We are now learning about “how-to” writing.  Earlier this week, the students wrote journal entries with instructions for how to do something they can do well.  I saw instructions for everything from how to take care of a pet to how to do a back walkover. The students practiced using transition words in these pieces.

We’ve talked through several other step-by-step processes, so the students were feeling confident when I told them that we would work together to write the instructions for making a ham and cheese sandwich with mustard.  Here’s what we came up with:

I asked the students if they thought the instructions were clear, and all agreed that they were.  “Great,” I said, “because I happen to have the supplies to make a ham and cheese sandwich with mustard!  I’ll follow your directions.”

I asked the students to read each step to me, and I followed them to the letter.  I began by taking the bread out of my shopping bag.  Giggles erupted when I carefully placed the bottle of mustard on top of the package of bread (step 2), balanced the bag of ham  on the mustard (step 4), and tried to make the package of cheese stay on top of the whole stack (step 5).  When I tried to “smush them together” (step 6), my whole setup crashed to the floor.

Following the original instructions

The first “sandwich”

I told the class I wasn’t sure our instructions were working and asked if they could make some changes as I tried to make a sandwich again.  This time, the students figured out they needed to be very specific when giving their directions.  After a few more false starts, we ended up with a perfectly reasonable sandwich.

This silly demonstration was a fun way to help students think creatively and descriptively.  They will practice giving specific instructions again in two more writing pieces.  Stay tuned for the next installment!