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Unit #2: NonFiction
Unit #2: NonFiction
Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
What can writers do to help generate lots of information books quickly?
How do writers choose topics and write for a chosen audience?
How can writers create nonfiction books of all kinds (how-to books, question-and-answer books, or stories that teach)?
Priority Standards:
Priority Standards:
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
Supporting Standards:
Supporting Standards:
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area
Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups
Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
ELA Learning Expectations:
ELA Learning Expectations:
Curiosity-The desire to know more about the world.
Openness-The willingness to consider ways of being and thinking in the world.
Engagement-A sense of investment and involvement in learning.
Creativity-The ability to use novel approaches for generating, investigating and representing ideas.
Persistence-The ability to sustain interest in and attention to short-and long-term projects.
Responsibility-The ability to take ownership of one's actions and understand the consequences of those actions for oneself and others.
Flexibility-The ability to adapt to situations, expectations, or demands.
Metacognition-The ability to reflect on ones own thinking as well as on the individual and cultural process used to construct knowledge.
National Council of Teachers of English & National Writing Project (2011)
Concepts & Skills:
Concepts & Skills:
Bend I
Students will be able to:
Learn that non fiction writers write about topics they know a lot about to help them get started right away.
Use mentor texts to inspire using their craft to try out in their own writing: "I could try that!"
Reread their early drafts, trying to add more.
Set goals and make plans for writing using the Information Writing Checklist
Edit their writing for punctuation, spelling and capitals.
Bend II
Students will be able to:
Consider their audience before writing. "What information does my audience want to know?"
Help readers picture the information in their writing by adding descriptions and comparisons.
Write a a hook in order to interest their audience from the start.
Bend III
Students will be able to:
Write different kinds of nonfiction books ( chapter books, stories that teach, how-to books, question and answer books.)
Use mentor books to help them write new kinds of books.
Use special reminders to help them remember and incorporate things they already know about writing nonfiction books.
Work with writing partners to offer and receive feedback in order to help set and meet writing goals.
Instructional Strategies:
Instructional Strategies:
Writer's Workshop to include a daily mini lesson (15 min.), writing time and share. Writing time will include small group work, individual conferences, peer editing/revising.
Mini-lesson will include anchor texts and provided strategy notes to develop writing anchor charts.
Options for publishing throughout the unit.
Opportunities to share and celebrate.
Assessments:
Assessments:
On Demand Performance Assessment-Beginning of Unit
On Demand Performance Assessment-End of Unit
Nonfiction Checklist/Rubric
etc.
Resources:
Resources:
Information Writing Checklist/Rubric
Writing Folders-two pocket
Writer's Tools: variety of paper, revisions strips, post its, scissors, tape, staplers, highlighters, extra pencils
A variety of different kinds of nonfiction texts from all-about books to how-to books, question-and-answer books and stories that teach.
Mentor Texts/Authors: Gail Gibbons, Seymour Simon, Extreme Sports by Sean Finnegan (how to hook readers mentor text), How to Be a Baby by Me, the Big Sister by sally Lloyd-Jones ( how to mentor text), Why do Dogs Bark? by Joan Holub (question and answer mentor text) Growing Frogs by Vivien French (story that teaches mentor text).
On-line resources for a list of other recommended nonfiction books.
On-line resources for anchor charts and examples of student work
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