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TEACHING INFORMATIVE WRITING IN FIRST GRADE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER! Truly! This NO PREP first grade informative writing unit includes daily lesson plans and activities that build upon each other as the unit progresses, all the blackline masters you’ll need, colorful posters, and step-by-step directions to make your teacher life as stress free as possible.
We are talking NO PREP and no more than 5 minutes of planning a day! It will make your teaching life so much easier!
This Common Core Standards Aligned writing curriculum is the perfect way to teach your first graders how to write informative papers. Through this unit your students will learn to confidently brainstorm about a topic they know about, then write to inform in an organized manner.
This first grade informative writing unit sets ALL learners up for success. It’s written in an organized, systematic format that helps students gradually learn how to write informative papers. You will LOVE how easy it is to implement.
A unique feature of this unit is that it includes eBooks for background building so all students have something to write about. We are thrilled to say, ALL the resources you need are included in this unit!
Grab this No Prep, Stress Free, and Effective DIGITAL informative writing unit TODAY!
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS FIRST GRADE INFORMATIVE WRITING RESOURCE?
40 DIGITAL LESSON PLANS – No need to search for your lesson plans or spend an enormous amount of time reading them each day. We have them right on the slides – making your teaching life stress-free.
Digital Lessons Include:
· “I Will” Statements – To keep students laser-focused on the objective of the day. We use “I will” statements instead of “I can” statements as they hold the students more accountable
· Writing Chats – To introduce topics and build background information and vocabulary
· Watch Me Slides – For the teacher to show the objective through thinking aloud and modeling. This is oftentimes interactive to keep student engagement high.
· Our Turn Slides – For students to practice the new skill with you.
· Your Turn Slides – For students to independently practice the skill learned.
119 PRINTABLE PAGES – After each writing skill has been explicitly taught and practiced, students are held responsible for their learning by engaging in a writing assignment aligned to the days learning target. Extra printable pages have been included to offer you quick and easy resources to differentiate assignments for your students.
OBSERVATION CHECKLISTS – Great for formative assessment! As you walk around and observe students, record your findings. This easy to use checklist helps you remember who is meeting targeted standards and who needs extra help. This is a helpful tool to refer to when planning for parent-teacher conferences.
INFORMATIVE WRITING RUBRIC – This handy resource is perfect for grading informative papers and discussing goals and progress with students and parents.
POSTERS – Set of 14 informative writing posters to display in your classroom.
HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF THE FOCUS FOR EACH WEEK:
· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 1 – Identify and write facts and opinions
· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 2 – Write factual sentences
· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 3 – Write a topic sentence and factual sentences
· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 4 – Closing sentences, note taking, informative writing
· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 5 – Write an informative paper
· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 6 – Write an informative paper
· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 7 – Write an informative paper
· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 8 – Write an informative paper
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WHY EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION FOR WRITING?
It’s simple… IT WORKS!
Explicit instruction (also called direct instruction) works for all writers…not just the stronger ones. It’s a strategy that allows teachers to scaffold learning by giving structured, sequenced lessons targeting specific skills or standards. It’s teacher led with a gradual release of responsibility to students. This method truly allows all students to succeed.
If you are thinking, that doesn’t sound like Writer’s Workshop, you’re right. It’s not. Years ago, we implemented Writer’s Workshop in our classrooms, but it didn’t work for us… or our students.
The biggest problem was that it was very difficult to manage and keep students on track. It was also a planning nightmare trying to find mini-lessons to match our students’ diverse needs. And to make matters worse, when we gave mini-lessons students didn’t necessarily practice the targeted skill because they were at a different stage of the writing process.
We were disappointed, frustrated and knew we had to do something different.
We decided to put structure and intentionality into our teaching. We clearly state what students will be working on, give thoughtful instruction through modeling and discussion, and provide time to practice as we observe and guide. It is so simple to manage and gives students the support they need. The result? Student writing like we’ve never seen. This method truly works!
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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING THIS WRITING RESOURCE?
· The entry point for this unit is assessable to all learners.
· Lessons are carefully and thoughtfully scaffolded, ensuring success for all.
· The Watch Me, Our Turn, Your Turn format sets your first-grade writers up for success.
· Your students will be highly-engaged and motivated to write.
· At completion of this unit, your students will be confidently writing informative papers with ease.
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WHO IS THE RESOURCE FOR?
· First grade teachers looking for a strong, yet easy to implement, writing curriculum that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and fun for kids.
· Special Education Teachers who need to teach students the basics of informative writing using a direct instruction approach.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is this resource aligned to the Common Core State Standards?
Yes! We built this whole resource around the Common Core State Standards for first grade.
Do students complete a writing assignment each day?
Yes, students engage in a writing activity each day. The assignments are highly engaging and help hold students accountable for their learning.
Does this follow a Writers’ Workshop model?
No. Writers’ Workshop worked great for us in second grade, but not so much in first. Students are explicitly taught a writing skill each day, then they practice the skill taught.
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What other teachers are saying:
“This was very easy to implement and students felt very successful with the direct instruction provided and scaffolds. Thank you!” -happy first grade teacher
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