In the weeks just before vacation, children were introduced to opinion writing.  We discussed what an opinion is (what someone thinks, there is no right or wrong answer) and compared opinions to facts (true, can be right or wrong).  We spent time sharing opinions as a class and orally supporting them with appropriate reasons.  Children then had an opportunity to write opinion pieces on several topics, using words and illustrations to support their ideas.  Some of the topics we wrote about included school lunch versus home lunch, winter versus spring, and recess versus choice.  We also wrote opinions in response to several books including "Hey Little Ant" by Hannah and Phillip Hoose and "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems.

Last week we switched gears and began working on informational writing, using our nature name animals as a focus.  We began by talking about an imaginary animal, the snufflewump.  I told the class I had recently seen a snufflewump in my yard, which of course sparked lots of curiosity.  Using this imaginary animal that we knew nothing about we brainstormed a list of questions to help us learn about it.  Some of the questions students came up with included

• Does it have fur?
• Where does it live?
• Does it live in Vermont?
• What does it look like?
• Is it a predator?
• Do people eat it?
• What does it eat?
• Does it live in a cave?
• Is it eaten by other animals?
• What noise does it make?
• Does it hibernate?
• Does it have sharp teeth?

We used this list to make categories for research that could encompass all of these questions.   These include description, habitat, food, winter survival, special features for protection, and other interesting facts.  We have been using actual books and several apps with online books to research each animal.  So far children have completed pages for what their animal eats and where it lives, using words as well as thoughtful illustrations to share the information.  We will continue to gather information and work on pages in the coming weeks.