What Do I Think? My First Written Opinions by Washoe County School District

Lesson Plan Template WCSD Writing Program Teacher’s name: Jodie Black Teacher’s school: Rollan Melton Elementary School

Writing Type/Genre: Text Types and Purposes: Argument (Opinion) Lesson Title:

What Do I Think?: My First Written Opinions

Standards-based Outcomes: Standard: 1--Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which students tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is…). Student Outcomes: At the end of this series of fifteen talking/writing lessons, students will be able to actively and independently express preferences or opinions on a variety of topics including books and movies. Audience and Purpose for Lesson: While learning to express opinions on a variety of topics, over several weeks or months, students have themselves and their classmates as a primary audience. At this age, kindergartners are learning to write and draw about what they like and why they like it. This beginning step is crucial if we expect students to argue more complex positions in subsequent years. The purpose is to expose students to the opinion genre and build their independence both with writing as a physical task and opinions as a mental exercise. Pre-requisite Skills/Background Knowledge: If your students are pre-writing, the teacher, a parent-helper or volunteer can take dictation to match students’ illustrated ideas. If your students have a strong base in letter/sound knowledge, they will be able to tackle these writing tasks independently. In the “Steps in Implementation” section, I have outlined an important beginning step in transitioning from speaking to writing that you may need to start with depending on your specific population. The genre of writing described in this lesson is best tackled as part of a Writer’s Workshop environment in your classroom. Students should be able to make some choice about what to write and have an extended period of time to develop their ideas, go about the task of writing and have input and assistant from the teacher during the workshop time frame. Resources/Supplies Needed: Print all or part of the attached graphic organizers to aid your students’ writing and illustrating. Pencils and crayons, markers or colored pencils could be used.

Mentor Text(s): Specifically for the “Favorite Book” organizer, you may wish to have students’ draw upon the collection of all the read-alouds you have experienced in class together. Or prior to the writing you may wish to spend several days reading likely favorite books and collecting them as a display in class. You could then limit the children to these choices, if you feel you want to maintain that level of control. For the “Favorite Animal” organizer, students might draw upon non-fiction read-alouds or lessons and experiences they have had in class as part of your science curriculum.

Brief Overview of Lesson: This lesson set might be considered more of a unit on writing opinions for you to do with your students, (five Writing Talk Lessons and ten (or more) Writing Opinions Lessons). In my classroom, we work on these opinion pieces over the course of several months. I introduce a new opinion topic and organizer about once every other week extending from October to March. I have suggested the order for introduction of the organizers by numbering them at the top of the page, but the general nature of the organizers allows the teacher to introduce them in any order. Your expectations about how, what and how much students will write should increase over the school year. The order I have suggested allows for an increase in text quantity and complexity over time. Curriculum connections you make within your lesson plans will guide you in topic introduction.

Steps in Implementation: Introduction: If it is early in the school year, or if your population is just starting to dabble in writing skills, I recommend you devote at least five lesson periods (might need to do more) to “Writing Talk.” When we ask a child a question like, “What is your mother’s name?” the spoken answer is, “Irene.” If we are going to write an answer to that question, we have the expectation that the text will be a complete sentence, “My mother’s name is Irene.” It is important to demonstrate this difference to children as you prepare them to write. Lessons 1-5: Writing Talk: For each of the first five lesson periods do this: Sit with the whole class in a circle. Ask a question of the class and let each child answer it with a complete sentence. I suggest using questions that directly relate to the opinion topic you are going to write about that day, the next day or on a future day. I created a series of questions and hung it right next to the rug area where we sit. This allows me to easily refer to the day’s question. I have included my list of questions at the end of this lesson. Each question refers to one or more Opinion Inventory topics. Lesson 6: 1. Opinion Inventory: Family Tree: Start with the children gathered in front of the white board or active board. Have Opinion Inventory: Family Tree displayed. Do all of your thinking aloud with the children as you complete your own Opinion Inventory. Say, “Today (The other day) we talked about all the names of the people in our households. Now we are going to write and draw about those people. Hmm…I am going to start with my husband, my 2

