Kindergarten Writers Learn How to Change the World with Words

You may have noticed petitions throughout the main building hallway this week. That’s because kindergarteners are learning how writers change the world through words in their persuasive writing unit in Writer’s Workshop. Students have been thinking about problems in their world that they want to solve, everything from little siblings not interrupting to reducing carbon dioxide to help the atmosphere to no running in the hallways. After determining the problem they want to solve, students have been writing reasons to convince someone to agree with their stance. “It’s about trying to convince someone to believe what you believe,” explains teacher Emma Larson. In addition to petitions, students are using other modes to convince their audience including writing songs and making posters. After this individual part of the unit, the class will work together to determine one problem they want to solve together and use the design thinking process to prototype solutions.

 

“This unit is also connected to our social-emotional curriculum because it’s helping students negotiate during play,” adds Ms. Larson. “They are learning that their ideas matter and so does listening to others’ ideas. I like this unit because I really believe that every problem students identify is important, and they are articulating why it’s important to them.” MORE PHOTOS