How-To Writing

First of all, I love teaching kindergarten!  Students are so enthusiastic, willing, and have such as desire to please and learn.  Not only that, but they make me laugh!  I don't think there has been a day yet that I have not laughed with them.  Which leads me into my day the other day...

In writing, we were working on writing How-To books.  We introduced the concept, talked about what needs to be included and the importance of sequence.  Students have been writing a few of their own, but many are lacking specific details, which became my focus for the day.  

My mini-lesson for the day was for the students to teach me how to blow a bubble.  Sounds basic and simple enough, or so they thought.  As I stood in the front of the room with a pack of gum in my hand, I asked them what I had to do.

"Put the gum in your mouth!" In went the pack of gum, wrapper and all.

"Yuck!! You don't put the pack in!  Just the piece gum"  In went went the piece of gum, in it's wrapper.

"No!! Take the wrapper off"  As I took of the wrapper, their next direction was, "Now put it in your mouth."  In went the wrapper.

Between the grossed out faces and laughing, I finally began to get specific directions.

Here's what they came up with...

1. Get a pack of gum.
2. Open the pack of gum.
3. Take out one piece of gum.
4. Take the wrapper off the gum and throw it in the garbage.  Put the one piece of gum in your mouth.

Then came the chewing, smoothing, and blowing of a bubble.  I could not help but laugh at how literal I was taking every direction, but it was getting my point across - writers have to be specific. 

Of course once the gum was in my mouth, they told me to chew it.  How long? With my mouth open? closed?  Mind you, every time I have to keep starting over.  I should have bought stock in Trident before I started this lesson. 

Next step, make the gum smooth.  Here went all my tries at it - smoothing it on my tongue with my fingers, smoothing it in my hands, smoothing it on the table (no worries, I had sanitizer wipes nearby!).  Students totally got where I was going.  By the end, they were really on top of making sure that their steps were thought out and specific. 

I would attach pictures of the lesson (oh yes, it was captured on film...), but due to our restrictions, I can't.  Students work has become much more specific though.  Smelling like bubble gum, getting sticky, and making a mess was well worth it.

What have you done to help get your students to understand what you need them to?