husband lives in my house. I am going to draw only his head, this will be a close up of him….he needs eyes…ears…nose….mouth….(etc.) My husband’s name is Dennis. I am going to sound out Dennis and write it right in this circle. D..D…Dennis, what does Dennis start with? Right, I will write a D.” Continue sounding and adding letters. You may spell the word correctly or not, depending on the overall level of your class. Fill in at least two or three more circles with family members and end with illustrating the trunk with yourself and your own name. For beginning writers, it is ok to put one or two letters next to the picture, you may have to do this for some of them. Students should be able to copy their own names from a name tag if they don’t have it down yet. Lessons 7-11 (These directions apply to Opinion Inventories 2-6. Be sure to do a full or nearly full modeling of the Inventory organizer so the children see and hear exactly what they are supposed to do.) 2. Opinion Inventory: I Know About: Start with the children gathered in front of the white board or active board. Have Opinion Inventory: I Know About displayed. Do all of your thinking aloud with the children as you complete your own Opinion Inventory. Say, “Today (The other day) we talked about things we know a lot about. Now we are going to write and draw about those things. Hmm…I know a lot about ping pong. I am going to draw a picture of me playing ping pong….I need to write something about ping pong…I am going to write, ‘I hit the ball.’ I know how to spell ‘I,’ it’s just one letter. Let me sound out ‘hit’…hhhh…iiii….tttt.” Do as much modeling of the sounding out as is necessary for your group. When the children are doing their own writing, it might be appropriate for their level to put a “p” for ping pong, for example. Each student should be producing writing at their own level with encouragement to produce a bit more each day. Lessons 12-15 (These directions apply to Opinion Inventories 7-10. Be sure to do a full modeling of the Inventory organizer, at least for the Favorite Book inventory so the children see and hear how to attend to this new format. You will need to circulate during the writing time to remind students of the sentence starters.) 7A. Opinion Inventory: Favorite Book: Start with the children gathered in front of the white board or active board. Have Opinion Inventory: Favorite Book displayed. Do all of your thinking aloud with the children as you complete your own Opinion Inventory. Say, “Today (The other day) we talked about your favorite books and why you liked them. Now we are going to write and draw about those books. Hmm…My favorite book is ‘No, David!’ I am going to finish the first sentence by writing No, David! in the blank. I am copying his name from the front of the book. The author of the book is David Shannon, let me copy that in the second blank.” Finish modeling how to complete the sentence starters and then illustrate the inventory as an example. When you take your time and do a pretty good illustration while you think aloud, it encourages your students to do the same. I have included four options for the Opinion Inventory: Favorite Book organizer. You will notice them marked as A, B, C and D. I believe I have ordered them from least to most complex. You will want to decide how and when to use these organizers. You might want to use all of them, in order, to give your students more experience with opinions on books, or you might want to choose the one at most of your students’ level and just do one. You could also give out different versions to different students to differentiate your instruction more fully. 3

Notes: As soon as your students are ready, dispense with the organizers. Some students might need them longer than others, but the goal would be to wean all the students from using them. Take time for “Share Out.” Sit together in a circle and allow each child to share all or a portion of the writing and illustrating they have done that day. This allows the infection of ideas that is so important at this time of life. Later in the year, during “Share Outs,” we do “milling.” Kids form informal and brief partnerships, carrying their work with them and staying in the sharing area. They tell each other about what they have written and might share with 5 or so partners.

Revision Strategy: Revision in kindergarten is a delicate and tricky process. My 27 years of experience teaching primary children, 16 of those being in kindergarten, have taught me these rules for revision: 1. If a child gets so messed up that they can’t continue, throw it away and start over! 2. If a child doesn’t like what they’ve done, throw it away and start over! 3. Be realistic. Kindergartners are just learning to write. Revision is every new thing they do. Every new letter, every new sound, every new word, every new sentence, every new genre is new. Every time a student does something they have never done before, that’s revision. Kindergarten revision can be called envision! 4. Changes do not need to be made in a current piece of writing. An idea for how to make a piece better can be applied to a future work. This is revision for kindergartners. 5. Very often share completed work in class. Let the comments and suggestions of classmates be a subtle and effective pressure to revise in a future document. “That doesn’t make sense.” “What was the dog’s name?” “I can’t tell what your picture is showing.” These comments coming from classmates are powerful to kindergartners and will spur revisions. 6. There are no such things as “dead words” in kindergarten. “Said” cannot be dead when we don’t even know how to spell it yet. About the only word I ever suggest they use less is “then.” And even then only if they know how to use it before I limit it. 7. 3 Red Dots: Occasionally, when a student has made a similar error throughout a piece of writing, for example writing “hav” in several sentences, I use this trick: Using a skinny marker, I put a tiny red dot under each error. I tell the child how to fix the error and walk away while they fix it. If the errors are dissimilar, put no more than three dots! They can’t remember what they were meant to fix when you add more items. 8. Gray It Out: When a child has erased and erased and the text is no longer legible, but the paper still has room to write on it or text that is satisfactory, I instruct the children to “gray out” the ugly part. Using a gray crayon, the student colors right over their errors, hiding them, but leaving room for the existing or more correct text without discarding the whole. 9. Do more than one lesson demonstrating how to make a text more interesting and informative by adding additional sentences. Students who are ready to hear this idea will and those who aren’t ready won’t. 10. Do more than one lesson about using conjunctions to make simple sentences complex. Give your students a spelling list of these words for referencing and teach them how to reference it.

