Opinion Writing – More Than Just Your Favorite Ice Cream

Writing an opinion essay is an expectation of all elementary students.  Opinion writing is also a very effective genre to use when teaching students the different parts of a written essay:  planning, topic sentences, big ideas, details, and conclusions.  However, it can be challenging for teachers to engage students in this genre for an extended period of time.  Having students write about their favorite restaurant, animal, or dessert lesson after lesson becomes redundant.  While this is an effective way to introduce opinion writing to students, neither teachers nor students want to write about one favorite thing after another.

Additionally, teachers have an extensive amount of curriculum to cover in a year.  As you teach opinion writing, consider writing prompts which reflect curriculum and events in your classroom. Students will be learning and practicing the parts of an essay while responding to actual classroom situations.

Examples:

Our class has earned a reward for great behavior. Think about what you would like our class to do to celebrate.  The two choices are having a “wear pajamas to school” or “go out for an extra recess.”  Write a Team Complete Sentence explaining which choice you like best. Include a reason you made this choice.

At our school, we are only allowed to have fish as class pets.  Write an essay explaining whether or not we should get an aquarium for our classroom.  Include two reasons to support your opinion.

We have just finished reading Charlotte’s Web. Would you recommend I read this book aloud to next year’s third graders?  Write an essay explaining whether I should or should not read this book for next year’s class.  Include two reasons to support your opinion.

Our class has been studying the planets.  Imagine you have been given an opportunity to travel to one of the planets. Write an essay describing which planet you would choose to visit. Include reasons why you chose this planet to visit.

The PTA wants to purchase a new piece of playground equipment. They are deciding between a tube slide, a platform swing, and monkey bars.  Think about which piece of equipment you would like to have in the playground.  Write an essay explaining why you believe the PTA should purchase the equipment you chose. Include reasons to support your opinion.

We have been learning about rural and urban areas.  You can choose to vacation in an urban area or a rural area. Write an essay describing the area you would choose to spend your vacation.  Include two activities you would like to do in the area you chose.

The school administration is deciding the schedule for school lunch and recess.  They are deciding whether students should go to recess and then eat lunch or eat lunch and then go to recess.  Think about which schedule you prefer. Write an essay explaining which schedule you would prefer and why it is beneficial to students.

In school, students are asked to walk single file in a line whenever they are in the hallway.  Do you think this is a necessary rule for fifth graders?  Write an essay, explaining whether or not you believe older students need to walk in a single file line.  Support your opinion with reasons.

At the school library you are allowed to check out one book at a time. The librarian is considering changing this rule.  Think how many books you believe students should be able to check out at a time.  Write an essay expressing your opinion.  Include reasons to support your point of view.

Opinion writing doesn’t have to just be about a student’s “favorite” something.  Finding ways to incorporate the genre within your curriculum or current events helps students’ motivation and enthusiasm on a topic.

It's Almost Time

It’s the beginning of August and the start of school is right around the corner. While still enjoying these last days of summer, many teachers are beginning to plan for the upcoming year.  As you begin to contemplate your writing instruction, consider these variables.

We all need a friend. 

In order for students to be able to work cooperatively and compassionately together, they must feel invested in other people. Building relationships between teachers and students, and students to students, takes time and effort.  One of the best sources we have found is The Morning Meeting Book by Davis and Kriete.  https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/product/morning-meeting-book/  The book provides hands-on ideas for building positive classroom relationships.  A fifteen minute morning meeting provides students time to share ideas, complete a cooperative activity and prepare themselves emotionally to have a positive day.  Plan ideas/activities for the first few weeks of school prior to the start of the year.  What do you want this time to look like?  What must be included in your classroom meetings? Building a classroom community will benefit your writing instruction as you ask students to share their writing while giving and receiving constructive feedback.  The time spent in Morning Meeting  will help alleviate student anxiety as they already feel they are a part of the group.

Review of skills and expectations is essential

Each year students need to learn the expectations of a new teacher and grade level.  Think through your expectations for writing.  What behaviors do you expect to see from students during writing?  What will feedback look like in your classroom?  What essential skills must students master?  What non-negotiables will you put in place in your writing classroom?

Make a schedule

Stephen Covey has said, “The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”  A set time for writing instruction is key to students’ success.  We recommend primary teachers schedule 20 – 30 minutes a day, 4 times a week for writing instruction. Intermediate teachers should schedule 30 – 40 minutes a day, 4 times a week, for writing instruction. In order for students to become successful writers, they must consistently practice what has been taught.

