(cheerful upbeat music) ♪ Good morning to a brand new day ♪ ♪ Time to learn and the games to play ♪ ♪ Learning things is so much fun ♪ ♪ Learning is good for everyone ♪ (cheerful upbeat music) - Good morning, Second grade, welcome back!

My name is Mrs. Vang, I'm so excited to have you here with me so that we can become amazing readers and writers.

And I know you guys have become amazing readers.

So this week we're gonna be focused on becoming amazing writers.

So all we're gonna be focusing on those writing skills with grammars, mechanic, and our focus genre writing for the week.

Now, I'll start with my book to share with you guys.

And remember all my books this week has to do with writing or with our writing skills, isn't that cool?

I know, today's book is called, "Punctuation Celebration".

And this is a fun book because it goes through 14 different poems of different types of punctuation.

And guess what?

Today we're gonna be learning about the commas and there's even a short little poem, all about commas.

Isn't that fun boys and girls?

Now, if you wanna read this book, you can see, you can find it on Sora or check it out at your at your Personal County library.

Now, speaking of Sora, let's see which school came in our top countdown.

Remember, boys and girls, the more you read on Sora, the more chances you'll see your school on our countdown.

So today is Tuesday, so let's see which school came in fourth place, ready?

Who is it?

Wilson, awesome job Wilson!

You guys have been doing an awesome job reading cause you guys have been in our top countdown for many weeks, continue reading.

Now, don't forget boys and girls I would love to hear from you guys, I would.

And it's perfect 'cause this week we're learning and writing an Opinion Writing Letter.

So, I want you to write to me and tell me what you have, what you think or maybe what books I should be sharing.

Now, if you write to me, don't forget to use the address that you see below or you can email me and I'll send you one of these fun activity books.

Can't wait to get your letters.

Okay, boys and girls, are you guys ready to get started with our learning?

We have a lot of learn to do today.

We're gonna be focusing on linking verbs, we're gonna be focusing on commas, and then we're gonna continue on genre writing of Opinion Letter.

First off, let's start with our grammar.

This today, we're gonna focus on linking verbs.

Yesterday, I talked about a verb and I said a verb showed action, it shows action.

While linking verb, guess what?

Doesn't show action but is still considered a verb.

Its job is to link the subject to the noun or the adjective.

So, linking verb can be is, are or am.

And I put little clues up here to help us.

If it's a singular noun we're gonna use the linking verb, is.

If it's a plural noun, we're gonna use the linking verb, are.

And if it's the word I, we use the word, am.

And that's all in the present tense.

And that's what we call the linking verb be is, are, and am.

Now, if it's a past tense form of a linking verb that means it already happened.

We're gonna use the verbs was, if the noun is singular and were, if the noun is plural.

So, here's some quick example, I am in Africa.

So, I know it's present it's happened right now 'cause they use the linking verb, am.

And I use it because there was the pronoun, I.

Last week, I was in New York.

Again, last week showed you that it happened in the past.

I was and I, again, singular.

We're gonna use the linking verb, was.

The lion is in the tree.

Let's look at this, the lion is my subject, my noun, there's only one.

So I use the linking verb, is.

Earlier, it was in the grass.

Past tense, singular noun use was.

We are awake, again, we, how many?

More than one, it's a plural noun so we are going to use the linking verb, our.

Last night, we were asleep.

Here's my clue, last night, it already happened.

We, there were many of us and we are going to use the linking verb, were asleep.

Did you get all that?

Awesome, I knew you would.

Now, let's practice, so we're going to choose the correct linking verb in the parentheses and then we're going to read it to see if it makes sense.

But remember all those little clues that I talked about, remember to use that when we are completing these practice sentences, ready?

Number one says, Forests (are) or (is) busy places.

Now let's look at my subject or my noun forests, what did we see?

An S, you're right, so that means it's, plural.

Good, I hear you guys, good job!

So am I going to use (are) or (is)?

Forests are busy places?

Forests is busy places?

That doesn't sound right.

You're right, (are) busy places make sense.

Let's keep going number two, I (am) or I (is) near a large tree.

Now, let's use some of those clues to help us or rules.

I, am I gonna say (am) or (is)?

I is near a large tree?

That doesn't sound right.

You're right, good job boys and girls.

I hear you, I am near a large tree, good job.

Number three, let's keep going.

It (is) or it (are) very colorful.

Let's look at my subject.

It, it means one, you're right.

So is it (is) or (are)?

Is, good job.

Now, number four last week, I (was) or (were) near the ocean.

Here's a clue, last week, that means it happened in the past and I, means singular so good job, I hear you guys!

I was near the ocean.

Last one, the birds (was) or (were) in the sky.

Let's see birds, it's my subject birds, more than one, (we're) in the sky.

Good job boys and girls how did you do?

Awesome, now, let's continue with our mechanics.

And today we're gonna focus on commas and we're gonna use commas to separate what we call words in a series.

