we are going to become story detectives! Our mission is to explore and discover how books can teach us about writing.
Begin the lesson by dimming the lights slightly and playing a soft mystery-themed music background. This sets a playful tone and engages the students' imaginations.
Gather the students in a circle and hold up a colorful picture book. Say:
"Today, we are going to look at this special book called a mentor text. A mentor text is like a guide that can help us learn how to tell our own stories. Who here loves reading stories? Raise your hands!"
Encourage the students to share their favorite story. Once they’ve buzzed with enthusiasm, say:
"Fantastic! Every story has a few magic ingredients that make it interesting. As story detectives, we will look carefully at this book to find those magic ingredients! Are you ready, detectives?"
Pass around a few magnifying glasses or let them imagine they have one. Then, open the book to the first pages and read a portion aloud. After reading, ask:
"What do you think makes this story special? Can you see any cool words, funny characters, or exciting actions?"
As the students share their ideas, write them on chart paper. Create two columns—one for Words and another for Pictures. Encourage students to think about how the words and illustrations work together to tell the story.
Wrap up this fun beginning by stating:
"Great job, detectives! Remember, we will use what we learned today from our mentor text to help us create our very own stories. Let's keep our detective hats on and see what wonderful stories we can write together!"
Now, let's dive deeper into storytelling by picking one thing we loved from our mentor text! Turn to your partner and share one word or picture that you found exciting. After a minute, each student will share their favorite find with the class.
This engaging and creative start will help first graders understand the concept of mentor texts while fostering excitement for writing their own stories!