Our writing genre study for September is writing "How-To" pieces. We've taken a few examples from literature and this what we've discovered:
"How-To" Writing:
Where do we see it? Instruction manuals, math books, book talk instructions, recipes, cookbooks, on boxes of macaroni
Why do we write it? To be able to show someone exactly how to do something and to get them excited about doing what we've explained.
What's needed to write a clear "How To?" A title, a clear introduction explaining the purpose, a list of what's needed, a procedure, diagrams and pictures and a conclusion to wrap it up and bring you back to the purpose.
Mrs. Chiu had a little fun with the Stinky Clay recipe. Instead of using clear and detailed instructions, we used some very poorly written ones and tried to make Stinky Clay....and it didn't go well. Through that, we learned that "How To" writing must be very specific. Fortunately, there was time to do it with proper instructions, which is why many students brought Stinky Clay (not socks) home on Thursday.
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| Mixing the Stinky Clay |
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| Is this the right recipe??? |
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| Savannah analyzing the recipe. Is it specific enough? |
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| Writing requires us to get our hands dirty! |
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| The finished product! |
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| Maybe mixing it will make it better?!?! |
Here's the "How To" for Stinky Clay: (Sorry, Mom and Dad--I promised!)
from Loo-Loo, Boo and Art You Can Do
Title:
How To Make Stinky Clay
Introduction:
There are lots of things you can make with clay, and even more things to make if you change your mind. Stinky clay is really smelly clay dough. Each time you're finished playing with it, put it in something with a tight top. A coffee can will work well, or a plastic bag tied shut.
You'll need:
A big bowl, 3 tablespoons of baking powder, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, food coloring
Procedure:
Put the 3 tablespoons of baking powder into a bowl. Now add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Don't worry, it's supposed to fizz! Mix in 1 cup of flour and 1 tablespoon of oil. Smush the bumps with your fingers. Last of all, add a few drops of food coloring or paint. If your mixture is too dry, add water. IF it is too wet, add a little bit of flour. Mix well, until it's really stinky.
Conclusion:
Is your clay stinky enough? Probably! A lot of people are scared of stinky clay, but don't let this stop you from playing with it.