Create an organizational system for students to keep their work

One of the biggest challenges we all face is creating an organizational system where our students can keep their writing.

Primary Students:

Primary students will benefit from an organization system for their writing. Primary teachers often use one of the two following organizational methods.

Composition Notebooks:

Composition notebooks work well as writing notebooks for primary students. Primary students will benefit from using the composition books which have the space at the top for an illustration. When using composition notebooks, students will need to be taught to use the pages in order, not skipping around from page to page. When students begin to use their notebooks for planning, be sure to have students write their plan on the left page of the notebook, so they can view their plans while writing their draft on the right page of the notebook. Putting a dot on the left-hand page will help organize students. Students will need a new composition notebook each semester.

Pocket Folders:

These work well for young writers, especially when they are using primary paper. One way to organize is to use two different colored folders depending on their purpose. Red Folder: This folder is for brainstorming, plans, sentence stretching, and any other new learning. Blue Folder: This folder is where students keep drafts that are in progress. For example, if students are working on topic sentences to go with a plan, these would be kept in the blue folder. In this way, students easily keep track of what they are currently completing in writing. In primary grades, we recommend cleaning out these folders once a quarter.

Intermediate Students:

You may choose for intermediate students to use either a spiral notebook or a 1 ½”  3-ring notebook. Students will divide the notebook into sections: ideas, planning, rough drafts, and anchor charts. Students will have an easy system for storing, and then finding, their writing while it is in process. It is imperative students learn to store their writing in the appropriate place. Some teachers find spiral notebooks, divided into the same four sections, a successful choice for their students.

As you begin planning your writing instruction, remember writing is a process

Students must be sequentially taught each writing skill and then be given the time to practice that skill. Students need to master writing complete sentences before they can successfully and independently write a paragraph.

 In the same way, teachers should only be assessing what has been taught. For example, you may be teaching planning to your students. Provide students multiple opportunities to plan for writing. After they have completed the practice, students will then choose which plan they would like their teacher to assess. This helps students gain skill and confidence, while streamlining the amount of grading which needs to be completed. Having students write a complete essay before they have learned or reviewed each component of a paragraph will lead to frustration for both you and your students.

Enjoy teaching writing

If you enjoy writing with your students, your students will enjoy writing. Creating a supportive environment where students feel safe sharing their writing provides a platform for students to learn from one another.  Provide students time to practice writing skills and to master the basics. This helps build confident writers, making writing enjoyable for both you and your students.

Please reach out if we can support you in your writing instruction in any way.  We love to talk writing!! 

Successful Research Skills

Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.

Zora Neale Hurston

Spring is the season of research projects!  Students have been learning writing skills all year, and it is time to put those skills to use.  Unfortunately, research projects often turn into students either directly copying information they find online or simply writing a list of unconnected facts.  Like all learning engagements, preplanning and structure helps guarantee student success!

Benefits of learning research skills abound.  Researching a topic helps students learn valuable time management skills.  Students need to structure their time in order to successfully complete the research.  Individual research projects allow students to explore their personal interests, with choice being an integral research component. Finally, research can be easily differentiated.  Based upon the choice of topics and resources, teachers can provide experiences based on students’ ability levels.

The following steps help ensure successful research projects:

Choosing a topic:

·       The topic should be understandable to the student.  Students cannot do research on sustainable energy sources if they do not understand the topic.  Providing students background knowledge on a topic prior to assigning research helps guarantee success.  Students must understand the necessary vocabulary before beginning research. For example, if primary students are researching an animal, they should understand terms such as habitat, adaptations, life cycle prior to beginning.

·       The topic should be interesting to the students.  Choice is an essential component of research.  Allow students choice of a topic inside the larger concept.  For example, after completing a unit on community helpers, primary students may choose one person/career to research in depth.  On the completion of a unit on the American Revolution, students may choose to research one person who impacted the outcome of the war.

Narrow the topic:

·       Students cannot learn everything about one topic. They need to focus on a few main points or areas.  At Write Now – Right Now, we call these main points under a topic the Big Ideas.  You may choose the big ideas for students to research, or students may be given a choice of two to three big ideas.  Big ideas for research on community helpers might be:  job responsibilities of the community helpers, tools needed to complete the job, impact of the community helper on the community.  Big ideas for research on a person of the American Revolution might be:  person’s background / motivation, person’s actions, impact of person’s actions.

