2nd Grade · Writing · W.2.1, W.2.3, W.2.2

Writing Lesson Plan for 2nd Grade

A ready-to-teach writing lesson for 2nd Grade, built around opinion, narrative and informative paragraphs, topic and closing sentences, transition words, revising and editing. Print the plan, print the practice pages, and you are set.

Approximately 45 minutes

Learning objective

State an opinion and support it with two reasons
Join ideas with because and also
End with a closing sentence that repeats the opinion

Materials

Should Kids Have Pets Opinion Writing
The Day Everything Went Wrong Narrative Writing
All About Sharks Informative Writing
Plan Writing with a Graphic Organizer
Best Field Trip Opinion Writing
My Summer Adventure Narrative Writing
Pencils, and whiteboard space for the modeled examples

Lesson steps

1. Notice it first (5 min)
Put two sentences on the board, one that uses writing correctly and one that does not. Ask students which sounds right before you name any rule. Noticing comes before naming.
2. Name the rule (I do) (8 min)
Now name writing and state the rule in one sentence. Write it where it can stay all week. Model correcting the broken sentence from the warm-up.
3. Fix them together (we do) (12 min)
Work through four or five sentences as a class. Mix in one that is already correct, because students who are pattern-matching rather than thinking will "fix" it anyway and reveal themselves.
4. Independent practice (you do) (15 min)
Hand out "Should Kids Have Pets Opinion Writing". Students work independently. Circulate and watch for the students who can do the exercise but cannot explain the rule, since that gap shows up later in their writing.
5. Apply it to real writing (5 min)
Students find one place in their own writing folder where writing applies, and fix it. This is the step that moves the rule from worksheet to writing.

Check for understanding

Read the last two sentences of each student's independent work. Applying writing correctly in their own sentence matters more than getting the exercise items right.

Differentiation

Extra support. Students who stall: pull them into a small group and rebuild writing with concrete materials or a simpler text before asking for the written work again. Do not send the page home as homework, it will just rehearse the misunderstanding.

Extension. Students who finish early: ask them to write their own writing problem for a partner to solve, then check the partner's work. Creating a problem is harder than solving one and it surfaces whether they really understand writing.

Skills covered in this lesson

Opinion writing · Narrative writing · Informative writing · Writing process

Questions teachers ask about teaching writing

What writing skills should 2nd graders have?

Second graders write opinion pieces with reasons (CCSS W.2.1), informative paragraphs with facts and a conclusion (W.2.2), and narratives with details, feelings and time words (W.2.3). They also begin to revise and edit with guidance (W.2.5).

What is the difference between an opinion, a narrative and an informative piece?

An opinion tells what the writer thinks and why. A narrative tells a story in order. An informative piece teaches true facts about a topic. Each page in this topic names its type in the title, so you can choose the one you need.

How long should a 2nd grade paragraph be?

Four to seven sentences is typical: a topic or opinion sentence, two or three supporting sentences and a closing sentence. The planning boxes on these pages help children organize before they write.

Is there an answer key for each worksheet?

Yes. All 36 opinion, narrative, informative and writing process sheets have an answer key with a marking guide and a model answer.