Create and Scaffold Varied and Interesting Nonfiction Writing Assignments that Range from Informal to Formal, Depending on Purpose

At each desk sat a stack of blank notecards. “What are these?” I asked the teacher prepping for the lesson. She walked over to one and let them sift through her fingers like playing cards. “It’s time to start our research reports,” she said. “By the time we are done, each one of these cards will have a fact on them from a resource that we have researched.” “How many facts must they have?” I responded, feeling the heft of the stack. “At least 50,” she replied. “That is how I am stepping up the rigor of informational writing—more facts.”