This past week, we began a new writing unit. So far this year, we have written small moments, where we share an experience with others in a narrative form, we have written informational books, where we have spent time teaching others about a particular subject, and this week, we will begin opinion writing where students will form ideas about an object/topic and think about how to convince their readers to think like them. Much time was spent this week learning and understanding that we all have different beliefs, interests, and favorites - for particular reasons. This unit will get students to think more deeply, develop persuasion in their writing, and develop skills to help them provide reasoning to their thinking.
This week, students learned how to look at objects closely, compare a number of different traits, and then choose which one was their favorite. Students learned that before they choose their favorite, they had to provide evidence of why it was their favorite. Acting as a "judge" students set out with a collection (ex. trains, coins, dinosaurs, horses, cars, rocks), and lined them up as if they were in a "dog show." Students examined the objects closely before setting off to write their thinking on which object would get first place. Some students extended their thinking, going on to explain who received 2nd place, 3rd place, etc while providing their opinion of why it did.
If your child would like to bring in a collection or two from home, feel free. Have your child look around your home for something that they enjoy collecting - lego figures, stickers, balls, marbles, rocks, stuffies (small), books, etc. The collection should be limited to five items of the same type of object. Please be sure the collection can fit in a plastic bag and involve no unsafe materials. The object will need to fit lined up on their desk.
