Description
This post may contain affiliate links. You pay the same and I get a small commission. /em>
This NO PREP, STEP-BY-STEP informational writing unit includes 8 weeks of totally done-for-you daily digital lesson plans that build upon each other as the unit progresses, all the printables you’ll need, colorful posters, and step-by-step directions to make your teacher life as easy and stress-free as possible.
Teaching writing has truly never been easier!
We are talking NO PREP and no more than 5 minutes of planning a day! Just display the teaching slides each day on your interactive whiteboard and teach away!
Easy peasy!
This Common Core Standards Aligned writing curriculum is the perfect way to teach your second graders how to write informative papers.
This 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.
A unique feature of this unit is that it includes eBooks for background building so all students have something to write about. The eBooks focus on interesting animals that live in various habitats. You won’t need to search for books (or purchase books) before you teach; they are included in this resource!
Grab this No Prep, Stress-Free, and Effective DIGITAL informative writing unit TODAY!
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS 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.
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 day’s 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.
___________________________________________________________________
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!
___________________________________________________________________
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 second-grade writers up for
success.
· Your students will be highly engaged and motivated to write.
· At the completion of this unit, your students will be confidently writing solid and elaborative informative papers with ease.
___________________________________________________________________
WHO IS THE RESOURCE FOR?
· Second-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.
___________________________________________________________________
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 second 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. Students are explicitly taught a writing skill each day, then they practice the skill taught.
Can this be used with Google Slides?
Technically, yes. There is a Google Slides version of the teaching slides and lesson slides can be pushed out to students. However, we don’t feel this is the best way to utilize this resource. (See next section for further clarification.) Also, the individual student pages are not compatible with Google.
How can I use this resource for Distance Learning?
If you are engaging in Distance Learning, we highly recommend creating videos for your students using something like ScreenCastify or using an online meeting format such as Zoom. The lessons need to be taught prior to students engaging in the writing activities. In regard to the student writing pages, just print out the unit writing pages and give them to parents. If you are unable to do so, almost all activities can be done in a notebook on plain paper.
___________________________________________________________________
WHAT OTHER TEACHERS ARE SAYING:
“I love the explicit writing instruction and how the skills build on each other. Perfect for 2nd grade!” -AO
“This was very easy to implement and students felt very successful with the direct instruction provided and scaffolds. Thank you!”
“So incredibly well done. Takes the stress away from planning and preparing all writing lessons. My kids love them.”
___________________________________________________________________
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:
SECOND GRADE YEARLONG WRITING BUNDLE – Beginning of Year, Narrative, Opinion, Informative
SECOND GRADE BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
SECOND GRADE NARRATIVE WRITING UNIT
SECOND GRADE OPINION WRITING UNIT
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG AT PRIMARY BLISS TEACHING
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.