Nonfiction Notes
10/24/2020
Reading and writing nonfiction has a variety of benefits as outlined in "Research Says / Nonfiction Reading Promotes Student Success" (Goodwin & Miller, 2013). Over the course of reading and writing nonfiction, students learn important research skills, practice critical thinking skills and explore real world interests. In the past week, students have taken their skills of observing like a scientist and worked toward writing like a scientist as they explored simple lab reports using the scientific method as a guide. They were excited by the experiment topic: Hot Wheels! Guided by the question "Will this car travel farther on the carpet or bare floor?", students learned how to put together the different parts of an experiment and how to write each part. In addition to the question, they had to write a hypothesis and procedure as well as recording the data or results from the experiment. Finally, they had to summarize their findings in a clear and concise conclusion. When you "write like a scientist", several things need to occur. You must have powerful observation skills in order to notice detail and patterns. You must be able to synthesize information coming from your data sources. You must also be able to write in a simple, yet informative way so that you anticipate the questions your reader will ask about your subject and deliver knowledge to a wide range of readers. These critical thinking opportunities provide practice for real life skills that can be used in a variety of situations.
This week, students will continue their nonfiction journeys as they embark on a different type of nonfiction writing...informational books. Each student will contribute one chapter for a class book on owls. They will continue to expand their knowledge of nonfiction by studying mentor texts to learn how to elaborate on previous knowledge and how to write for their readers, anticipating and answering questions about their topic. They have already begun work in identifying text features and will incorporate them into their nonfiction work to give accessible information to their readers. Finally, students will show their understanding by writing a complete informational nonfiction book on a topic of their choice. Comments are closed.
|
Marcella HitchcockMs. Hitchcock teaches second grade, is a mom of two, an avid reader, lifelong learner, and a seeker of sunshine! Archives
March 2021
Categories |