| Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing, A Common Core Workshop Curriculum. This is our eigthth full year using this new Common-Core aligned program and we are thrilled with our students' progress and success! We are seeing great gains in students' motivation and ability to write at higher levels. This second grade program focuses on three main genres of writing: Opinion, Information and Narrative, plus a fourth unit on poetry. |
Writing Workshop is a method of teaching writing using a workshop style to foster a love of writing. Students are given opportunities to write in a variety of genres. The Writing Workshop allows teachers to meet the needs of their students by differentiating their instruction through individual writing conferences and specific feedback. Students get to experience all parts of the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, conferring, revising, editing, and publishing.
Some of our Learning Targets in the first narrative unit in second grade writing include:
*I can identify "craft moves" an author uses in books read to me or that I read myself.
*I can use a variety of "craft moves" in my own writing.
*I can begin my writing in an interesting way.
*I can add action to my writing.
*I can add dialogue to my writing.
*I can stretch out a moment bit-by-bit.
*I can make my reader wonder by adding suspense.
*I can use beautiful language that my reader will stop and notice.
*I can think about my INTENT when I'm writing.
*I can be a reading detective to find errors in my work.
*I can reread my writing to see if it makes sense to the reader.
Some of our Learning Targets in the informational unit in second grade writing include:
• I can write an informational piece.
• I can introduce a topic.
• I can use facts to develop points about my topic.
• I can definitions to develop points about my topic.
• I can write a conclusion.
• I can revise and edit to focus on a topic and strengthen
my writing, with help from classmates and adults.
• I can research and write with my teacher and classmates
(e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce
a report; record science observations).
• I can remember information from experiences and find
information from resources to answer a question.
• I can introduce a topic.
• I can use facts to develop points about my topic.
• I can definitions to develop points about my topic.
• I can write a conclusion.
• I can revise and edit to focus on a topic and strengthen
my writing, with help from classmates and adults.
• I can research and write with my teacher and classmates
(e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce
a report; record science observations).
• I can remember information from experiences and find
information from resources to answer a question.
Some of our Learning Targets in the opinion unit in second grade writing include:
• I can introduce a topic or book I am writing about.
• I can state an opinion that shows what I believe about the
topic or book.
• I can give reasons that support my opinion.
• I can use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to
connect opinion and reasons.
• I can write a conclusion.
• I can revise and edit to focus on a topic and strengthen
my writing, with help from classmates and adults.
Some of our Learning Targets in the poetry unit in second grade writing include:
• I can state an opinion that shows what I believe about the
topic or book.
• I can give reasons that support my opinion.
• I can use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to
connect opinion and reasons.
• I can write a conclusion.
• I can revise and edit to focus on a topic and strengthen
my writing, with help from classmates and adults.
Some of our Learning Targets in the poetry unit in second grade writing include:
• I can look at normal objects with poets' eyes.
• I can make my poems sound like music by using line breaks.
• I can reread my poems and use my voice to support the music in them.
• I can choose a topic for a poem about something that matters to me.
• I can find a topic that holds a big, strong feeling for me.
• I can show my feeling about a topic using exact, precise words.
• I can experiment with the different voices of poetry.
• I can reread my poems and ask, "Does this sound right?" "Is this what I was trying to say?"
• I can add a pattern to my poems.
• I can use comparisons in my poems.
• I can use an editing checklist to get my poems ready for my audience.
| Time: | Component: |
| 10 - 15 minutes | Mini-lesson |
| 30 - 40 minutes | Independent Writing & Conferring |
| Guided Writing | |
| 5-10 minutes | Sharing |
