Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Picture Book Writing Lesson: Same Theme/different Story Stories
After enjoying the story of Fox by Margaret Wild, students will work in small groups to generate possible themes that the book is trying to teach its readers. Themes will be shared whole-group, and a class list of the best themes will be...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Picture Book Writing Lesson: Pros, Cons, and Interesting Hooks
Inspired by the picture book How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, an enthusiastic tale that explores the pros and cons of being a pirate, students will research an interesting job and prepare to write about it. While researching, the...
Harold D. Underdown
How to Write a Picture Book With Fabulous Rhyme & Meter
An excellent resource for elementary writers looking to create or season a picture book with rhyming or metrical elements. Includes good advice and tips, as well as examples and links for further information.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Picture Book Writing Lesson: Same Theme/different Story Stories
After enjoying the picture book Six-Dinner Sid by Inga Moore, learners will work in small groups to generate possible themes that the book is trying to teach its readers. Themes will be shared in whole-group, and a class list of the best...
Harold D. Underdown
Review: Illustrating Children's Books: Creating Pictures
A book review of "Illustrating Children's Books: Creating Pictures for Publication," including critical contents and comments. Also provides information about who would benefit from reading this book review. A good resource for those...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Primary Source Picture Book
Inspired by My Tour Of Europe, by Teddy Roosevelt, students will create a children's picture book based on a topic of historical study to be used as a primary document.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Picture Books to Teach Characterization
Contains plans for two or three lessons that ask learners to examine characterization in picture books to use as models for their own writing. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used...
Teachnology
Teachnology: Lesson Plan: Wordless Books: Creating a Storyline
This lesson plan asks students grades 3-5 to use wordless picture books as a springboard to write an original story based on the pictures.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Picture Book Writing Lesson: Start With What Isn't There
In this instructional activity, learners will describe a setting, attempting to set a mood for their readers in two paragraphs. Borrowing a technique from Stephen Kramer's two-page introduction to Caves, they will begin with a paragraph...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Unique Imaginary Friends
The writer will first create an original imaginary friend, inspired by Ted from Tony DiTerlizzi's wonderful picture book. The writer will then think of an ordinary activity done on a daily basis, like feeding the family dog. The writer...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Go West: Imagining the Oregon Trail
A 2,000-mile trek across a continent-with no idea what awaits you on the other side. Tell your students to put on their traveling shoes and prepare for the journey of their lives! In this lesson, students compare imagined travel...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Let's Write About the American Flag
Students will brainstorm adjectives to describe the American Flag and will write two descriptive sentences for homework. Students will also create star art to accompany their writing to show the relationship between words and pictures...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: An I Pod Inspired Writing Lesson: Itsy Bitsy Math Songs
This is a great writing lesson for math teachers. The picture book Take Me Out of the Bathtub by Alan Katz demonstrates his love of familiar songs and nursery rhymes by writing new lyrics that can be sung to them. For this assignment,...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: An Orginal Compare/contrast Lesson: The Most Memorable Teacher
Before writing, students should listen to and discuss the writing style of the picture book, Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. This seven-step, teacher-created lesson was inspired by the NNWP's Going Deep with Compare and...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Scary Somethings
Dick Gackenbach's classic picture book, Harry and The Terrible Whatzit, is a wonderful story about a child and his fear of the Whatzit that he is sure lives in his cellar. The story shows how through determination and the desire to save...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Compare and Contrast Lesson: Opposing Points of View in History
After reading/listening to the picture book I am the Dog I am the Cat by Donald Hall in which two characters have opposing viewpoints, students are asked to look deeply at opposing viewpoints of real people just before the Revolutionary...
EL Education
El Education: How Does Your Garden Grow?
This book was created by kindergarten students from the East End Community Charter School in Portland, Maine, as part of an eight-week learning expedition on local food and gardens called, "How Does Your Garden Grow?" These young...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Snowflake Bentley as a Framing Text for Multigenre Writing
Using Snowflake Bentley as a model, students create a working definition of multigenre text and then use that definition to create their own multigenre piece about winter or another theme.
EL Education
El Education: Get a Clue
This nonfiction children's book was created by 1st grade students at the Genesee Valley Community Charter School in Rochester, New York, as part of a learning expedition on fossils and local geological history. The expedition consisted...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Question and Answer Books
Beginning writers work through a Writing Workshop format to create Question and Answer books. A series of mini-lessons, graphic organizers, possible texts, and samples of student work are all provided.
Utah Education Network
Uen: 1st Grade Act. 24: Interactive Writing
In this lesson, students will listen to nonfiction books about items that sink and float. Students will participate in filling in words to fill in a teacher-created chart that is connected to the information. Students will then write a...
NWT Literacy Council
Nwt Literacy Council: How to Kit: Making Talking Books [Pdf]
Talking books are ones created on the computer using digital photos and pictures with accompanying audio. This manual gives instructions in how to create them easily using Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. The booklet was made to support...
EL Education
El Education: If You Take a Dog to the Beach
Kindergarten students created this children's picture book. If You Take a Dog to the Beach was based on the commercial book series that includes If You Give a Moose a Muffin in which a sequence of events is kicked off by an initial...
EL Education
El Education: Our Book of Tools
Students choose a tool from a photograph and then become an expert on that tool. Through field visits to a hardware store, interviews with community members, and descriptive writing exercises, students learn the use of each tool....