2nd Grade Writing What type of community would you like to live

in?
Essential Question: Can students write their opinion with supporting
reasons and valid information?
2. Make connections across the curriculum to motivate, build
understanding and encourage the application to real world issues
(ACEI 2.8; NAEYC 4.4)
5. Plan instruction that promotes critical thinking and problem
solving (ACEI 3.3; NAEYC 1.1)
Standards:
W. 2.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use
linkage words to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding
statement or section.
SL. 2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations about grade 2 topics and
texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Learning Objectives and Assessments
Objective
Students will be able to state their
opinion and support it with details
and reasons.

Students will be able to identify the

characteristics of three different
types of communities.

Assessment
Students will write an opinion piece
about where they would like to live
when they grow up. The teacher will
look to make sure the students are
clearly stating their opinion and have
reasons to support their opinion.
Students will list the characteristics
of urban, suburban, and rural
communities. The teacher will look to
ensure that the students include
these details and characteristics in
the community they choose in their
opinion piece.

Materials: Writing worksheets, community worksheet

Prior Knowledge: Students have been working on opinion writing and that
writing must have an opening, three supporting reasons, and a closing. In
Social Studies, students have been learning about the three different types
of communities and the features of each community.
Lesson Beginning: The teacher will ask the students, what are the three
types of communities we are learning about in social studies? The teacher
will write urban, suburban, and rural on the board. The students will then
share their ideas of the characteristics of each community and the teacher
will write them on the board for the students to see.
Instructional Plan: The teacher will explain to the students that today we
will be thinking about the different communities we can choose to live in. The
students will choose which community they would like to live in when they
grow up. The teacher will have the students who choose an urban
community raise their hand, the students who choose a suburban community
raise their hands, and the students who choose a rural community raise their
hand. This will ensure that all students have chosen a type of community to
write about. Next, the students will brainstorm their ideas in their writing
notebook, listing the reasons they will include in their writing. When the
teacher has checked their writing notebook to make sure the students have
three supporting reasons, the student will be given a writing packet to begin.
First, the students will write their opinion piece answering the question, what
type of community would you like to live in when you grow up and why? The
students will then draw a picture of the type of community they chose,
drawing the characteristics you will find in that type of community.
Differentiation: The students are able to write more than three supporting
reasons, but must have a minimum of three. There will be a support teacher
in the classroom during this writing lesson to assist students one on one as
needed.
Transitions: The students must have a teacher check their brainstorming and
reasons prior to writing their opinion piece. At the end of the lesson, the
students will share their opinion and one reason they wrote.
Questions: Which community did you write that you would like to live in
when you grow up? Why did you choose this community? What types of
features does this community have that you like?
Closure: At the end of the writing lesson, every student will share what
community they chose and one supporting reason they included.

Language Arts Writing Lesson Rationale

This writing lesson was taught during the opinion writing unit and the
communities unit in social students. The students responded extremely well
to this lesson. They were not only excited to share their opinions, but they
were also very responsive in sharing what they have learned in the social
studies unit of communities. I chose this lesson to include in my portfolio
because it included cross-curricular instruction and every student was
responsive and successful in completing this lesson.
There is a wide variety of learners in the class where this lesson was
taught. It was important for every student to be successful in this writing
lesson no matter what level learner. In this way, I encouraged the students to
work hard and include three supporting reasons in their writing. I set the
expectations high for my students. I expect all students to work hard and to
try their best. I believe it is counterproductive to encourage students for
being smart. Instead, I encourage hard work and determination. I find that
this approach urges all students to try their best and work hard. I found that
this worked in this lesson. Every student was able to succeed because at the
beginning of the lesson, I explained my expectations of hard work and
dedication.
Overall, this lesson was a very successful writing lesson, which
incorporated social studies as well. The students were able to work on writing
in full sentences, stating their opinion, including three supporting reasons,

and writing a closing in an opinion piece. Students truly practiced writing and
continued to learn how to write opinion pieces. Furthermore, they were able
to share their writing, which the students loved. They made connections with
other students who included similar reaons and who wanted to live in the
same type of community when they grow up. They were also able to discuss
the similarities and differences between the different types of communities.
The writing activity led to a productive and great discussion about opinions
and communities. This was an exemplary writing lesson in literacy.
2. Make connections across the curriculum to motivate, build
understanding and encourage the application to real world issues
(ACEI 2.8; NAEYC 4.4)
This lesson applies to this NCATE standard because it makes
connections across the curriculum and incorporates social studies in a writing
lesson. The lesson not only helped the students to practice and learn about
opinion writing, but they also were able to build a greater understanding of
the three types of communities we were learning about in social studies. It
was also necessary for the students to apply the opinion writing to their own
communities and talk about what really occurs in each of these communities.
They were able to apply this lesson to their own lives and share their opinion
with others.
5. Plan instruction that promotes critical thinking and problem
solving (ACEI 3.3; NAEYC 1.1)
This lesson had students think about what types of communities there
are, assess the communities, and give their opinion on what type of

community they would like to live in when they grow up. The lesson required
students to think critically about the types of communities that exist and
make a decision about which one they would choose to live in and why. The
lesson aligns with this NCATE standard because it gives the students the
opportunity to think critically and make a decision.