All week we have been practicing different skills needed for clear, understandable direction writing as the students prepare for big “How-To Writing” presentations next week.  How about order words?  Spicy word choices?  Sensible order of details?  Topic sentence and a wonderful ending?

Well, yesterday an unexpected surprise woke up all the writers.  They wrote a practice piece giving directions for cooking and topping a pancake.  Ho hum, right?

Never!  When they got back from music, the restaurant was open, and Miss Blessing followed exactly what was written.  You should have seen the big eyes when the first piece said, “Take your bag of chocolate chips and pour tons of it on each pancake.  Be sure to flip it over.”  Those flipping chips rained down everywhere in a chocolate shower.  Surprise!

“Put syrup on them and whipped cream.”

“Take it off the stove and flip it three or four minutes.”

Could someone please include a spatula in their directions?

“Put on whipped cream and maple syrup, . . . .

”

” . . . . and swirl it!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Last, put on whipped cream in a thick heart and pour on maple syrup.”

Hopefully, this is the picture these students will have in their minds every time they sit down to write directions.  Their hoots of laughter and precious comments were unforgettable.  They were fans of the writing, but they did comment that perhaps Miss Blessing shouldn’t enter Iron Chef anytime soon.  Stay tuned to their blogs for their “How-To Projects” next week!