(Spelt incorrectly so it didn't ruin the alliterative string! - Anna)
This week we went on a trip to the Botanic Garden to participate in the Christchurch City Council programme; Casting Magic with Worms. Everyone really enjoyed the trip - despite the chilly weather. If you are interested - here is the link. http://www.ccc.govt.nz/culture-and-community/learning-resources/learning-through-action/list-of-programmes/casting-magic-with-worms/
On our way home some of the children asked if they could write some instructions to explain how to make a mini worm farm - of course we thought that was a great idea and canned the ideas of a recount. We also decided to use it to extend our collaborative writing sessions.
Session 1. After a discussion about the features of instructions, the children selected a buddy to work with. Although partners were the children's choice, able writers were praised for choosing others who indicated they would like the support they could provide. Most of the children managed to get the title, equipment and some of the steps recorded.
Session 2: After finishing the instructions, each pair was able to display their drafted work on an A3 sheet of paper using relevant illustrations. Some of the writing is displayed in the green room and the rest is in the A3 display folder in the library area.
Reflecting on the writing afterwards we discussed how well the children worked together, the lower stress of displaying drafted writing rather than the time consuming (for teacher & students) of correcting every single error on every piece and the either rewriting or typing up work to display. The children were engaged in working together, sharing their ideas and seeing their work on display quickly.