·       If students are choosing their own Big Ideas, have them ask themselves the following questions:

o   Do my big ideas relate to my topic?

o   Are my big ideas different from one another?

Find Sources:

·       Time management is an important research skill.  With the vast amount of information available, students can often get lost in the search for information.  We often hear from students, “I’m still looking for an article!”   It is often advantageous to provide students with a list of acceptable sources they can use, rather than just sending them out on the internet. 

·       Three questions to ask about sources are:

o   Does the source contain relevant information?

o   Is the source written at an appropriate level?  Providing students lower level reading material when starting research helps them easily understand new concepts.

o   Are the sources varied?  Sources can be print-based, web-based and video based.

Teach Note-taking Skills:

·       Note-taking is an invaluable skill for students to master.  Prior to assigning research projects, provide extensive instruction on note-taking skills.  Students must learn how to take notes to avoid copying sentences from the resources. They need to find key words and organize them on a writing plan. Taking notes on the same graphic organizer used for writing helps students organize their thoughts. Write Now – Right Now provides extensive lessons on this important skill.

·       You will need to put a time limit on this process. Students should use the sources provided earlier to gather information and take notes. Students cannot spend so much time perusing sources that they do not find the important information. 

Presenting the Information:

·       We always have a writing component to our research projects.  However, this is another opportunity to provide choice to students.  Some ideas might be:  written essay, notes for a speech, digital presentation such as google slides, captions and pictures, etc.  Students must apply the writing skills they have learned all year to this project.

·       It is common for students to want to spend more time on the presentation than researching the information.  A recommendation is to require students complete their notes prior to beginning any presentation.

Evaluation:

·       Students will have spent many hours on their research.  At the completion of the research, provide students time to reflect on this process.  Asking specific questions will help guide students’ reflections.  For example:

Was your topic interesting to you?  Give a specific example.

What did you find difficult about finding sources? 

What advice can you give someone about searching for sources?

What did you enjoy most about this research?

How might I change this project for next year’s students?

Research projects are a great way to engage students in their learning. They can research either a topic they are passionate about or a topic about which they would like to learn more. Either way, the end of the year is a perfect time to research topics and integrate all the writing skills acquired throughout the year.

Using Picture Books

No matter your age, picture books retain a strong appeal to readers.  Older elementary students often need an excuse to return to childhood favorites.  This year we have been spending time reading and rereading the book The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett.  This creative and visually stunning retelling of the classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears will appeal to students of all ages.  Along with being a delightful reading experience, the book can also be used to practice some essential reading and writing skills.

You may choose to read the book aloud to your class, provide students copies of book, or watch and listen to a video of the book being read aloud.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr1r09JFOUA

 Primary Students

Sequencing:  Understanding the sequence of a story is an important comprehension and writing skill.  As with many of Jan Brett’s book, the main story is told in the text, while a secondary story takes place in the drawings in the margins of the book.  Using the text first, have students identify the beginning of the story, the middle events in the tale, and the conclusion of the book. Students will complete a flow chart for the book, using either pictures, words, or a combination. 

Students will then repeat the process, using the story about the dogs and the bears told in the margins in pictures.

Compare and Contrast:  Read an original version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to students.  Brainstorm with students the components of a fictional story: setting, character, problem, events, solution.  Create a class chart, listing these components and the title of each book.    List the components for each story.  Using the chart as a reference, make a second t-chart listing similarities and differences.  Students can complete that chart either as a class or independently.

Cause and Effect:  Review the definition of cause and effect. A cause is why something happens, and an effect is what actually happened.  Using the pictures, look for the effects of the following causes:

·       The ice where the dogs are sleeping breaks off.

·       The dogs float off to sea.

·       The bears spy the dogs floating in the distance.

·       The bears reach the ice flow.

Continue looking for the cause-and-effect relationships throughout the book.

Older students

Character Attributes:  The characters in many fairy tales are somewhat one dimensional.  Brainstorm with students attributes that Aloo-ki exhibits. Encourage students to think beyond basic words such as nice, kind, busy, etc.  Students will choose a character trait exhibited by Aloo-ki. 

Remind students of the expectations of a well-written short response.  In the Write Now – Right Now program, these are called Shining Star Answers.  Expectations should include:

-          The answer is correct.

