Creating Non Fiction Books During Summer School

On Monday, I asked my summer school kiddos what they knew about non fiction books.

"They're make believe."
"No, no, I think they're real"
"Mrs. H?!?!"

I reached for a book about cheetahs. I asked them to turn to a partner and discuss why an author would write this book. I was relieved they found a partner quickly! Progress.

What was supposed to be a short mini lesson on non fiction text features turned into a week-long exploration of cheetahs, research skills, and creating non fiction books.

I know some people beat up on KWL charts, but sometimes tried and true is the way to go. They're not the be all, end all of graphic organizers but when used with intention and purpose, they can be incredibly beneficial to students.. We made our chart Monday with questions and added a bit to it each time we read from the book.

This morning, I passed out a blank book to each student and asked them to create a book about cheetahs. I had planned for about 30 minutes before I would hear, "I'm done!"

They worked on their books for an hour and half. When I finally asked them to stop, I became the least popular person in the room.

I was floored by how impressive their books were! They had tables of contents, headings, glossaries, labeled pictures and facts about cheetahs.

On their way out, I was asked which animal we would be researching next week. I figured one more week of guiding them through research and then they can select an animal to discover. The students are really into creating their own books. I hope we can keep the momentum going for the next to weeks as summer school winds down. It's pretty remarkable how much you can get done with just 12 students in your class!  What do you enjoy about summer school?

Until next time!