About the Unit
This accessible unit welcomes second graders into the world of nonfiction writing by rallying them to write lots of little nonfiction books. Youngsters learn that they can take anything they know a lot about—soccer, an ice cream shop, ladybugs—and write in ways that teach their readers about the topic. The unit helps second graders feel that puffed-up pride of being an expert and taps into their eagerness to show and tell by channeling them to write with details and with writerly craft.
In this unit, students learn to:
- Write about areas of expertise
- Read mentor texts to study nonfiction writers craft
- Elaborate
- Write for readers, anticipting their questions and hooking their interest
- Experiment with different kinds of nonfiction writing
This unit is intended as Unit 2 for second grade, but can also come at other times in the year. It can serve as a prequel to Lab Reports and Science Books.
About the Four Additional Units
The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and Heinemann are proud to announce the release of four additional book-length units of study, each addressing an especially key topic from the Units of Study If...,Then… books.
These new book-length units have been written to fit tongue and groove into the original Units of Study, yet each can also work as a self-contained stand-alone unit, offering you a chance to try on the experience of teaching with the Units before moving to the complete series.
Learn more about the K–5 Writing Units
Note: All Additional Units include Anchor Chart Sticky Note Packs. Word Detectives also includes Read-Aloud Prompts Sticky Notes. Trade Packs for each of the new units are recommended and available separately. The How-To Guide for Nonfiction Writing requires no separate Trade Pack.