-          The answer completely answers the question.

-          The answer incorporates evidence from the text.

-          The answer is edited for correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

With these expectations in mind, students will respond to the following question:

What character trait does Aloo-ki exhibit in this story?  Defend the choice of this trait with specific examples from the text.

Students will share their responses with one another.  Encourage students to provide specific feedback to their peers.  Examples include:  Was the character trait exhibited?  Can the character trait be better defined in the answer?  Were specific examples provided to support the character trait?  Is the written work edited to make the answer easy for the reader to understand?

Repeat the process with the following question:

What character traits do the three bears exhibit in this story?  Defend the choice of this trait with specific examples from the text.

Story Elements: Read students a traditional version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Snow Bears.  Students can respond to the following questions either verbally or in writing.

How does the setting of The Three Snow Bears impact the story?  How does this compare to the impact of the setting of Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

In stories, the characters are motivated to take action.  What motivates Aloo-ki’s actions?  What is the motivation of Goldilocks?

Think about the conclusion of The Three Snow Bears.  How is it similar to the ending of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? What differences are found in the two stories?

What is your reaction to the character of Aloo-ki?  Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Using picture books is an engaging way to teach and review skills with all age levels. Provide students the time and motivation to revisit these tales.

Opinion Writing - More than just "Favorites"

“You have been given the opportunity to choose two after-school activities per week.  Think about what you would enjoy doing during this time. Write an essay explaining what two activities you would choose.  Include reasons which support your choices.”

We begin to teach students the writing process through the genre of opinion writing, using prompts such as the one above. Through the use of opinion writing, students learn the writing process – gathering ideas, planning, and writing a rough draft.  Prompts which focus on opinion writing provide students the advantage of knowing the topic. They do not need to gather information about the content of their writing, as opinion writing can focus on personal preferences or favorites. 

However, we do not want to stay with these limited topics.  Opinion writing is so much more than simply writing about a favorite restaurant or TV show.  How can we expand this writing genre to include both curricular areas and responding to texts?

One suggestion is to consider curricular areas. What is happening in the classroom that can be expanded to writing?  Here are some examples:

After a unit on Space:

You have been invited to participate in a two-year space mission. During that time, you will travel throughout space without returning to earth.  Write an essay explaining whether or not you would choose to take part in the mission.  Include three reasons why you would accept the position or three reasons why you would decline the invitation.

Or. . .

After completing our unit on space, think about what you have learned about each planet. Choose the planet you find most interesting and write a letter to a friend describing what they would see if they were to visit this planet. Make sure you use evidence from the texts to support your response.

After a field trip:

The Third Grade just completed our first field trip to the City Council as part of our unit on local government. Would you recommend that next year’s teachers take their students on the same field trip?  Write an essay which explains your thoughts on the field trip. Include two reasons why you think the trip is valuable or two reasons why you would not recommend repeating the trip.

After a read-aloud:

Our first read-aloud this year was because of mr. terupt.  I am deciding whether or not to begin next year reading the same novel aloud.  Do you think this is a good choice to begin the year?  Write an essay explaining whether or not you believe this is a good selection for next year.  Include two reasons to support your opinion.

As a classroom community:

As 6th graders, the freedoms and choices you have at school are increasing.  Write an essay explaining to your teacher two choices you would like to be able to make in your classroom.  Be sure to give reasons to support your choices.

Primary Classrooms

Although many primary students are not yet planning, teachers can still introduce the concept of prompts and planning to young students.  As you experience concepts with students, be thinking of ways to introduce students to planning. Create a chart with students, listing the topic and big ideas on the left side. Fill the t-chart in together, adding details to the right side of the chart.

Student Community

We have been working and learning all semester.  We will celebrate our accomplishments with a party.  Think about activities you enjoy participating in at a party.  What three activities do you believe we should definitely include at our celebration?

Social Studies

We have been learning about people who help our community.  We can invite one community helper to visit our classroom.  Using the information we have learned, think about whether you would like to learn more about firefighters or police officers.  Together, we will make two t-charts.  The first chart will list three reasons you would like to invite a firefighter to visit our classroom and the second chart will list three reasons you would like to invite a police officer.

Science

 We have been learning about three different habitats: the ocean, the jungle, and the desert.  As a table group, choose one habitat you would like to visit.  Using what you have learned, think of reasons why this habitat is unique and interesting. Together we will make a chart organizing reasons why people might travel to each habitat.

