The Writing Lesson:
Season Mandala

This writing and art project was authored by Northern Nevada teacher Sandra Young. This page contains the lesson plan for the writing portion of this lesson. Click here to view the accompanying art lesson plan.

Here is what the final student product might look like:

Sandra's Lesson Overview:

Students have the opportunity to discover the seasons through the descriptive world of words. They will also collect information about the seasons that will enable them to write their own descriptive sentences as they travel round and round the seasons of their art project.

Lesson Materials:

• graphic organizer “Season Collection Boxes”
• finished art project “Circle of Seasons”
• Mentor text #1: Have You Seen Trees? by Joanne Oppenheim
• Mentor text #2: The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons
• fine point permanent markers

Writing Lesson Instructions:

1. Distribute graphic organizer for collecting information about seasons.

2. Model and explain gathering information using the graphic organizer.

3. Read and discuss the two suggested picture books. Discuss how each book paints each season with words.

4. Have the students create two “good” sentences about each season. Discuss describing words, action words, and “beautiful language.” Encourage them to use words and terms they have collected plus their own observations about the seasons.

5. Point out the beginning sentence at the top of the graphic organizer. (The seasons ________ in a circle.) Discuss how the seasons revolve, turn, spin, etc and have them choose a verb to describe the movement. This will be the beginning sentence of their mandala. Mark the beginning place with a star and write the opening sentence.

6. Students will carefully write their best sentences about the seasons around the outer edge of the circle. Keep the seasons in order and continue writing in an outward spiral.

7. Point out the ending sentence on the graphic organizer. (The seasons _________ and _________ and _________. Encourage the children to choose interesting verbs. This will be the final sentence of the mandala.

8. Discuss and edit finished writing with students.

9. Have students carefully trace over their writing with a fine point marker to enhance the quality of work. Erase all stray pencil lines.

10. ---

Some Teaching "Hints" from this Lesson's Author:

• Introduce seasonal poetry to add to student background knowledge and vocabulary.

• Sentence requirements can differ with grade level.

• Develop your own opening and closing sentences.

• Create a class mandala by choosing “golden lines” from all students’ work. This will produce an opportunity to discuss good writing.

Revised and Edited Student Samples:

Second-grader Natalie wrote:

The seasons dance in a circle. Spring turns green with wonderful leaves. Summer brings children running all around. Fall brings colors to the world. Winter freezes the earth with the cold, cold snow. Spring brings animals to join the weather. Summer is where you cool off in a pool. Fall brings trick-or-treaters to doors. Winter brings bells to your roof tops. The seasons turn and jump and dance.

Second-grader Dominick wrote:

The seasons glide in a circle. Spring is wonderful with blossom trees. Summer is wonderful with a lot of hot sun. Fall is breezy with golden leaves and grass beginning to die. Winter is freezy leaves that are crunchy with ice on the floor. Spring is coated with green grass. Summer is cool with a pool of water. Fall is a little bit calm with wind. Winter is mean with lots of ice that hurts us. The seasons glide and glide and glide.

Second-grader Dylan wrote:

The seasons travel in a circle. Spring brings lizards running on the ground. Summer I build a tree house. Fall has wonderful leaves. Winter is white snowy ground. Springs brings apple orchards. Summer brings children jumping. In fall, birds go away. Winter everything dies. The seasons twirl and twirl and twirl.

Second-grader Natalie wrote:

The seasons spin in a circle. Spring is a season where buds start blooming. In summer it’s probably 100° F. and we jump in the cool refreshing water. Fall trees are colorful as their leaves whirl through the wind and onto dead yellow grass. In winter the world shivers frozen and we’re all in coats. I’m cold and shivering as the snow floats. In spring the buds turn into flowers then fruits. In summer the sun is shining and the warmest season makes me run through the sprinklers. In fall it’s starting to get chilly as the wind blows through our faces. In winter it’s down to 30° and the snow drifts through our planet. The seasons run and swirl and spin.

Teachers: Do you have a revised and edited first, third, fourth, or fifth grade sample to share? Type it into an e-mail and send it to us at publish@writingfix.com. Please write "Season mandala sample" in your e-mail's subject line.