How to Writing

Today during Writer's Workshop I introduced "How-To Writing" and we discussed how sometimes authors write stories and sometimes writers write to tell others information.  I read a (silly) book How to Babysit a Grandma which gave directions for how to "babysit" a grandma and then as a whole group we wrote and illustrated "How to Plant a Seed."  Students worked in small groups to illustrate each of the six steps we came up with:

During Reader's Workshop I read a favorite book of mine, Bob and Otto by Robert Bruel.  It is the tale of two best friends who at first seem very much alike but Bob and Otto soon learn that they are indeed different.  Bob is a caterpillar who turns into a butterfly and Otto is a worm who digs underground!  Otto feels sad that he cannot fly like Bob but Bob teaches him that if he didn't dig underground then there wouldn't be tunnels for water to get to the roots of the trees.  If the trees didn't get water then Bob would not have green leaves to eat!  A lesson not only on friendship and appreciating differences but also on the importance of worms in our environment.