Article
Harold D. Underdown

Writing and Illustrating Multicultural Children's Books

For Students 9th - 10th
A thorough resource on the wide-ranging topic of multicultural literature for children. Includes information about the current field of multiculturalism, opportunities for writers, finding a publisher, and looking toward the future of...
Article
Harold D. Underdown

Writing Young Adult and Children's Fiction and Fantasy

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A great article concerning writing children's literature, especially in the area of fantasy or science fiction. The author provides information concerning how to develop characters, creating literary elements, and discusses some pitfalls...
Activity
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: National Children's Book Week

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
As part of a unit on National Children's Book Week, this classroom activity suggests ways in which teachers can implement themes of the week into various lessons. The site also includes lesson plan ideas, web links, and additional texts.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: The Children's Picture Book Project

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Contains plans for eight lessons that ask learners to write their own children's picture book in order to review story structure and literary techniques. Students also write book reviews of each other's work. In addition to objectives...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Bridging Literature and Mathematics

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Contains plans for five 50-minute interdisciplinary lessons that ask students to write about math-related, informational books such as "Actual Size" (Jenkins, 2004) and "If You Hopped Like a Frog" (Schwartz, 1999). Students use books...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Composing and Performing Found Poetry

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
Excellent lesson plan that requires students to work collaboratively to select parts of poetry and "perform" poems for the class. Uses the book "Berenstein Bears," but any children's book could be acceptable for the lesson plan.
Activity
Harold D. Underdown

The Purple Crayon: Resources About Agents for Writers

For Students 9th - 10th
A comprehensive research guide for writers who are interested in finding an agent. Rich with information and helpful hints; site is suited for children's literature writers but can also apply to other genres.
Article
Reading Rockets

Reading Rockets: Goals for First Grade: Early Reading and Writing

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
Children go through certain phases of reading development from preschool through third grade- from exploration of books to independent reading. Find out what children at the first-grade phase should be able to do, and what teachers and...
Handout
Bibliomania

Bibliomania: Biography of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For Students 9th - 10th
This Bibliomania.com site a biography of the 19th century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). Discusses his parents, early youth, education, literary ambitions, years of travel and study, Harvard tenure, love for...
Activity
Harold D. Underdown

The Purple Crayon: Getting It Out of the "Slush Pile"

For Students 9th - 10th
The "slush pile" is a publisher's sizeable reading stash, and this site is a great resource for attempting to get a publisher to get your manuscript OUT of the pile. Includes several pieces of advice concerning the story itself, your...
Handout
Harold D. Underdown

The Use of Visual Elements to Tell a Better Story

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Short article gives excellent tips concerning how to use visual elements to enhance a written story. Article was written specifically for children's literature, but can also apply to other genres as well.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Word Wizards: Students Making Words

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
Using four popular children's books, "Corduroy", "Franklin in the Dark", "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", and "Chrysanthemum", the Word Wizard interactive game builds vocabulary with related words. Each 30-minute lesson looks for patterns...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Corduroy Lesson Plan

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This ReadWriteThink activity features an opportunity for students to respond to literature through writing journals about "Corduroy," by Don Freeman. This idea could be used with other books as well.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Book Sorting: Using Observation and Comprehension

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
Critical thinking, comprehension and analysis skills are the focus of this physical activity. Good beginning to teaching different ways of looking at things.
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Flying to Freedom: Tar Beach & the People Could Fly

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Comparing and contrasting works and looking for underlying themes and messages are at the heart of this multicultural lesson plan. Provides links to several background resources, and suggestions for assessment.
Unknown Type
EL Education

El Education: A Beaver Story

For Teachers 5th - 7th
This children's book about beavers was written and illustrated by 6th graders after extensive field research with experts in the field. The book is unique in that it offers a continuous fictional narrative at the top of each page, an...
Unknown Type
EL Education

El Education: Healthy Snacks Recipe Book

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This recipe book was created by 1st and 2nd graders at the Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., during as part of a Fitness and Nutrition Learning Expedition. Students created this kid-friendly cook book from their own...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Reading Buddies

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students will increase reading and writing proficiency and heighten interest in reading through this Reading Buddy program. During this two-week unit each middle school student will use technology tools to create an original holiday...
Lesson Plan
Schools of California Online Resources for Education

Literature Unit: The House of Dies Drear

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
"The House of Dies Drear," is a powerful novel by Virginia Hamilton.
Website
Other

Book Page Interview: Gary Soto

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, part of the online version of the magazine BookPage, provides a 1998 interview with Gary Soto, in which he discusses the themes of some of his works, his background, and his use of different genres of writing.
Unknown Type
EL Education

El Education: The Fish and Their Gifts

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
High school students write and illustrate original fables for younger students and create bilingual children's books to encourage cultural awareness on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Unknown Type
My Hero Project

My Hero: Dr. Seuss

For Students 9th - 10th
This brief article on the writing of Dr. Seuss introduces readers to such books as "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Cat in the Hat." Written by students, this article provides "related links" for further reading.
Unknown Type
EL Education

El Education: Discovering the Genesee Volume 1

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Discovering the Genesee was created by third grade students in Rochester, New York, as part of a Learning Expedition on local history. Student work was guided by four questions, which became the chapters of their book: Who were the...
Lesson Plan
Other

Alliance to Save Energy: Conservation for the Ages

For Teachers 9th - 10th
"In this project based lesson plan, students learn about various types of energy and the need to conserve energy, write a children's story about saving energy, and read their energy books to elementary students."

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