Choose a topic to be studied in the writing class. This could be according to an overall plan you have, in response to a piece of work a member of the class is doing or a request. Make sure it is a clear and narrow focus as it is easier to find or write examples that concentrate on one particular element of writing.
Choose a book you know demonstrates the chosen element well. If you can't think of one or are struggling to find a suitable passage, you could write one yourself. Aim to choose, or write, a passage of no more than a page: about 1000 words—less for younger classes. It is better to look at a little text closely than to look at a lot only briefly. Remember to keep the book and the passage you select from it appropriate to the age group of your class.
Read through and highlight what you want your class to pick out. You can't guarantee that your class will find anything to say at all about the passage, so it's important to have a few ideas to get them started.
Read through the passage with the class. For older learners, this can be independent, but younger learners may benefit from having the passage read to them.
Go through the passage. Get your learners to highlight things that interest them, what they consider to work well and any specific techniques they recognize. After they have picked the text apart independently, discuss it as a group. Identify what is successful about it and why it works well.
Set an activity based on the passage. If your passage was about word building, you might choose to assign your class a short piece of writing in which they describe an alien planet. If you were modeling an informal letter, get your pupils to write their own informal letter to a friend. Most people learn by first listening and then doing, so make sure to assign something relevant to the passage and the discussion it prompted.
Read out the writing produced from the activity. Discuss with the class how successful the writing is and give targets on how to improve. Remember to encourage your class to constructively criticize as well as praise, but make sure to foster an environment in which your class members respect each other and feel comfortable sharing work.