
Gurney Elementary first graders in Vicky Pelsozy’s class are taking a creative approach to learn about opinion writing. Students were given a sample of both butter and kettle popcorn to try. They then picked which they liked better and needed to write and give reasons why. “They are learning to write support for their opinions,” said Pelsozy’s.
Students also brought in collections of five items and needed to write which was the best in the collection and why. Later in the unit, they will write restaurant, book, toy, and food reviews. “It is a pretty amazing unit and so motivating. It is part of the Lucy Calkins curriculum for writing that the kindergarten and first grade teachers have adopted and are using.”