Creating an Interesting Title

Elizabeth Rudicill

 

Purpose:

This mini-lesson will help students brainstorm and create more interesting titles for their writing.� A good title should create interest in potential readers and encourage them to read the story.

 

Instructional Objectives:� Students should be able to

  1. Think about what elements create an interesting title
  2. Understand the importance of a good title for their individual works.

 

Objectives for Middle Grades Standards:� Middle grades teachers

  1. Are knowledgeable about the unique instructional strategies that are especially effective in teaching specific content areas. (K4.3)
  2. Know that teaching higher order thinking skills is an integral part of instruction. (5.3)
  3. Believe that instructional planning must be developmentally responsive. (D5.3)

 

Objectives met for North Carolina English Language Arts Competency Goals:

  1. Grade Six, Seven and Eight/Competency Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives drawn form personal or related experience.
    1. Grade Six Objective: 1.02
    2. Grade Seven Objective: 1.02
    3. Grade Eight Objective:� 1.01, 1.02

 

Objectives met for NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts:

  1. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

 

Time Frame:

30 min.

 

Materials:

Handouts of different short stories and poems (The can be of your choosing, just try to pick stories and poems that have unique titles.)

 

Instructional Activities:

  1. Introduction (Engagement)�
    1. Read short story �All-Ball�, by Mary Pope Osbourne, aloud to class.� I will not tell them the title of the story and after the reading we will discuss what the author�s possible title may be and why.� Then we will discuss the effectiveness of the actual title.� Do they like it and why.
  2. Group Activity (Exploration)
    1. Divide class into groups of three.
    2. Give each group a short story that has the title removed.
    3. Give each group time to read the story and brainstorm as many titles as they can for the story.
    4. Let each group tell the class about the story and read the list of titles.
    5. Have each group pick which title they think was the best and explain why.

 

  1. Class discussion (Explanation and Elaboration)
    1. Reveal authors� actual titles and compare and contrast to groups� titles.� What makes the titles more or less effective?� Brainstorm list of characteristics of an effective title.

 

Script:

 

����������� Today we will be discussing the characteristics of a good title and why this is an important element of all literary works.� I will start the class by reading a short story; while I read listen carefully and think about a title for the story, write it down and be ready to explain your choice.� (Take time to discuss students� titles at end of story.)� Okay, now we are going to get into groups of three and read different short stories.� I want you, as a group, to create a list of potential titles and then vote on what you think is the best one. (Give students time to read and brainstorm and then let groups discuss their story and titles.� Then reveal actual titles.)� Now I want to discuss why you think the titles are effective or ineffective and will we talk I am going to write down your ideas about the characteristics of a good title.��