Informational Writing2nd grade

Crystal Patterson

READ 7140

Valdosta State University

May 2007

Introduction

Grade Level: 2nd

Genre of writing: Informational Writing Content Area Connection: Science (Life

Cycle of Animals)

Grade 3 Writing Assessment

Teacher evaluation of student writing Covers four types of writing: narrative,

informational, persuasive, and response to literature

Students are scored analytically in four domains: ideas, organization, style, and conventions.

Three performance levels: does not meet, meets, and exceeds

Pre-assessment Prompts

What is your favorite animal? Write about why this animal is your favorite animal.

Tell about your favorite game. Explain why this is your favorite game to play.

Think about one of your friends. Tell at least three things that make this person a good friend.

Pre-assessment Prompts Explain why Valdosta is a great place to live.

Think about things you like to do here. Think about your favorite thing that you own.

It can be something that was given to you or something you bought. Explain why this is your favorite thing.

Tell about your favorite place to go (can be a vacation spot or even somewhere in Valdosta). Why is this your favorite place to visit?

Grouping Options Based on Teacher’s Needs

Whole group – takes place during instruction, modeling, and practice activities for each stage

Partners – Students will work with a partner to revise the draft.

Individual – takes place during the assessment activity for each stage

Grouping Options Based on Development, Culture, and Linguistics

Development – work in pairs for revising, work in pairs for spelling help, teacher monitoring during assessment, copies of instructions and other materials made

Culture – extra instruction during some stages based on need because of background in writing

Grouping Options Based on Development, Culture, and Linguistics

Linguistics – informal conferences during assessment, reading checklists and graphic organizers to EIP student

Informational Writing

Informational writing provides information using facts from resources like books and the internet.

Sequence writing is to list items or events in order using transition words.

Contains: table of contents, topic pages or chapters, pictures with captions, index

The Prewriting Stage

Choose a topic Consider the purpose for writing Consider the audience Organize ideas for writing using a graphic

organizer

Prewriting Instruction

Modeling – show completed graphic organizer on elephants and explain each part

Practice – use interactive writing to complete a graphic organizer on butterflies

Assessment – students will complete a graphic organizer individually

Animal Life Cycle Graphic Organizer

Introduction: What is the name of your animal? What do you already know about your animal? What will you be providing information about?

1st stage: What is the name of this stage? What happens during this stage? Detail 1: Detail 2: Detail 3: Detail 4:

2nd stage: What is the name of this stage? What happens during this stage? Detail 1: Detail 2: Detail 3: Detail 4:

3rd stage: What is the name of this stage? What happens during this stage? Detail 1: Detail 2: Detail 3: Detail 4:

Conclusion: What are the names of all the stages? Is there anything you found interesting about this

animal? If so, what was it? If not, why not?

Checklist for Prewriting

Writing Checklist for Prewriting_____________________ Life Cycle

Introduction_______ I told the reader what my animal will be._______ I told the reader what I will be writing about.Stages of the Life Cycle_______ I named at least 3 stages of the animal’s life cycle._______ I provided at least two details for each stage.Conclusion______ I repeated/summarized what I wrote about.

Scoring Guide for PrewritingExceeds Standard

4 Meets Standard

3 Approaching

Standard

2

Does not meet standard

1

Introduction The topic is listed and described, and characteristics are

given.

The topic is listed and described.

The topic is listed. No topic clearly identified.

Stages of the Life Cycle

More than three stages of the life cycle are named.

Three stages of the life cycle are named.

Two stages of the life cycle are named.

One stage or no stages of the life cycle are named.

Stage 1 At least three details of the stage are

described.

Two details are provided.

One detail is provided.

No details are given.

Stage 2 At least three details of the stage are

provided.

Two details are provided.

One detail is provided.

No details are given.

Stage 3 At least three details of the stage are

provided.

Two details are provided.

One detail is provided.

No details are given.

Conclusion The student renamed the stages and

added extra information relevant

to the topic.

The student renamed the stages.

The student provides no conclusion.

Accommodations for Development

Reference to class drafts Copies of materials for EIP students Teacher monitoring

Accommodations for Cultural and Linguistic Backgrounds

Cultural – extra background information, extra teaching time for certain stages

Linguistic – teacher will read certain materials to EIP students, student pairing for additional assistance, teacher monitoring

The Drafting Stage

Focus is getting ideas down on paper, not on spelling or grammar

Write a rough draft Grab reader’s attention with an introduction

Drafting Instruction

Modeling – show model of elephant rough draft and explain

Practice – use shared writing to create a rough draft about butterflies

Assessment – students will complete rough draft using their own graphic organizer

Writing Checklist for DraftingWriting Checklist for DraftingAnimal Life Cycle_____ I left a blank line in between each written line._____ I used complete sentences._____ I have a table of contents._____ I have an introduction that tells about my topic._____ All of my details are true facts that I found from books or

the internet.

_____ I wrote about at least three stages of the life cycle of my animal.

_____ I used at least two details for each stage of the life cycle._____ I have a conclusion that summarizes my topic.

Scoring Guide for DraftingExceeds Standard 4 Meets Standard 3 Approaching Standard 2 Does not meet standard 1

Table of Contents The student correctly labels a table of contents.

The student labels a table of contents with a few

errors.

The student does not make a table of contents or it is completely wrong.

Introduction The introduction introduces the subject

and includes characteristics.

The topic sentence previews the content.

The student uses only the title to introduce the topic.

There is no introduction or topic stated.

Stage 1 The student lists and describes the stage with

at least 3 details.

The student lists and describes the stage with

at least 2 details.

The student lists and describes the stage with

one detail.

