First graders started an informational writing unit today.

Have you been in first grade for writing?

The first lesson introduces them with a “drumroll” to get them excited about writing teaching books. I’m wondering if they even need a drumroll, because first-graders bring their own drumroll.

We started by investigating the difference between the storytelling they have been doing and the teaching books they were about to start.

Almost right away, a girl sitting on the front of the rug was smiling.

“I’ve been waiting for this all year,” she told me. “I knew it would happen. I’ve had something I’ve been waiting to write about!”

See? Drumroll.

I asked her what she wanted to write about and she explained how she wanted to teach people how to make the special bracelets she could make.

We talked about teaching books, I planned out a book about having pets, I showed them how to collect some ideas of things they could write about. At first my authentic on-the-spot idea generation went just fine —

“I could write about pets, yes. But I’m also thinking of things I love to do. I could write about road trips! What else could I write about? I could think of places I love. Oh! I could write a book to teach all about Ocean City!”

But then I was stuck. I needed them to help me with some things they think I might be an expert at.

“What do you love? What could you write about? Maybe I can get an idea from you. Sometimes writers need to hear ideas to think of ideas.”

“You could write about what to do at the beach,” someone said.

And then, like they know my own heart, a first-grader suggested I could write about how to take care of things like markers and how you need to put the cap fully on.

“Do you mean I could write about school supplies? Did you know I love school supplies? Did you know I definitely can write a teaching book all about school supplies?”

Then it was time for the kids to record some ideas for their own teaching books.

Most kids got right to work. They wanted to write about pets, and crafts, and video games and glass, and lightning — and school supplies.

A few kids had to think for a moment.

One girl was stuck. Her head was down.

I asked her all the questions.

“What do you like to do when you aren’t at school?”

Silence

“Do you have a favorite game or craft?”

Silence

“Do you love a certain kind of food?

Silence

I interrupted the whole class to remind them all of some of the things they could be thinking about, and to give this girl a moment to hear the idea starters again.

I walked away to give her space, but practically ran back over when I noticed she was writing something on her page.

She was still looking grouchy, but she asked, “How do you spell Myrtle Beach?”

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Before writing we had number corner math, and before that we had morning meetings complete with sharing.

Have you been in first grade for sharing?

One boy shared that he was so excited for snow. He can’t wait to play in the snow.

“Did you know it is snowing right now?” Another student asked him.

“Did you see there was some snow on the ground this morning?” The teacher asked the class.

“I didn’t even look in my backyard when I woke up,” a student on the rug said.

A kid still at a table stopped eating his breakfast to tell the class, “I do not even want to tell you guys how much snow was in my backyard! It was a lot.”

Then everyone joined in.

“I can’t wait to sled and build a snowman!”

“And throw snowballs!”

“And catch snow on my tongue!”

The snow was a big deal. You should have have been there later when we were doing some dictation spelling, really working hard on following directions. Someone noticed that it was snowing again.

Have you been in first grade when they notice the snow out the window?

*****

After students generated some ideas for writing, we brought them back to the rug to write a class book.

I started with an idea.

“I was thinking that that we could write something together that we are all experts on. You all come to school each day. How many of you think you can be an expert on what it means to be a first-grader? Put a thumb up if you think you could teach someone about coming to school.”

Maybe 3 kids put their thumbs up. I wouldn’t describe them as excited or even engaged.

“But then this morning,” I added, “you all were talking a lot about snow. I wonder if maybe this is a class of experts about snow. Thumbs up if you think you could help teach about snow.”

Almost everyone held their thumb up. A teaching book about snow it was! Students partnered up and talked about what could be in our book. “Sledding! Snow pants! No school!”

Then, we decided together that we would need a sections: What you can do in the snow; what to wear in the snow; what not to do in the snow; what you have to do in the snow. Then we planned out what kinds of things might go in each section.

I thought the category of “what you have to do in the snow” would be full of things like shoveling, dressing warmly, even canceling school. But when we got to that section, the brainstorm went a little differently.

“So what do we have to do when it snows?” I asked.

“Go outside!”

“Play outside!

“Hmmm,” I said. “That’s a pretty cool way to think of this section. Maybe we have to change what we are calling this part, but I actually really like the voice you are adding here. What do we have to do when it snows? Play, of course!”

“You also have to have hot cocoa,” a student added.

I wrote these down on our note collector under the document camera, and when I wrote “Have hot cocoa,” the kids cheered. I think they were excited we were changing the category to what kids say you have to do when it snows.

We had done a lot in writing, and it was time for math.

“But. But. We didn’t WRITE!” I heard my friend from the front of the carpet exclaim. She looked at me with so much disappointment.

I reminded her with a smile that we had planned a lot of our writing, and written our idea sheet, and started our class book.

But note to self – more writing time, more writing time, more writing time.

Tomorrow they will write their first teaching books, about the things they decide to write, about the things they think they are experts on. I can’t wait to see what they write.

I mean, a book about glass?

Have you ever been with a first-grade expert writing a teaching book about glass?

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