Standards for informational writing...
1. Name the topic 2. Supply some facts about the topic. 3. Provide a sense of closure. |
Example of 1st grade informational writing...
Fales School is in Westborough. Fales has grades K-3. Mrs. Stannard is the principal of Fales. The school was built in 1963. Now you know all about Fales School! |
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Common Core Standard: Students will participate in a shared research and writing project.
This takes place during the final trimester of the year, as it is a challenging, multi-step project. We begin by working as a class to gather many books about one animal. Through read aloud, shared reading and online research we gather and organize facts about that animal. We group connected facts into groups such as....
BODY: What does this animal look like?
HOME: Where is its habitat?
FOOD: What does it eat?
LIFE CYCLE: How do parents take care of their young?
PROTECTION: How does it protect itself?
Other interesting facts
Through shared and modeled writing, we take notes collecting key words, phrases and important numbers (often collected on Post-Its) about our topic. We then use our notes to write each part of our research report.
Students then work in groups to research another woodland animal. Each team becomes and expert on their animal. Upon completion they share their writing with the rest of the class. We look forward to sharing with parents at the end of the year, too!
BODY: What does this animal look like?
HOME: Where is its habitat?
FOOD: What does it eat?
LIFE CYCLE: How do parents take care of their young?
PROTECTION: How does it protect itself?
Other interesting facts
Through shared and modeled writing, we take notes collecting key words, phrases and important numbers (often collected on Post-Its) about our topic. We then use our notes to write each part of our research report.
Students then work in groups to research another woodland animal. Each team becomes and expert on their animal. Upon completion they share their writing with the rest of the class. We look forward to sharing with parents at the end of the year, too!
Our research includes with following woodland animals....
This writing project also integrates and reinforces life science standards..
1-LS 1-1 Use evidence to explain that (a) different animals use their body parts and senses in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water, and air.
1-LS 1-2 Obtain information to compare ways in which the behavior of different animal parents and their offspring help the offspring to survive. This could include the signals that offspring make (such as crying, cheeping, and other vocalizations) and the responses of the parents (such as feeding, comforting, and protecting the offspring).
1-LS3-1. Use information from observations (first-hand and from media) to identify similarities and differences among individual plants or animals of the same kind.
1-LS 1-1 Use evidence to explain that (a) different animals use their body parts and senses in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water, and air.
1-LS 1-2 Obtain information to compare ways in which the behavior of different animal parents and their offspring help the offspring to survive. This could include the signals that offspring make (such as crying, cheeping, and other vocalizations) and the responses of the parents (such as feeding, comforting, and protecting the offspring).
1-LS3-1. Use information from observations (first-hand and from media) to identify similarities and differences among individual plants or animals of the same kind.