For the past few years, my students have written nonfiction picture books for younger audiences around the world. Last year, I decided to share the lesson plan to serve as inspiration for those who wanted it, and this year I thought I would do the same. While the foundation is the same, the process has been tweaked a bit for a more meaningful experience for the students.
The goal of the project is rather simple; create a 15 to 25 slide/page nonfiction picture book meant for a 2nd or 3rd grade audience on anything you wish to write about. Throughout this project we have been able to successfully marry tech tools with writing, as well as use Skype, Padlet, Twitter and other interactive tools.
- How to take organized notes in a way that works for them.
- How to write a paragraph and all of the myriads of lessons that are attached to that.
- Grammar! Spelling! Punctuation!
- How to find legal images.
- How to cite sources, including images, books, and websites.
- How to uncover reliable sources (yes, there is a place for Wikipedia in our research).
- How to search the internet better.
- How to conduct market research using Skype to ask 2nd or 3rd graders what they want to read and how they want to read it.
- How to rewrite information in our own words.
- How to do design and layout on a page to make it inviting.
- How to create good questions.
- Exploring our own interests.
- How to write assessment rubrics.
- How to work as a peer mentor group.
- How to monitor self-engagement.
Read more.
cross-posted at pernillesripp.com.
Pernille Ripp is the creator of Global Read Aloud Project, co-founder of EdCamp MadWI and the author of Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners and Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to OurStudents, She teaches seventh grade in Verona, Wisconsin, and blogs at http://pernillesripp.com. Follow her on Twitter @PernilleRipp.