Or . . .

We have been learning about habitats.  We have just completed a book on jaguars.  Using what you have learned, which habitat do you believe would be the best place for a jaguar to live?  Give reasons to support your answer.

Applying Opinion Writing To Responding to Text

Students are now ready to write an opinion paragraph in response to text.  The skills needed to write the paragraph are the same, but students will need instruction on using those skills in forming an opinion in response to text.

1.)     Choose a topic which relates to either content area curriculum or a shared classroom experience. Write a prompt which clearly addresses the topic and format you want students to use.

A class of third graders was ready to write an opinion paragraph in response to text.  They had been studying local government in Social Studies and taking care of the earth in Science. The teacher combined these two curricular areas with the following prompt:

Read the article on recycling. Write an opinion paragraph stating whether or not you think recycling should be mandatory in our city.  Be sure to include three reasons that support your opinion using information from the text.

2.)    Choose a text which is easily accessible to the majority of your class.

Provide students with text which is easy to comprehend. The focus for this lesson should be learning how to respond to text, not how to read a difficult text.

3.)     Teach note-taking skills 

Instruct students in specific note-taking skills. If students are being asked to respond to a text, they need strategies for locating the required information. 

4.)     Model planning with students

Students need to know that the skills they learned and used for writing an opinion paragraph are the same skills they use to write an opinion paragraph in response to text.  Their opinion will be based on the information they have read in the text.  The teacher will model taking the information found in the text and placing it in a t-chart plan. 

5.)    Go slow to go fast

As you write the first paragraph together as a class, encourage students to share their writing as they complete each step of the writing process. This helps ensure the students are on the correct path.

Opinion writing can be so much more than writing about “favorites.”  Continually look for opportunities to encourage students to express their opinions in writing.

We love to talk writing with teachers.  Please let us know if we can be of service to you in any way.

“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.” E.L. Doctorow

For the first few weeks of school, we have been concentrating on the components of opinion paragraphs.  My students have learned to gather and categorize ideas, organize plans and write opinion paragraphs which included all the essential parts.  Now that students understood how to effectively write about their opinion, it was time to take the next step: writing opinion paragraphs in response to text.

I wanted the content to be accessible and engaging for all the students. To facilitate that goal, I decided to have students read about a topic which they would easily grasp – choosing a local attraction to take guests to visit.  We began with the following prompt:

Students highlighted the format, topic and big ideas in their prompt.

You have friends travelling to Colorado Springs on vacation. You are responsible for choosing one place to take your friends to show them the sights. To help make your decision, you will choose and research an attraction in Colorado Springs to visit. After making your choice, write an opinion essay explaining the attraction you have chosen to visit. You must include three reasons why this attraction is the best location to take your friends.

The focus of this learning engagement was for students to write in response to text. With that in mind, I chose two websites for the students to use as research. The websites contained information about the local attractions using words and pictures. We discussed possible factors we might use when choosing a place to visit. Suggestions such as price, discounts, activities, food options, uniqueness to the area and being family friendly were all given.

Students were assigned the websites through their google classroom accounts. After previewing the possible choices, we selected five attractions to focus on as a class. Students then selected the attraction in which they were most interested and researched the appropriate site. Wanting the information to be accessible to all students regardless of reading ability, I wanted students to share the information they had learned. I provided students chart paper labeled with each attraction. As a group, students discussed and recorded the information they had found concerning each place to visit.

On the following day, students were asked to create their individual writing plans. Reviewing the prompt, we remembered that our writing required three big ideas. Using the chart paper, students looked for similar ideas to classify together. As they had spent time gathering and discussing ideas, the planning came easily.

With completed plans in hand, the students eagerly began to write. Many chose to begin their paragraphs with an “Although” topic sentence, acknowledging that other activity choices would also be enjoyable. They easily incorporated information they had learned from the text, the goal of the lesson.

The students’ engagement with their writing made it an appropriate piece to take all the way through publishing. With green and red pencils in hand, students edited their work, tracing all punctuation in red and all capitals in green. They typed their finished product, adding an image of the attraction to provide the reader with additional information.

The transition to opinion writing based on text had gone seamlessly as we had the needed writing skills in place from previous lessons. The students had been interested in the topic, engaged in the research, and excited to edit their work and share it with each other!  We had definitely been exploring and learning.

