1. Writing Mini Lesson: Elaboration and Supporting Details
Created By:
Angie Keaton
Kristin Wahl

2. Learning Context: Angie’s Classroom Kristin’s Classroom Second grade
Expected to add at least one supporting detail to each main idea in their stories
My students have a difficult time focusing upon one main idea while they are writing
Students worked in partners to complete the mini lesson activity
Kristin’s Classroom
Third grade
Expected to add at least three supporting details to each main idea in their stories
My students have a difficult time adding supporting details and elaborating on main ideas while they are writing
Students worked independently to complete the mini lesson activity

3. Explanation of the Mini Lesson…
We read the book If the Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most. This story contains several main ideas (topic sentences) but no supporting details or elaboration.
After reading the story aloud, we discussed the difference between topic sentences and supporting details.
We explained that this book contained no supporting details and that we could make the story more interesting by adding them ourselves.

4. Explanation of the Mini Lesson…
We modeled how to add supporting details to a topic sentence by using the first line of the book. As a class, we created three supporting details for the sentence “If the dinosaurs came back, they would carry my daddy to work and back.”
We gave the students a slip of paper with a topic sentence from the book.
They were expected to write at least three supporting details or “tell me more” sentences about the main idea.
At the completion of the lesson, we reread the book using the supporting details that the students had written.
We discussed how much more interesting the book became when the supporting details were added to the story.

5. Explanation of the Mini Lesson
Main Idea 1
Main Idea 2
Main Idea 3
Elaboration
Or Supporting Details
Introduction Sentence (2nd Grade) OR
Introduction Paragraph (3rd Grade)
Closing Sentence (2nd Grade)
Closing Paragraph (3rd Grade)

6. Post Mini Lesson Expectations
During the prewriting phase of the writing process, the students create a flow map that allows them to sequence the main events of their story.
Underneath each main idea, they will now be expected to write supporting details that elaborate on the main idea.
Second graders are expected to add one supporting detail
Third graders are expected to add three supporting details.
With future writing pieces, the students will be able to generate the expected number of supporting details for each main idea in their stories.

7. Angie’s Mini Lesson Pictures

8. Angie’s Mini Lesson Pictures

9. Angie’s Mini Lesson Pictures

10. Examples from Angie’s Second Grade Classroom
If the dinosaurs came back, they would scare away robbers. And they would help other people to save the world. They would scare away the people. Then they can help good people save the world.

11. Examples from Angie’s Second Grade Classroom
If the dinosaurs came back, they could help lumberjacks chop down trees. The help the lumberjacks cut down trees by using their teeth. If they come back they can make the lumberjacks go around the world.

12. Examples from Angie’s Second Grade Classroom
If the dinosaurs came back, we wouldn’t need anymore lawn mowers because the dinosaurs will eat the grass and eat the bugs in the grass. And he would be a good eater.

13. Kristin’s Mini Lesson Pictures

14. Kristin’s Mini Lesson Pictures

15. Kristin’s Mini Lesson Pictures

16. Examples from Kristin’s Third Grade Classroom

17. Examples from Kristin’s Third Grade Classroom

18. Examples from Kristin’s Third Grade Classroom

19. Resources
Most, Bernard. If the Dinosaurs Came Back. Harcourt Inc., Orlando: 1978.
Buckner, Jane Ed.S. Write…from the Beginning. Thinking Maps Inc., Cary: 2004.