Are you someone who makes lots of lists? I make lists for everything! I suppose it has something to do with my age, but I've always been a list maker. As a teacher, I make to-do lists all the time. If I didn't, I think I would go INSANE!!
One of my shorter units of study in writing is Making Lists. This is the perfect time of the year to do it because many kids are making their lists for Santa. I begin my unit with a story called Grandma's Lists by Rozanne Lanczak Williams. This book is part of the Learn to Write series from Creative Teaching Press.
After reading the book aloud to my class, we discuss types of lists we have seen people write. Most students say they've seen their mom write a grocery list. So, we usually begin there. I show the kids one of my grocery lists and then we write one together. They really enjoy this! (It's funny to see what they want me to put on our list...candy, ice cream, pizza, cookies, and hot dogs!)
Another list the kids enjoy making is their list to Santa. The list is actually part of a letter to Santa, but nevertheless a list. Here's a couple of samples.
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| motorcycle, baseball, iPod, computer & markers |
We work on a variety of lists in this unit and add them to our "Types of Lists" chart.
Learning how to make a list is a skill that students will use for the rest of their lives. It's an important and fun skill to teach!
