Let's all pretend to be cows...

brought to you by Lori

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  Here in the great state of Texas, we've worked ourselves into a tizzy over persuasion. What is it? How do we teach it? How is it different from expository? Aren't those two the same thing????
  
  
  And even better...how do we help our kids understand persuasion? Well. I'll tell you...
  
  
  Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (D. Cronin).
  
  
  
  
  
  Please understand that I have 6 pull-out tutoring groups of retesters that need work with persuasion, so I've read this book aloud to a group of 11th grade students no less than 6 times. Plus once more to our lock-in bunch (that's a whole other post). Plus an additional once to Suzanne because she wanted to know how I used the book.
  
  
  The book is about some ornery cows who are cold at night and pretty much demand that stingy Farmer Brown give them electric blankets. When they don't get their way, they essentially shut down the farm. All of this is done through their typewriter and it's a very fun book to read. [Except when your office has very thin walls and the people next door in the sped office can hear you saying "click, clack, moooooo" again and again for what seems like a week straight and then they begin to look at you funny every time they pass by your open door or see you in the hallway.]
  
  
  Here's why it's great: since the cows' first attempt is an (udder) failure, you can have your kids pretend to be cows and re-write the letter to Farmer Brown using any persuasive structure you'd like.
  
  
  Persuasive Structure Option #1
  ·      I believe…
  ·      Other people believe…
  ·      I still believe __ because…
  ·      We should all (do? value? believe?)
  
  
  Persuasive Structure Option #2
  ·      I believe…
  ·      I believe this because…
  ·      I also believe this because…
  ·      Although,…I still believe…
  
  
  The sentence stems help the kids write Gretchen Bernabei-style kernel essays. If you’re concerned about the repetition, that is solved with small-group instruction and having kids read their letters aloud.
  
  
  Seeing my tutoring kids work with this, the most powerful part has been the reasons that they come up with. They cite reasons from decreased milk production to quality of life. The letters can be very funny!
  
  
  Working with picture books is always great fun, and even though I need a break from reading it, Click Clack Moo has now become a personal favorite.