Many of the schools I work with are trying to create units of study in both Writing and Reading Workshop that align with the Common Core Standards (For more information on the Common Core Standards go to http://www.corestandards.org/). In this blog I want to showcase the wonderful work of the first grade teachers at PS 230 in New York City. They have used this year to pilot, create, reflect, and revise units of study in writing that align with the Common Core Standards. They created these units specifically for W 1.1 in the Common Core Standards. This standard states that children should be able to “write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure. Additionally, they wanted these new units of studies to be engaging, authentic and improve both their kids’ writing processes and products.
I was floored by the units that these first grade teachers created and even more floored by the writing that the kids produced.
Next, I want to share these two units with you with the hopes that you will ask further questions and make comments about these writing units of study, as well as share some of your own units.
Unit 1: Writing About Special Places
Description of the Unit: In this unit of study, the teachers asked the children to choose a place that they loved to visit and create a concept book that convinced others of how great that place was. It was wonderful to see the range of places that children chose to write about. Most of the places they chose required no research whatsoever as it was a place they went often such as the park or the beauty parlor. Children drafted these concept books in little booklets and on each page of their book they gave another reason that their place was great.
Some Important Teaching Points: The teachers showed the children how to brainstorm different places they could write about, as well as brainstorm different things they could say about each of the places. They also worked with the children on coming up with more than one reason that their place was great and writing those reasons across multiple pages. The teachers also taught kids to write leads that revealed their opinion. Finally, they worked on endings that brought closure to their concept books.
What the teachers discovered: The kids loved this unit and had great fun trying to convince others to visit these special places. The teaches discovered that some kids who were not interested in other kinds of writing (such as narrative writing) were very much engaged and interested in this unit.
Unit 2: Persuasive Letters
Description of the Unit: In this unit, the teachers asked kids to take an idea that they felt strongly about and write a letter to someone trying to make change. Once again, what the children in these first grade classrooms chose to write about was simply amazing. Some chose school topics such as trying to convince the principal for more playtime, while others chose world topics such as trying to get President Obama to stop the war.
Some Important Teaching Points: The teachers helped the kids think about the important of audience in persuasive writing and asked children to choose an appropriate person to send their persuasive letter to. They also taught specific vocabulary on how to get from one argument to the next (One reason why we should have more playtime, Another reason why). They also showed them how expand their arguments by including a personal anecdote. Additionally, the teachers showed them different ways to organize their entire persuasive letter IE (State your idea, tell a personal story, give one reason you’re right, say another reason you’re right, have an exciting ending) and suggested that they used these structures if it helped them. Once again, they worked on beginnings and endings that let their reader know what their opinion was about their particular idea.
What the teachers discovered: Once again, the kids loved this unit and had great fun writing letters about important ideas to adults. Because the audience was so clear, children were more open than ever to revising and editing these letters. The teachers also found that providing the kids with some organizational structures such as the one I explained above helped some kids to state their unique ideas in clear and effective ways.