1. Opinion Writing in Grades 1-3: Conservation
Adapted by Jean Wolph from NWP i3 College Ready Writers Program materials and a lesson sequence by Angel Peavler, KWP RSPDI Team

2. This is our research question.
Starting Our Flip Book
Should we conserve natural resources?
Write this on the flap.
This is our research question.
Angel’s class used a variant of this question: Is physical activity important for learning?

3. Should we conserve natural resources? What do you think?
Think-Pair-Share
This could be a time for think-pair-share or you could have students stop and wonder before writing on the first page of the flip book. Some teachers create a quick chart of student ideas from the think-pair-share time to scaffold them as they write.

4. Page 1 of Our Flip Book Should we conserve natural resources?
First I thought…
Write this on the next flap.

5. Should we conserve natural resources
Should we conserve natural resources? What did you and your partner think?
I’ve never thought about it before.
I think we should conserve our natural because _______________________________________.
I think we should conserve our natural resources, _______________________________________.
I think we should conserve our natural resources because ________________________________.
Some students will need scaffolding; some will not. You may want to show this slide after students start writing, directing the attention of those who struggle to begin to these samples of ways to begin.

6. Should we conserve natural resources
Should we conserve natural resources? What did you and your partner think?
I’ve never thought about it before.
I think we should conserve our natural resources because if we did not have any trees we would die.
I think we should conserve our natural resources, because it will help make the earth a better place.
I think we should conserve our natural resources because ___________________________________.
Some students will need scaffolding; some will not. You may want to show this slide after students start writing, directing the attention of those who struggle to begin to these samples of ways to begin.

7. Fill the first flap: First I thought…
Use the space to explain your thinking.

8. Should we conserve natural resources?
Text #1
Now let’s start our research. We’ll look at several texts to gather information about our natural resources.
Study the image. Turn and talk: What do you notice about this picture of a landfill?

9. Should we conserve natural resources?
Text #1
Let’s observe the information! What do the numbers tell you?

10. What Did We Say in Partner Talks?
After observing the picture of the landfill, I noticed that ________________________.
I learned that ______________________. This makes me think__________.
The picture says if more people would recycle we wouldn’t need so many landfills. I wonder if that is true.
Capturing our thinking

11. What Did We Say in Partner Talks?
After observing the picture of the landfill, I noticed that lots of things we throw away could be reused.
I learned that 81% of landfill trash can be recycled.
The picture says if more people would recycle we wouldn’t need so many landfills. I wonder if that is true.
Capturing our thinking

12. Page 2 of Our Flip Book Should we conserve natural resources?
First I thought…
Then I learned…
Write this on the next flap.

13. Let’s continue writing: Then I learned…
Use the space to explain facts about conserving natural resources. You may use ideas we recorded as a class or you may write your own sentences.

14. More RESEARCH! Text #2 Nature made it all possible.
Now, we are going to listen to
“Nature is Speaking”.
Nature + You
People need nature to thrive. It’s true for everyone.
Including you.
​​​
Every meal you’ve ever eaten …
every breath you’ve ever taken …
every job you’ve ever had …
everything you’ve ever owned …
Nature made it all possible.
This text was originally a video, but now only the text is available.

15. More RESEARCH! Text #2 TURN-N-TALK:
Now, we are going to listen to
“Nature is Speaking”.
Which of these videos helped you decide if we should conserve natural resources?
​​​
This text was originally a video, but now only the text is available.
What did you learn from these videos?

16. What Did We Say in Partner Talks?
After watching Nature Is Speaking video, I realized ___________________________.
According to the video, Nature Is Speaking, I learned ____________________________.
The natural resource __________ said _______________________________ in Nature Is Speaking video.
Capturing our thinking

17. What Did We Say in Partner Talks?
After watching Nature Is Speaking video, I realized ___________________________.
According to the video, Nature Is Speaking, I learned ____________________________.
The natural resource __________ said _______________________________ in Nature Is Speaking video.
Capturing our thinking

18. Return to Our Flip Book Should we conserve natural resources?
First I thought…
Then I learned…
Find this spot. Here you will continue recording new learning about conserving natural resources. Use the back of the sheet, if needed.
You may want students to “draw a line of learning” to separate information gleaned from this new text from the facts recorded earlier.

19. Use the back of the flap or add a new sheet, if needed: Then I Learned…
Use the space to explain facts about conserving natural resources that you learned from the video.
If students need scaffolding, create a class chart of ideas first. You may want students to draw a “line of learning” so that they can separate the information gleaned from this new source.

20. A Way to Help Planet Earth
Let’s READ and RESEARCH to find out more!
A Way to Help Planet Earth
Text #3
This article is a good example of a research article that is grade-appropriate. If time permits, you may want to replicate the experiment. Students could then report on their own class’s results and compare them with those reported by DragonflyTV. This passage is on a 5th grade reading level.

21. A Way to Help Planet Earth
Text #3
This article is a good example of a research article that is grade-appropriate. If time permits, you may want to replicate the experiment. Students could then report on their own class’s results and compare them with those reported by DragonflyTV. This passage is on a 5th grade reading level.

22. Let’s capture things we learned about Conserving Natural Resources
After reading “A Way to Help Planet Earth”, I learned __________________________.
After researching “A Way to Help Planet Earth”, I discovered _____________________.
Based on what I read in “A Way to Help Planet Earth”, _________________________________.

23. Let’s capture things we learned about Conserving Natural Resources
After reading “A Way to Help Planet Earth”, I learned that everyone can recycle even kids.
After researching “A Way to Help Planet Earth”, I discovered that a small bottle can be something bigger and better if you recycle.
Based on what I read in “A Way to Help Planet Earth”, I think the we need to recycle to give the earth more space so it isn’t covered with trash.

24. Use the back of the flap: Then I Learned…
Use the space to explain facts about conserving natural resources that we discovered after reading “A Way to Help Planet Earth”. You may use ideas we listed as a class or you may write your own sentences.

25. Finishing Our Flip Book
Should we conserve natural resources?
First I thought…
Then I learned…
Now I think…
Write this on the last flap.

26. Fill the last flap: Now I think…
First I thought…
Use the space to explain your thinking. Now that you’ve done the research, what do you think about conserving natural resources?

27. Sharing Read your flip book to your partner.
Talk about ways you plan to conserve natural resources!

28. Something to think about…
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

29. Next Steps
Students could develop other flip books on new topics, using the same process.
A revision study could be planned. Students would select ONE flip book to turn into a polished piece.