Expanding Our Writing - Multiple Paragraph Essays

As I recently worked with a class of 5th graders, it was apparent they had mastered opinion paragraph writing.  Their topic sentences were solid, their big idea sentences clear and their detail sentences were examples of how a long and luxurious sentence should be written.  It was time to challenge these writers.

                In Social Studies we had been reviewing and mastering note-taking skills.  The learning objective for the next few days in writing would be to combine note-taking and opinion writing, two skills the students had already mastered.  The new skill we were adding would be taking our opinion writing to a multiple paragraph essay with the inclusion of an introductory and concluding paragraph.

                We began with a prompt.  The prompt was timely, as many of the students were planning their holiday vacations.    

You will read informational articles about three different National Parks / Monuments.   Think about the reasons that encourage people to choose a historical place to visit on vacation.  Read the information about each location.  Choose one site from the list and write an essay persuading someone to visit the site you chose.  Include three reasons people would choose to visit this historical site.

These 5th graders quickly realized that before choosing a location they must first gather information about that park.  To help narrow their search, I told them they must choose between Gettysburg, Little Big Horn, and Mesa Verde. These parks were chosen as they might not be as well-known to the students, forcing them to use their research skills, not simply background knowledge.

                Students were asked to research all three parks, looking for reasons people might choose to visit this area.  This led to a conversation with students about what things influenced people to choose a specific place.  For example, the entry fee might be $9.00 per person.  Taken alone, that is merely a fact. How might ticket cost become a reason people would choose a destination?

                Independently taking notes on each park was the first step.  Students were given a class period to randomly gather notes on each park – no organization was required at this point.  Students independently collected their research on notebook paper.  At the conclusion of this time period, everyone chose a location in which they were interested.  Using large chart paper, common groups gathered and compiled the information they had found.

                Referring back to the prompt, students reviewed their task. Each student must choose a park and then write a multi-paragraph essay, convincing the reader that their choice is best.  Taking their notes, students sorted their ideas into three Big Ideas and composed a plan.  They were ready to begin their writing!

                The concept of taking each Big Idea and its Supporting Details and turning it into a separate paragraph was easy for these writers.  However, the question soon arose, “What type of topic sentence do we use?”  This was the perfect segue into the need to stretch a topic sentence into a topic paragraph.

                When we began to master various topic sentences, we did not learn each type in a single day.  In the same way, we learned different ways to write a topic paragraph slowly. We began by practicing three different ways to introduce a topic paragraph.  The purpose of the initial sentence is to capture the readers’ attention.   Information about the topic would follow after this attention grabbing sentence.

After dividing a piece of paper into quadrants, we labeled three of the sections Question, Hyperbole, and Statistical Information.  These were the types of attention grabbing sentences we would use to introduce out topic paragraph.  Using one of the parks as a topic, we began with writing a hyperbole, or exaggerated sentence.  (This is definitely a student favorite!) 

Mesa Verde, the best park in the world, will lead you to an explosion of exhilaration.  It is a whole new world when it comes to thrill.  

Now that you have grabbed your reader’s attention, you must now inform them of the information to follow in your essay.  As you have already organized your ideas on a plan, this step is easy. Simply list the big ideas found on your plan in a sentence.

This National Park is best known for its pueblo homes, hiking trails and tours. 

Students repeated the process using both a question and statistical information as attention grabbers.  They now had three topic paragraphs from which to choose. 

Writing the body of the essay was a familiar task.  Through the use of extended details, each big idea on the plan became a separate paragraph.  The students quickly completed this portion of their writing and were soon ready to write a conclusion.

A concluding paragraph of a multiple paragraph essay also has additional requirements. We learned that a concluding paragraph must contain the following three sentences:

·         A concluding sentence, similar to a single paragraph

·         A reminder of the big ideas

·         A call to action

As a writer, however, you get to choose the order of these sentences.  We again folded a piece of paper to help us focus our practice.  The students practiced arranging these three sentences to conclude their writing until they found the most interesting order. 

The students were proud of their accomplishments and asked to publish their writing.  After revising and editing their drafts, the final essays were ready to be typed and published.  Their notes, plans, topic paragraphs and conclusions were filed in their writing binders to use as guides for the next essay they would write.  These 5th graders had spent multiple daysengaged in a topic.  Through writing an introductory and concluding paragraph, these writers had stretched their writing from a single paragraph to a multiple paragraph essay.

