First Grade OPINION WRITING Unit

Description

TEACHING OPINION WRITING IN FIRST GRADE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER!

We are talking NO PREP and no more than 5 minutes of planning a day! It’s your dream come true!

This Common Core Standards Aligned writing curriculum is the perfect way to teach your first graders how to write opinion papers. Through this unit your students will learn to confidently write their opinion and support it with reasons.

This first grade opinion writing unit sets ALL learners up for success. It’s written in an organized, systematic format that helps students gradually learn how to write opinions. You will LOVE how easy it is to implement.

Here comes some exciting news… this unit has a UNIQUE FEATURE that no other opinion writing program we’ve ever seen has. It brings fun, engaging topics and experiences to your students, instead of assuming all students have the background needed to write an opinion. You’ll see these interactive experiences during the last half of the unit. Students can’t wait to independently write opinions about them.

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WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS FIRST GRADE OPINION 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.

62 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.

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.

OPINION WRITING RUBRIC – This handy resource is perfect for grading opinion papers and discussing goals and progress with students and parents.

POSTERS – Set of 15 opinion writing posters to display in your classroom.

HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF THE FOCUS FOR EACH WEEK:

· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 1 – Distinguish fact from opinion

· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 2 – Write an opinion statement and reasons for it

· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 3 – Use opinion sentence starters

· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 4 – Write an opinion paper with a closing sentence

· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 5 – Practice opinion writing independently (exposure to linking words)

· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 6 – Practice opinion writing independently

· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 7 – Practice opinion writing independently

· WRITING FOCUS WEEK 8 – Practice opinion writing independently

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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 opinion 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 opinion writing using a direct instruction approach.