S'mores with an alien?

Last week we finished our short space unit by teaching an alien how to make a snack!

First, students used a toilet paper roll and other art supplies to create an alien friend. Next, students were tasked with writing a set of easy-to-understand directions for making a chosen snack (s'more or pizza roll up). "Procedural writing" is actually quite difficult! Missing even small details can leave the one reading the directions confused. Students had to break down the steps necessary to make their snack and think of how to communicate those steps in the clearest way possible. The goal was to write directions so easy to understand that even an alien could follow them. We then set up our alien friends and, one at a time, I began reading the directions each student wrote. Students then made their snack according to the steps in their directions. There were some hiccups along the way, but the corrections were all in fun. This activity is a fun way to put a spin on an important writing skill!