From Jodie Black, www.teacherjodieblack.com 2012 4

Rubrics: The rubric below coincides with the Kindergarten Progress report marking system.

Standard Inventory OI 1: Family Tree

Emerging/ Developing

Approaching Meeting

Exceeding

Student leaves all or some of the family tree incomplete.

Student includes more than one family member represented with a drawing or letters.

Student includes all family members with a drawing and some letters.

Student includes all family members and spells names correctly.

OI 2-6: Charts

Student leaves all or some of the chart incomplete.

Student fills in each portion of the chart with an illustration and at least one letter as a description.

Student completes entire chart and writes a phrase or sentence for each description, in many cases expressing a preference or opinion.

OI 7-10: Frames

Student leaves all or some of the sentence frame or illustration incomplete.

Students complete some of the sentence frames and does an illustration.

Student fills in each portion of the chart and is able to write a word or more for each description, in many cases expressing a preference or opinion. Student completes all of the sentence frames forming complete sentences for each one, in many cases expressing an opinion. Student completes an illustration.

Student completes all of the sentence frames with language beyond what was demonstrated in the lesson model, in many cases expressing an opinion. The illustration shows a complex idea relating to the topic.

The rubric on the next page, suitable for copying and marking upon, coincides with the scoring system used with Edusoft reporting. The three scores taken can be averaged to get one number for the bubble sheets.

Writing Sample Scoring Guide Name ___________________ Date________ LL Score _____ MQ Score _____ DP Score _____ Language level Record the number of the highest level of linguistic organization used by the child: 1 2 3 4 5 6

alphabetical (letters only). or word (any recognizable word). or word group (any two word phrase). or sentence (any simple sentence). or punctuated story (of two or more sentences). or paragraphed story (two themes).

Message quality Record the number for the best description of the child’s sample: 1 2 3 4 5 6

has a concept of signs (uses letters, invents letters, uses punctuation). or has a concept that a message is conveyed. or a message is copied. or makes repetitive use of sentence patterns such as ‘Here is a…’. or attempts to record own ideas. or produces successful composition.

Directional principles Record the number of the highest rating for which there is no error in the sample of the child’s writing: 1 2 3 4 5 6

no evidence of directional knowledge. or part of the directional pattern is known: start top left, move left to right, return down left. or reversal of the directional pattern (right to left and return down right). or correct directional pattern. or correct directional pattern and spaces between words. or extensive text without any difficulties of arrangement and spacing of text.

Adapted from: Clay, Marie M. An observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement, Second Edition,Heinemannm, 2002, p.99

Student Samples: Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece identifying family members was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece approaches the standard by using more than one family member represented with a drawing or letters.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=2, Message Quality=2, Directional Principles=4 7

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece identifying family members was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece meets the standard by including all family members with a drawing and some letters.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=2, Message Quality=2, Directional Principles=4

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece about interests was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece approaches the standard by filling in each portion of the chart with an illustration and at least one letter as a description.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=2, Message Quality=2, Directional Principles=4 9

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece about interests was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece exceeds the standard by filling in the entire chart and writing a phrase or sentence for each description, in many cases expressing an opinion.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=4, Message Quality=5, Directional Principles=5

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece about favorites was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece meets the standard by filling in each portion of the chart and is able to write a word or more for each description, in many cases expressing an opinion.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=2, Message Quality=2, Directional Principles=4

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece about particular interests was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece exceeds the standard by completing the entire chart and writing a phrase or sentence for each description, in many cases expressing an opinion.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=4, Message Quality=5, Directional Principles=5

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece which is an inventory of family and family interests was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece is at the emerging/developing stage of the standard because she leaves all or some of the chart incomplete.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=1, Message Quality=1, Directional Principles=3

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece which is an inventory of family and family interests was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece meets the standard by completing the entire chart and is able to write a word or more for each description, in many cases expressing an opinion.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=3, Message Quality=2, Directional Principles=5 14

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece about a favorite book was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece meets the standard by completing all of the sentence frames forming complete sentences for each one, in many cases expressing an opinion. Student completes an illustration.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=4, Message Quality=5, Directional Principles=5 My favorite part was the paddern (pattern). I like this book because I like fish.

Student Sample: K, Argument (Opinion) This opinion piece about a favorite book was produced in class.

