I Wanna Iguana and Persuasive Paragraphs

We have been reviewing different types of writing this week.  We reviewed the important ingredients for good paragraph writing, and have been using organizers to make sure that the paragraphs are strongly written.  We finished up the week with a lesson on persuasive writing and the book I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff. 

I Wanna Iguana is the story of Alex and his desire for a baby iguana.  The story is told through notes that Alex and his mother write back and forth to each other about why he should or shouldn’t have the iguana.  The kids loved the story (even though it’s a pretty simple picture book).

After reading the book, we talked about the reasons Alex gave for wanting the new pet, and connected that to persuasive writing.  Then it was organizer time.  I found an organizer based on the hamburger model which is available here.  I explained what “elaborate” means and how it adds detail to their writing and makes it sound more sophisticated (which required a definition, too).

Then the kids got started planning and writing.  Their topic was “Ask your parents for something extravagant” in a way similar to Alex in the story we read.  I told them it could be as extravagant as they could imagine.  Students are asking for cars, phones, mythological creatures, and fancy vacations.  Their paragraphs aren’t due until Monday, and  I’m excited to see how they turn out!