Enthusiasm, Interest and Good Research

We spent Labor Day weekend camping right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Wandering through a bookstore in town, I picked up a book written by Enos Mills, a famous naturalist, writer and the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.”  In his autobiography, he states that writing well requires three things: Enthusiasm, Interest and Good Research. 

While hiking, I pondered these three words and how they link to the classroom.  Words that were true for a naturalist 107 years ago are true for elementary students in 2016.

Enthusiasm! Quality writing will not occur unless we build enthusiasm in our students.  Humans are enthusiastic about tasks in which they feel successful. We have been working on writing Junior and Varsity Team Complete sentences the first two weeks of school.  As the students’ skills have grown, their enthusiasm has grown equally.  Given a safe place to practice, students enjoy sharing their writing with their classmates and pushing themselves to be better writers. 

Interest!  Let’s be honest.  As adults, we all have topics in which we have little interest.  As we begin the school year, it is essential that we capture our students’ interest from the beginning of the school year.  We are often asked why we begin the curriculum with Opinion Writing.  The answer is simple – students want to share their interests with their class.  As we start to learn the writing process, we begin with sharing our opinions on the best activities, places, pets, etc.  Students know what they want to write about and have knowledge about that topic. 

Good Research!  The first key to teaching good research is for the teacher to be enthusiastic about the topic and the students to have an interest in the topic. We have begun this year learning about the planets and constellations, a very interesting topic for 4th graders!  We began by taking very specific notes on each planet.  There was a buzz of conversation as students located fascinating facts about the planets.  Students were interested in the topic and our introduction to research was both interesting and easy to accomplish!  http://www.writenow-rightnow.com/samples/

These three words are now posted in front of my desk.  I hope to continually ask myself if this writing will generate enthusiasm, interest, and great research.

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

We have been busy in our classroom – both practicing our compare and contrast skills and learning Colorado history.  We were eager to combine these skills through the use of photographs.

To begin, I compiled two sets of pictures focused on transportation. The first set of pictures were taken in 1910 and the second set were pictures of 2010.  As we began to analyze the photos we made our first discovery, in order to discuss the transportation shown, we first needed to agree on the transportation’s names.  The room was abuzz with questions . . .

“Is this a carriage or a buggy?  Is there a difference?”

“What could we name a trolley that’s pulled by a horse?”

“Would you want to ride in that?”

“Is there a difference between a tram and a monorail?”

My fourth graders were involved in language, discussing among themselves the very best label for each mode of transportation.  It was the best type of “just-in time learning”, as it was vocabulary acquisition with a purpose.

It was time to focus on our task.  I presented them with the prompt . . .

Analyze the 2 groups of photos depicting modes of transportation taken a century apart.  Choose three different modes of transportation depicted in both photographs.  Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting these three modes of transportation from 1910 and 2010.

We easily located the format (paragraph), the topic (modes of transportation a century apart) and the big ideas (compare and contrast) in our prompt.  As a group, we began to determine the best way to attack this task. 

We decided upon a two-column chart, simply listing the modes of transportation found in the photograph groups.  After listing transportation found 100 years ago and today, we were able to identify similar transportation found in both these time period.  We circled the four that were found in both lists.  Now we needed to determine similarities and differences.

The students decided that a column chart was the most efficient way to compare and contrast these forms of transportations.  As we analyzed the pictures carefully, we determined the similarities and differences between the transportation modes.  Again the conversation was rich, as we discussed whether we could use our background knowledge linked to the pictures or rather we could only use what we could see in the pictures.

Upon completing our observations, it was time to complete a plan.  We had two ways in which we could organize our plan – either with similarities and differences as our big ideas, or with each mode of transportation as our big ideas.  Although I left the choice up to the students, the majority felt they could best organize their ideas using the modes of transportation as big ideas.  As the prompt asked us to compare and contrast the 1920 and 2010 modes of transportation, our details became how each mode was similar to each other and how they were different.  By accessing all their previous thinking, students quickly and effortlessly created a writing plan.

For this lesson, I only required the students to complete their writing plan.  I had been more concerned about the process – how can we carefully and methodically analyze pictures to determine similarities and differences.  Best of all – my students loved this learning engagement. They had been detectives looking at pictures, made thoughtful observations, and discovered meaningful similarities and differences.  Together we had experienced digital literacy – and had a wonderful hour of dialogue and learning!