CONCEPTS TAUGHT:keywords, sequencing, predicting, sentence structure
MATERIALS:  Recycled paper cut into small slips.  (Use whatever types of paper you have available.  Give each partner pair about 30 slips of paper) and a teacher prepared set of related words in an envelope.
TIME:  30 MINUTES

• Give each partner pair an envelope.  Ask them to write a secret code on the envelope so that they will be able to recognize it if it was hidden in a pile.
• Write key words from a sample prompt on the board or overhead.
• Give partners 2 minutes to write words related to the key words on slips of paper.  (Each word is written on a different slip of paper.)
• Give partners 2 minutes to write as many events as they can think of that relate to the key words.
• Call time and ask students to place all the slips of paper in the envelope.
• Collect envelopes and redistribute to students so that no pair gets their own word envelope.
• Pretend that the teacher gets an envelope from the class. (Uses own prepared set of words.)
• Model the paragraph writing process.  Explain guidelines of good punctuation and sentence structrue to be followed.
• Show the entire prompt on the board or overhead.
• Give students 10 minutes to write a first paragraph using the words found in their envelope.  Student writing will be scored on effectiveness of using the words in the envelope.
• Call time and ask them to fold the paragraph paper and place inside the envelope along with the words.
• Ask students to line up at the front of the room.  (This activity gives students a little exercise and break!)
• Collect envelopes and place them randomly on desks.
• Ask students to walk around the room to find their coded envelope and return to the front of the room when they are finished.
• When all students have retrieved their word envelopes, give student 5 minutes to read the paragraph and rewrite the paragraph using all their previous words and any new words that they have encountered.
• Close the lesson by asking students to share their paragraphs with the class.