Sunday Routine Writing Unit

My beginning-of-the-year-get-to-know-one-another writing piece this year is going to be a Sunday Routine piece a la the New York Times. I really only have three simple goals with this first piece of writing:

To get to know students and help them get to know one another

To see a piece of diagnostic writing to help me plan

To teach students to read like writers and use a mentor text for inspiration and guidance

To that end, my mini-lessons will be few. Sure, I could use this unit to teach all kinds of grammar skills and writerly moves. And you could, too, later in the year. But I need to keep the main thing the main thing right now: setting the tone, building community.