2nd graders transform research into creative non-fiction

Beaming second graders greeted their parents and families at the annual 2nd Grade Writing Celebration, as they proudly displayed colorful book covers adorned with gold foil stamping.

As parents filtered into the classrooms of second grade teachers Sara Weinstein and Paige Atwood, they took their seats in special reading groups to listen as student peers read from their non-fiction research books.

“We haven’t done this particular format for many years,” shared Mrs. Weinstein, “where students had the opportunity to be more free in their writing and have a little more creative liberty.” Penning their research from an “I-statement” point of view encouraged each child to become even more invested in the writing process.

“The writing process is all about getting your ideas down and we start with the element of research,” described Mrs. Atwood. “Doing research at a level like this is a wonderful introduction to being able to take someone else’s words and make them their own,” she added.

The research unit began with a study of non-fiction books as second graders determined the elements that distinguished non-fiction from fiction – realistic photos and diagrams, a glossary and index, keywords, definitions, maps, and headings.

“They had their choice of 12 different animals and each student conducted their own  research, using classroom texts,” explained Mrs. Weinstein, who added that the specific genre of creative non-fiction challenged students to use real facts that answered questions about an animal’s appearance, diet, habitat, breeding characteristics, and prevalent enemies. “They needed to take the point of view of the animal so that they could give them realistic characteristics and deconstruct them with more sophisticated diagrams,” said Mrs. Weinstein.

Throughout the unit, both teachers met with students continuously, guiding them in the revision and editing process, and making their sentences sound like their students wanted them to sound. “It can be hard for students at this level to find mistakes in their work. We discussed how professional authors will always have multiple revisions of their work,” said Mrs. Atwood. 

As students dove into the lives of mostly rainforest animals, the research component soon became one of the most popular parts of the process. Second grader, Sophia, was astounded by some of the facts she uncovered. “I learned that the anaconda can have up to 40 babies at a time! And that the mama leaves their babies after they are born.”

Her classmate, Estelle, found immense satisfaction in drawing her animal, the sloth. “I got to make poses of the animal and I liked writing about the poses of the sloth,” she shared, which led to her discovery that “sloths can swim a doggy paddle!”

As this unit rounds out, the second grade faculty are looking ahead to building upon the research, note-taking, synopsis, and visual observational skills that students have developed. “We’ll be getting into higher-level research when students start to learn more in-depth about the place they live – Long Island,” said Mrs. Atwood. "In using what we find from controlled internet searches and books, students will be able to practice culling information from multiple sources and strengthening their highlighting skills,” she added.

Photography by Alvin Caal/Friends Academy