Making a How-to Book: A Procedural Writing Unit for First Grade

Students

by

Alison Smolin

In partial fulfillment of course:

CTGE 5910
Computers and Technology for Educators

Professor Mark Gura

Fordham University
Graduate School of Education

Summer II, 2008

Introduction

Like many elementary schools throughout the city, the school in which I work in

has elementary students as young as the first grade studying complex literary elements

such as procedural writing through the Reader’s and Writer’s Workshops. In the first

grade, students study and learn procedural writing in the format of how-to books. This

form of writing is traditionally modeled to the students through read alouds, shared

readings and sometimes hands-on activities. During the creation of this project, I was

able to integrate the use of video, audio and colorful text illustrations along with the

traditional text models by using a blog that can be projected on a screen for the whole

class to view and interact with. The blog serves as a bulletin board for daily instructions

as well as whole class activities, models and practice.

Since the majority of my students are English language learners, this 15 day unit

in English language arts is very important for them to build proficient speaking, listening,

reading and writing skills for both academic and social language functions. With the

implementation of the blog and online technology, students who are less proficient in

reading and writing have the opportunity to learn through different modes such as video,

audio and illustrations/ visuals. The colorful and interactive design of the blog aims to

maintain attention and focus among young students during whole class activities, even

among low-language or low-literacy level students.

Unit AIM/ Topic: The creation of a how-to book using procedural writing skills.

Number of Students/ Grade/ Level: 27 first grade ESL students, beginning to

advanced.
Class Format: Self-contained, first grade ESL classroom.

Unit Objectives:

ELA Objectives:

*Students will be able to become familiar with the structure and purpose of

procedural writing through the form of how-to books.

*Students will use sequence words that express order of events or actions.

*Students will learn to follow written directions.

*Students will be able to write and illustrate their own how-to books based on

class models.

ESL Objectives:

*Students will be able to read and write in English to understand and convey

instructions and ordered events.

*Students will be able to read, listen to and follow instructions in English in order

to complete a task.

Technology Objectives:

*Students will be able to interact and respond to multi-media presentations

projected from a blog post.

Unit Standards:

ELA Standards:

*Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and

understanding.

*Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and

expression.
ESL Standards:

*Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak in English for

information and understanding.

*Standard 2: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for literary

response, enjoyment, and expression.

Technology Standards:

*Standard 2: Communication and Collaboration. Students use digital media and

environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to

support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. (While this

standard is most likely aimed towards students manipulating the technology

themselves, I argue that since my students will be interacting collaboratively based

upon the models presented with technology that this standard still applies.)

Instructional Materials:

*LCD projector

*Pencils, crayons and colored pencils

*Blank books lined for beginning writers

*How-to graphic organizer

Unit Procedures:

*Days 1, 2 and 3: Students learn the purpose and basic characteristics of a how-to

book. Students are exposed to various models of how-to books including blog activities

#1 and #2. Students are asked to look for sequences words, list of materials, ordered

steps and clear conclusions in all of the models. Blog activity #1 is a projected website

telling kids how to tie their shoes. This activity acts as a shared reading model in which
the children can read along and point to specific characteristics of the how-to format.

Blog activity #2 is a how-to about making silly puddy in the form of a video projected

from the blog. Students listen to and watch for how-to characteristics and then have the

opportunity to follow the steps and make their own silly puddy in class. As additional

homework or extra credit, the students who have computer access can visit the blog at

home with a parent or other adult and try out some how-to recipes designed for kids.

*Days 4 and 5: Students begin the brainstorming phase of writing their own how-

to books. The teacher shows the class a list, which is projected from the blog that he or

she has made of ten things that he or she knows how to do or make. In pairs, students

create their own list of ten items they know how to do or make using the teacher’s

example as the model. After all students have created their lists, as a class, a large list is

made of all the student’s how-to ideas, which is posted in the classroom. Each student

then picks one idea that they will write about in their own how-to book.

*Days 6, 7 and 8: Students begin the draft phase of their how-to books. Using the

class blog, the teacher projects the graphic organizer for the how-to which contains

sections for the topic, list of materials and picture boxes and lines for each of the steps.

The teacher also projects a model using the graphic organizer of a how-to with the topic:

how-to brush your teeth. The model stays projected throughout the two days in order to

allow students to reference an example.

*Days 9 and 10: Students begin the revision phase of their writing. In pairs,

individually and with the teacher, students begin correcting and editing their work.

*Days 11, 12 and 13: Students work on their final draft of their how-to books.

Once the teacher has approved their corrected draft, students use blank books lined for
beginning writers to write and illustrate their final copies of the how-to books. The

teacher shows models of these books from years previous or models he or she has made

for the class.

*Days 14 and 15: Students present to the class their finished work. If the topic

allows, students are encouraged to bring in materials for their how-to books to

demonstrate with the class.

Assessment and Evaluation: (See project post for rubric. Taken from

http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson1018/rubric.pdf)

Reflection:

When originally charged with the task of creating a unit for my first grade students

revolving around the use of a blog, I thought the task to be somewhat unrealistic

considering the level of computer knowledge my students have. Once I began to see the

blog as a class bulletin and virtual blackboard instead of a student-manipulated tool, the

project began to take shape. With a simple projector, as a teacher I have the opportunity

to present a world of resources including video, audio and fun illustrations that my

students would not necessarily have an opportunity to interact with otherwise. Since this

unit of study is definitely one I will be implementing this coming year, I hope my blog

project can be incorporated into my classroom and possibly used in other units of study

as well.