Annotation The writer of this piece exceeds the standard by completing all of the sentence frames with language beyond what was demonstrated in the lesson model, in many cases expressing an opinion. The illustration shows a complex idea relating to the topic.

using Writing Sample Scoring Guide scores Language level=4, Message Quality=5, Directional Principles=6 I like this book because The Qen kondit fid ot wot the little fef wos op to. (The queen couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find out what the little thief was up to.) Illustration shows the two main characters in the setting depicting a room full of straw.

Universal Access: Opinion Inventories are the simplest, most direct and beginning of writing activities. They work perfectly for ELL and SpEd. populations who are learning about how the language works and are struggling with the format of language. I would recommend these organizers for older ELL and SpEd. students as well.

Connections/Extensions: In my classroom, my students work on Opinion Inventories during our journal writing time, but certainly Inventories can be done at a workshop writing time or another dedicated writing time in your classroom.

Additional Resources: NNWP.org Writingfix.com For further help with teaching beginning writers see: Jodie Black, Website: Start to Learn at www.teacherjodieblack.com. Click on Start to Write: Second Edition 2012 for downloadable text. I borrowed and changed the term Interest Inventory from: Effects of Strong Interest Inventory Feedback on Career Beliefs. Day, Michael Andrew; Luzzo, Darrell Anthony. Research report, 1997.

Credit: Allington, Richard L. 2006. What Really Matters for Struggling Readers: Designing ResearchBased Programs. Boston: Pearson. Allington, Richard L. and Patricia M. Cunningham. 2007. Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write. Boston: Pearson. Boushey Gail and Joan Moser. 2006. The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades. Portland: Stenhouse. Miller, Debbie. 2002. Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades. Portland: Stenhouse.

Opinion Inventory: Writing Talk: Sample Questions

Teacher Display

1. (OI 1) What are the names of the people who live in your house? Answer frame: The names of the people in my house are… 2. (OI 2) What do you know a lot about? Answer frame: I know a lot about… 3. (OI 3) What is your favorite color? Answer frame: My favorite color is… 4. (OI 3) What is your favorite food? Answer frame: My favorite food is… 5. (OI 3) What do you like to do inside? Answer frame: I like to ___________________ inside. 6. (OI 3) What do you like to do outside? Answer frame: I like to ___________________outside. 7. (OI 3 and 9) What is your favorite animal? Answer frame: My favorite animal is… 8. (OI 3 and 8) What is your favorite movie? Answer frame: My favorite movie is… 9. (OI 4 and 10) What do you want to be when you grow up? Answer frame: When I grow up I want to be… 10. (OI 4) What do you hope Santa will bring? Answer frame: I hope Santa will bring… 11. (OI 4) What is your favorite thing to do? Answer frame: My favorite thing to do is…

12. (OI 4) What will you do on winter vacation? Answer frame: On winter vacation I will… 13. (OI 4) What are you trying to remember? Answer frame: I am trying to remember… 14. (OI 5) What are you interested in and why? Answer frame: I am interested in _____________ because… 15. (OI 6) What does your dad know about? Answer frame: My dad knows about… 16. (OI 6) What does your mom know about? Answer frame: My mom knows about… 17. (OI 6) Who are your siblings? Answer frame: My siblings are… 18. (OI 6) What do you do with your family? Answer frame: My family and I like to… 19. (OI 7) What is your favorite book and why? Answer frame: My favorite book is _____________ because… 20 . (OI 8 and 3) What is your favorite movie and why? Answer frame: My favorite movie is ____________ because… 21. (OI 9 and 3) What is your favorite animal and why? Answer frame: My favorite animal is ____________ because… 22. (OI 10 and 4) What do you want to be when you grow up and why? Answer frame: I want to be _______________ because…

My Family Tree 1. Opinion Inventory: Family Tree

Here I amâ&#x20AC;Ś

2. Opinion Inventory: I Know About

Name ___________________________

I Know Aboutâ&#x20AC;Ś Picture

Text

3. Opinion Inventory: Favorites

My Favorites

Color

Food

Inside Activity

Outside Activity

Animal

Movie

Name ____________________________

Picture

Words

4. Opinion Inventory: On My Mind

Name_________________________________

These thoughts are on my mind: My illustration:

What I want to be when I grow up.

What I might ask Santa to bring me.

My favorite thing to do right now.

A plan I have for winter vacation.

And something I wanted to remember.

5. Opinion Inventory: My Interests

What I am interested in:

Name ______________________________

Why I like it:

What it looks like:

6. Opinion Inventory: Family

Name ___________________________

Family Inventory Picture Who lives with me…

At my other house…

My dad knows…

My mom knows…

My siblings are…

My pets are…

We do _____________together.

Text

7A. Opinion Inventory: Favorite Book