The Story Behind WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS and Writing Lyrical Nonfiction
Carole Lindstrom discusses the inspiration behind WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS and talks about how she approaches nonfiction stories.
The Immersion Phase of a Unit: Reading and Writing Collide
The immersion phase of a unit allows us all to get to know our subject. For students, it might be ideas they have and for teachers, it is about getting to know their writers a bit better.
The Joys of Sharing Expository Nonfiction Mentor Texts with Students + a Giveaway
Consider sharing these six books with your fact-loving students.
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win all six books for your classroom library.
NCTE 2018: Here We Come!
Here’s a peek at the dates and times three members of our co-author team will be presenting at NCTE this weekend.
Building a House of Fiction on a Foundation of Nonfiction
Meet Lester Laminack at the corner of story and information. You’ll chat a while. He’ll introduce you to a couple of characters and walk with you through the South Carolina Lowcountry. And hopefully you’ll leave filled with new information.
Fault Lines in the Constitution: A Review, Five Tips, + Giveaway!
This new book by Cynthia and Sanford Levinson is a treasure trove of information as well as a handy example of many elements of inspiring nonfiction writing.
The Importance of Science: My 2017 #NF10for10 Selections
These ten picture books will not only teach students about important topics in science, but they’ll also help kids become better writers.
Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10
Today is the annual Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10, hosted by Cathy Mere from Reflect and Refine, Mandy Robek of Enjoy and Embrace Learning, and Julie Balen of Write at the Edge. This is my fourth year participating in this event, which provides me with a chance to share ten nonfiction picture books I have been using as mentor texts with elementary school writers.
Putting the Exploratory Notebook into practice…with thanks to Ralph Fletcher
Putting the Exploratory Notebook into practice…
New Mentor Texts for Information Writing
The books featured in this post, all of which were published in 2015, represent a variety of information writing. All of these are texts that can pull double- and even triple-duty in your classroom, thereby allowing you to use a text during read-aloud time so you can revisit it during a writing workshop minlesson and/or in a content area.
Writing Information Books with Voice and Beauty: Diving Into Information Writing Blog Series
When I was a kid, our town library had a whole special room filled with children’s books. It was one of my favorite places in the world. That was where I fell in … Continue Reading Writing Information Books with Voice and Beauty: Diving Into Information Writing Blog Series
Crafting Nonfiction: Conducting Research and Organizing Information
Melissa Stewart, award-winning author of more than 150 nonfiction books for children, steps into our Author’s Spotlight today. In her post, she shares about the chunk and check process, which will help your students conduct research.
Putting Into Practice What I Learned about Authentic Information Writing From Ralph Fletcher
The Monday morning after Ralph Fletcher’s presentation on Authentic Information Writing at Vassar College, I gathered my sixth graders at our reading area and shared what I had heard and learned….
Black History Month & Beyond – My #NF10for10 + 10 Book Giveaways
Today is the annual Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10, hosted by Cathy Mere from Reflect and Refine, Mandy Robek of Enjoy and Embrace Learning, and Julie Balen of Write … Continue Reading Black History Month & Beyond – My #NF10for10 + 10 Book Giveaways
Charts and mini charts to anchor writing moves
Last Tuesday, Clare wrote a wonderful slice of life post about what everyday learning in a classroom really looks like and feels like, aptly entitled: Learning is Managed Chaos. These … Continue Reading Charts and mini charts to anchor writing moves
How Do First Graders Choose Narrow Topics?
We will be starting a unit on informational writing to wrap up the school year. I wanted to demonstrate a different way of finding a topic, a narrow topic. I … Continue Reading How Do First Graders Choose Narrow Topics?
Nonfiction Book Clubs: A Snippet of an IRA Workshop
Today’s post is based on a workshop presented at the International Reading Association conference titled: Thinking, Talking, and Writing about Nonfiction Reading. Nonfiction Book Clubs provide the perfect opportunity for students to solidify all they are learning and to get better at writing about their reading.
Laying a strong foundation for writing nonfiction through mentor texts
We are moving from our researching phase into our first draft phase in writing workshop – and my sixth graders are beginning to experience the inevitable struggle of transforming their … Continue Reading Laying a strong foundation for writing nonfiction through mentor texts
Giving Students Choice in Note Taking
Tomorrow marks the last of our research days in writing workshop. When we return to school next week, my sixth graders will begin the process of sifting through their research … Continue Reading Giving Students Choice in Note Taking
Inspiring Independent Writing Project Mentor Text (Part 3 of 5)
If you’re planning to launch independent writing projects in your class during the final weeks of school, then you’ll most likely have several students who might want to write a … Continue Reading Inspiring Independent Writing Project Mentor Text (Part 3 of 5)
