Module Attachments
Grade 2, Quarter 4, 3-5 Weeks
Life Journeys
Module / Instructional Strategies1. How Change Affects Us / Buddy Buzz: Students talk with a partner (student or teacher chosen) about the central message of the story.
Hand Up, Pair Up: Students put their hands up and find a partner they haven’t worked with and then have partner discussion
My Life's Journey, Literature Response Journal
2. Acceptance of Others / Graffiti Board: Put a big sheet of paper on the table or floor. Each group member takes a corner of the paper and writes and sketches their thoughts about the book in a graffiti fashion. The responses, comments, sketches, quotes, and connections are not organized. The major focus is on recording initial responses during or immediately after reading a book, often works best with young children to respond during the second reading of the book. When the group is ready to discuss, group members share their graffiti.
Various templates are available as examples for opinion writing:
Sketch to Stretch: After reading a book, ask readers to make a sketch (a quick graphic/symbolic drawing) of what the story meant to them (not an illustration of the story), but the student’s connections to the book. In the group, show each sketch, letting others comment on the meanings they see in the sketch before the reader shares his/her meaning. Talk about the sketches and discuss the different ideas raised by the sketches.
3. What do we need when we go on a journey? / KWL Chart, Follow TE pg. 306T
Vocabulary Activities, TE 306U
Vocabulary Study Guide
PowerPoint of Beginner's World Atlas
My Life's Journey, Literature Response Journal
4. Traveling on a Journey / My Life's Journey, Literature Response Journal
5. What builds your character? / Story sequencing template
Character Traits/Analysis -
Open minded portrait - Open minded portrait of a character from the story-
6. Strengths and Challenges of a character / Participation Anchor T-Chart: Chart that contains discussion stems (used for oral or written discussion) on a given topic. The chart can also contain rules for partner/group/class discussions.
Point of View and template
Opinion Writing template
7. Facing challenges and troubles / Think, Pair, Share- Teacher gives students a question to think about, and then they get a partner and share response with partner.
Letter writing activity (see prompt and rubric below).
8. Dealing with Differences / Venn diagram graphic organizer:
Opinion Writing (see prompt below).
9. Acts of Courage and Bravery / Story Elements Anchor Chart -
Timeline template-
Read, Write, Pair, Share- Students will read a selection of a text, write a response to the teacher posed question, share response with partner and then share partner responses.
10. Exploring Your Journey / Teacher Rubric for presentation-
Summative Assessment/Culminating Activity and Presentation (see attachments below)
Module 2 Acceptance of Others
Opinion Writing- White Socks Only
Objective: Students will be able to write an opinion piece in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g. because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.
Prompt: In your opinion why was the sign important? Why or Why not? What did the sign mean?
Module 6 Strengths and Challenges of a Character
Opinion Writing- Nasreen’s Secret School: a True Story from Afghanistan
Objective: Students will be able to write an opinion piece in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g. because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.
Prompt: In your opinion, what obstacles did Nasreen face and what lesson(s) did it teach her? Support your thinking.
Module 7 Facing Challenges and Troubles
Friendly Letter- Sami and the Time of the Troubles
Objective: Students will produce functional writing (e.g. friendly letters) in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
Prompt: What would you say about his troubles? What advice would you give him? Share your thoughts about your country, your freedom and your culture.
Module 7 Facing Challenges and Troubles
Friendly Letter Writing Rubric
4 / 3 / 2 / 1Organization / -student has all five parts of a letter: heading, greeting, body, closing and signature in the right places / -student had three out of the five parts of a letter / -student has less than three parts of a letter / -student uses no letter organizational rules
Purpose/Ideas / -purpose of letter is clearly stated
-purposed is maintained throughout the whole letter / -purpose of letter is stated
-purpose is maintained through most of the letter / -purpose of letter may be unclear
-purpose is maintained through part of the letter / -no purpose for letter is given
Conventions / -sentences are complete
-minimal or no grammatical errors
-commas and ending punctuation is used appropriately
-capitals are used appropriately (beginning of sentences, I and proper nouns) / -sentences are complete
-a few grammatical errors
-commas and ending punctuation are used appropriately most of the time
-capitals are used appropriately most of the time / -some incomplete sentences
- some grammatical errors
-commas and ending punctuation are used inconsistently or inappropriately at times
-capitals are used inconsistently or inappropriately at times / -many incomplete sentences
-several grammatical errors
-commas and ending punctuation are rarely used or are used inappropriately
-capitals are rarely used or are used
Module 8 Dealing with Differences
Opinion Writing
Objective: Students will be able to write an opinion piece in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g. because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.
Prompt: In your opinion, what character would you rather be, Sami or Nasreen? Why would you be that character? How is your point of view similar to or different from the characters’? Support your thinking.
Module 10 Exploring Your Journey
Summative Project Options
(Student choice of one activity, to include a presentation):
Writing activities/prompts:
Write about how you got your name. Interview your family to understand the meaning of your name. What did you learn from your interviews about your name?
Think about the story, Knots on a Counting Rope. Discuss why the Boy’s Grandfather was an important person in his life. Choose someone from your life that has made an impression on you. Describe, tell, or write about this important person and how they have influenced you and your life. Create a representation of your knots on a rope.
In all the stories that we have read, the journeys of these characters have had challenges and experiences that have strengthened them as a person. In thinking back about your life's experiences, how have your strengths and challenges influenced who you are today? How have your family's stories and cultures influenced your life. Write about those experiences and give specific examples.
Timeline Activity:
Make a time line of your life describing one special event for each year you have been alive.
Research Project:
Research different regions and cultures and write an opinion paper about which place in North America you would like to visit, and why. Give examples as to why you choose that country. Support your thinking.
History Presentation:
Research and interview your family heritage. Investigate your oral history from your own culture. Ask questions such as: Which country did your family come from? How did the members of your family come to the United States? What stories did they share? How did they survive? Create a poster or visual representation of one of the stories.
Opinion-Essay Writing Guide (Grade 2)
Statement of Purpose/Focus and Organization / Evidence/ElaborationThe response is fully sustained and consistently and purposefully focused:
- opinion is clearly stated, focused, and strongly maintained
- opinion is communicated clearly within the purpose, audience,
The response has a clear and effective organizational structure creating unity and completeness:
- a variety of transitional strategies is consistently used to effectively clarify the relationships between and among ideas
- logical progression of ideas from beginning to end
- effective introduction and conclusion for audience and purpose
- use of reasons from sources is smoothly integrated, comprehensive, and relevant
- effective use of a variety of elaborative techniques
- use of grade 2 topic or subject area words and phrases are clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose
Editing/Conventions
The response displays adequate command of all grade level and preceding level conventions of writing:
- some errors in usage and sentence formation may be present, but no systematic pattern of errors is displayed
- use of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling is adequate
* This writing guide was developed by Tucson Unified School District’s Office of Curriculum & Instruction (K-5) based on the AzMerit Opinion Essay Writing Rubric
ELA, Office of Curriculum Development ©