So if there are more than three nouns or words in a sentence, we use a comma to separate my nouns so that I know that there are more than two things.

So, we use (and) or (or) before the last word in a series.

So, here's my example.

We study magnets(comma) gravity(comma) and the wind today.

Three things, magnets, gravity, and the wind.

Did you see that?

Let's practice with the first sentence.

We're gonna read it and then put commas where they are needed.

The girls looked at the moon stars and planets.

Did you see the three things they looked at?

Good, the moon, the stars, and the planet.

So we need a comma right here and right here and it tells us this is the last noun, in the series, good job.

Let's look at number two.

A telescope helps you see things on land, in the sky, or on the sea.

Did you see them listing three things?

Yes, so, a telescope helps you, what?

See things on land good, in the sky good, or on the sea.

How did you do?

Awesome job boys and girls.

Okay, now that you guys know about linking verbs and putting commas, let's go and focus on our genre writing.

Remember this week, we are focused on our Opinion writing.

Remember, an Opinion writing or our Opinion Letter has to be in a format of a letter.

So, it still follows our letter rules of having a heading, a greeting, a body, a closing and a signature.

But the difference is we're gonna be writing about your opinion.

And we're gonna have to give facts or reasons to backup our opinion and then we're gonna have a concluding sentence so they'll know that I'm ending my letter.

Remember yesterday, we looked at what a four paper will look like.

And that's what your writing should look like at the end of Second grade.

And remember, I'm gonna take you all through the steps on how to write an Opinion Letter.

So, we're gonna first start off with and I'm gonna pull this over our Opinion writing process.

So every time you write, boys and girls, we go through a process.

Today, we're gonna start with our pre-write.

And our pre-write it's just setting a purpose, brainstorming ideas and we're gonna look at the rubric.

Remember, we already looked at the rubric yesterday.

What do I need to do to get it for paper?

So today, we're gonna focus on the pre-write.

We're gonna get all of our ideas down.

So, to do that boys and girls, we're gonna start off with our Graphic Organizer.

And I have my Graphic Organizer here with me.

Now, I always use this what I call Oreo Graphic Organizer in my Second grade classroom.

So I thought, it will be awesome to share this with you guys.

So, this just helps Second graders or my second graders when they were writing to help organize their ideas better.

So we start with the O, your opinion, right?

We're gonna start with that and then we go to the R, you're gonna add your reasons.

And then your E, is your examples.

And then we're gonna close it with our opinion.

Do you see why it's called our Oreo Graphic Organizer?

Yup, and this is a way to help you organize your ideas and I put on top your audience, who do you want to write to?

So, as you're writing, boys and girls this is really easy to do.

All you have to do is get a paper, fold it into fourths and then put O-R-E-O and then write your ideas on it.

So, here's what a student did.

So, she already completed her writing for me.

I mean her, Graphic Organizer.

So, here's her opinion.

She wanted to tell Mr. Walter, who is the mayor of the town, that park cleanup day was a good idea.

So that was her opinion.

She wanted a park cleanup day.

And then here are her reasons she said it was a good place for kids to go, things at the park was broken and the City Park is important to the community, that's the name of the park.

And here were her reasons for each of her, or I'm sorry her examples or what we call her evidence for her reason.

So, why is the park a good place to go?

Well, she said, kids can play, run, and get fresh air.

Now remember, these are all just ideas.

So you're just writing all your ideas down, okay?

Things at the park are broken, like what?

So she gave me some examples.

She said, well, the storm caused the tree branches to fall.

And then she said, remember her other reason was City Park was important to the community and why it's because we can all work together though to reason to say why it was important to the community.

And then, she ended it with, a park cleanup day cause that's what she wanted remember that was her opinion.

And because it's a letter it's also nice to just put a concluding sentence to let them know that you are done writing and she said well let's put, thank you for considering my idea.

Wasn't that a great ending sentence?

So think about your ending sentence.

So, here's your job, and boys and girls I forgot to do this yesterday, but here's your extended activity.

So yesterday, you were supposed to just come up with ideas of what you wanna write about and to whom.

Today, I want you to start your graphic organizer.

Remember, you can use that Oreo Graphic Organizer if you need to help with your opinion and your reason.

Again, get a paper fold it into fourths, write O.R.E.O, write your opinion, your reason, your evidence or examples and your opinion so that tomorrow we'll be ready to go to the next step which is our draft.

We're gonna be ready to write, all right?

I know it's a lot, but boys and girls, I know you can do it.

Don't forget to come back tomorrow.

So that we can continue our writing skills.

Have a great day learning and I'll see you tomorrow, bye-bye.

(cheerful upbeat music) ♪ Good morning to a brand new day ♪ ♪ Time to learn and games to play ♪ ♪ Learning things is so much fun ♪ ♪ Learning is good for everyone ♪ (cheerful upbeat music)