Teacher Tip Tuesday: Create a Book!
Our Teacher Tip for today goes along with our theme a couple weeks ago: Make Room for Creativity. The tip I’d like to share is: Invite opportunities for your students to create a book! There are so many different ways this could look, so it can fit the style of what you’re learning or doing in your classroom. I’ve seen many teachers use this idea in really unique ways!
My goal for today is to invite you to brainstorm about what this tip could look like in your classroom environment and how you might add your flair! Recently, I was reinspired to invite opportunities to create a book when my niece and I started making one together. We started reading the nonfiction series, “Who Would Win?” by Jerry Pallotta. (If you’re an elementary school teacher, chances are you know the books I’m talking about!) We got so excited about this series, we decided to write our own version: “Who Would Win: Ultimate Cat Rumble.” We’ve spent hours researching, writing, and illustrating this book and we’re still far from finished!
Not only is this an academically rich project - my mind has been racing with all of the reading, writing, speaking, and listening standards we are meeting - this is an incredibly special project for us to work on together. The ownership and creativity has been given to my niece. She is learning to make decisions, think through the process, change her mind, restart a few things, keep a few things, etc. We are having valuable conversations. A project like writing a book will have these outcomes for all students who are invited to participate.
I’m sure you are thinking of many more or could share amazing experiences when you have created books with your students. I hope you share those stories with me at: christina.meline@teammeline.com! If you’re still brainstorming, here are a few more ideas:
Nonfiction
Write a Memoir (This could be a wonderful time to also include a closure opportunity from this school year)
Write an autobiography
Write a biography about someone you look up to
Create a memory book from your ____ grade year
Write a short book about a nonfiction topic you’re interested in
Research and write about an area in your community you are passionate about
Fiction
Pick a time in history you are curious about. Write a historical fiction story set in that time
Think of a fantasy story you’ve read before. Use this as a mentor text to write your own fantasy novel
Write a realistic fiction story
