Writing prompt Grade 2 Careers & CTE
Which Water Job Would You Pick at Rooksby?
A grade 2 opinion writing prompt where students choose one of three water-sector jobs and give two reasons, with an exemplar and a four-level rubric.
Objectives
- Students will state an opinion about which water job they would pick.
- Students will supply two reasons that match details from the job cards.
- Students will use linking words and write a closing sentence.
Vocabulary
Key words: opinion, reason, because, also
Teacher overview
This prompt asks second graders to state an opinion and support it with reasons, using three real water-sector jobs described in plain terms and treated as equally worth doing. Students choose one job and give two reasons for the choice. The job cards supply every detail a student needs, so the writing rests on reasoning rather than on outside knowledge.
Prompt
Read aloud: The town of Rooksby needs three water workers. Here is what each one does.
Leak Finder. This worker walks the street at night with a metal listening stick. Water that escapes from a pipe makes a soft hiss under the road. The leak finder hears it and marks the spot with chalk. In the morning a crew digs there and fixes the pipe.
Drain Crew Worker. This worker rides a truck with a long hooked rake and a big hose. Before a storm, the crew pulls leaves and trash off the storm drains. Then the rain can get in, and the street does not flood.
Water Tester. This worker fills small bottles at the water plant. Then the tester checks each bottle to be sure the water is clean. If something is wrong, the tester tells the plant right away.
All three jobs help the whole town. All three take training and care.
Now write. Pick the one job you would want. Tell which job you picked. Give two reasons why. Use the words because and also. End with one sentence that tells your reader what you think.
Planning Organizer
Read aloud: Fill in each box before you write.
| Box | What to write |
|---|---|
| My job | I would pick the ____ job. |
| Reason 1 | I would like it because ____. |
| Reason 2 | Also, I would like it because ____. |
| My last sentence | That is why I would pick ____. |
Check your boxes. Each reason should match something on the job card.
From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.
Exemplar & Rubric
Exemplar response (grade 2 level)
I would pick the leak finder job. I would like it because I am good at hearing small sounds. A leak makes a soft hiss under the road, and I would like to be the one who finds it. Also, I would like it because I want to save water. When the crew fixes the leak, the town keeps the water that was running away under the street. I would even like the chalk mark part, because it shows the digging crew exactly where to look. That is why I would pick the leak finder job at Rooksby.
Rubric
| Criterion | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion | No job is named, or more than one is named. | A job is named, but not in a full sentence. | One job is named clearly in a full sentence. | The job is named clearly and the closing sentence names it again. |
| Reasons | No reason is given. | One reason is given, or a reason does not match the job cards. | Two reasons are given, and both match details on the job card. | Two reasons are given, both match the card, and one is explained with an extra detail. |
| Linking words and ending | No linking word and no ending sentence. | One linking word appears, or an ending sentence appears, but not both. | Both because and also are used, and an ending sentence closes the piece. | Linking words connect each reason smoothly, and the ending sentence restates the opinion in new words. |
Score each criterion on its own. A piece that names one job, gives two card-based reasons, uses both linking words, and closes with a summary sentence meets the standard.
Differentiation
Support (below grade level)
Read the three job cards aloud twice and let students point to the one they want before writing anything. Provide the organizer with the sentence stems already printed and only the blanks to fill, and accept a drawing of the worker beside each reason.
Extension (above grade level)
Ask students to add a third reason and to answer one objection: name something hard about the job they picked and explain why they would do it anyway. They can also write one sentence about which of the other two jobs they would pick second.
ELL supports
Add a simple drawing to each job card: a listening stick, a hooked rake, and a sample bottle. Pre-teach because and also with two sentences the class says together. Let students talk their whole plan through with a partner in any language before filling in the organizer in English.
Extensions
Post the finished pieces under three headings, one per job, and count how many students chose each. Ask the class why one job may have drawn more writers than the others.