The student does not describe the stage.

Stage 2 The student lists and describes the stage with

at least 3 details.

The student lists and describes the stage with

at least 2 details.

The student lists and describes the stage with

one detail.

The student does not describe the stage.

Stage 3 The student lists and describes the stage with

at least 3 details.

The student lists and describes the stage with

at least 2 details.

The student lists and describes the stage with

one detail.

The student does not describe the stage.

Stage 4 (if needed) The student lists and describes the stage with

at least 3 details.

The student lists and describes the stage with

at least 2 details.

The student lists and describes the stage with

one detail.

The student does not describe the stage.

Details All details are accurate. Most details are accurate. No details are accurate.

Conclusion The student provides elaborate detail.

The student provides a concluding sentence or

section.

The student provides a simple concluding

sentence.

No conclusion is provided.

The Revising Stage

Reread the rough draft Share writing with others Revise based on feedback of others Four types of revisions: add, delete, change

(substitute), and move information

Drafting Instruction

Modeling – show model of revised rough draft with proofreader’s marks and explain

Practice – use shared writing to revise the class rough draft

Assessment – students will revise independently, then with a partner, and individually again to make final changes

Writing Checklist for Revising

Writing Checklist for Revising_____ I added details (words, phrases, or

sentences) to my report._____ I deleted unimportant information from my

report._____ I changed details (words, phrases, or

sentences) in my report._____ I rearranged details (words, phrases, or

sentences) in my report._____ I used proofreader’s marks in the correct way

to make any changes.

Scoring Guide for Revising Stage

Exceeds Standard 4

Meets Standard3 Approaching Standard 2

Does Not Meet Standard1

Adds Details The student adds details to the

report.

The student adds a few details to

the report.

The student adds no details to the

report.

Deleted Details The student deletes

unimportant details.

The student deletes a few unimportant

details.

The student deletes no

unimportant details.

Substitutes Details

The student changes details or

word choices in the report.

The student changes a few details or word choices in the

report.

The student changes no

details or word choices in the

report.

Proofreader’s Marks

The student uses proofreader’s

marks correctly all of the time.

The student use proofreader’s

marks correctly with a few errors.

The student uses proofreader’s

marks correctly some of the time.

The student does not use

proofreader’s marks completely.

The Editing Stage

Stay away from the paper for a few days Proofread to find mechanical mistakes

(capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, usage, and formatting)

Correct mistakes

Editing Instruction

Modeling – show the edited rough draft and explain

Practice – use interactive writing to edit the class draft on butterflies

Assessment – students will edit individual reports

Checklist for Editing StageChecklist for Editing StageCapitalization____ Beginning of sentences____ Proper nounsPunctuation____ Period, question mark, or exclamation point at the

end of every sentence____ Commas in appropriate places (compound sentences,

commas in a series)____ Apostrophes in correct places (contractions,

possessives)Spelling____ Misspelled words have been corrected.

Scoring Guide for EditingExceeds Standard

4

Meets Standard

3

Approaching Standard

2

Does Not Meet Standard

1

Capitalization The student uses capitalization

correctly all of the time.

The student use capitalization

correctly most of the time.

The student uses capitalization

correctly some of the time.

The student does not use

capitalization correctly.

Ending Punctuation

The student uses correct end

punctuation all of the time.

The student uses correct end

punctuation most of the time.

The student uses correct end

punctuation some of the time.

The student does not use correct

end punctuation.

Commas The student uses commas correctly

all of the time.

The student uses commas correctly most of the time.

The student uses commas correctly some of the time.

The student does not use commas

correctly.

Apostrophes The student uses apostrophes

correctly in all places necessary.

The student uses apostrophes

correctly in most places necessary.

The student uses apostrophes

correctly in some places necessary.

The student does not use

apostrophes where needed.

Spelling The student spelled all words

correctly.

The student spelled most

words correctly.

The student has a lot of spelling

errors.

The Publishing Stage

Publishes the writing with no errors Shares the writing with an audience

Publishing Instruction

Modeling- sow the final copy of elephant piece and explain

Practice – use interactive writing to publish the class piece on butterflies

Assessment – students will publish their individual drafts

Checklist for Publishing StageChecklist for Publishing Stage (2nd grade)____ I used legible handwriting that other people can

read.____ I did not skip lines. ____ I made all revisions on my final copy.____ I used correct spelling on my final copy.____ I used correct capitalization.____ I used correct punctuation.____ I drew pictures on the pages about the stages of

the life cycle.

Scoring Guide for PublishingExceeds Standard

4

Meets Standard

3

Approaching Standard

2

Does Not Meet Standard

1

Legible handwriting The student writes using legible handwriting.

The student does not write using legible

handwriting.

No skipped lines The student did not skip lines.

The student skipped a few lines.

The student skipped many lines.

Revisions (based on student’s revised

draft)

The student made all revisions on the final

copy.

The student made most revisions on the

final copy.

The student made very few revisions on

the final copy.

Spelling The student spelled all words correctly.

The student spelled most words correctly.

The student spelled very few words

correctly.

Punctuation The student used correct punctuation

all of the time.

The student used correct punctuation

most of the time.

The student used correct punctuation

little of the time.

The student did not use correct punctuation.

Capitalization The student used correct capitalization

all of the time.

The student used correct capitalization

most of the time.

The student used correct capitalization

little of the time.

The student did not use correct

capitalization.

Illustrations The student drew pictures on all pages related to the topic.

The student drew pictures on the stage

content pages related to each

stage.

The student drew pictures on one or two of the stage content pages related to each

stage.

The student did not draw illustrations.