Performing for an audience is important. If I came to school every day and taught to an empty classroom, I would never be truly prepared. While my audience happens to be about sixty 14 to 15 year-olds, having them hanging on to my lessons encourages me to continue pulling late-nights to try and perfect my discussions and projects. Whether it is the fear of being critiqued or judged, something about having an audience forces people to try a bit harder.
Writing for an audience is equally important. While we share our journals and assignments daily, some students might become a bit comfortable with the class and let their creativity and writing lapse once in a while. To try and combat our class audience becoming a norm, we recently made our own individual children's books for an outside group.
I began this few-day project by asking students to bring in any children's books they had around the house. While I knew not every student would remember or be able to bring in a book, we only needed about four to read aloud.
Writing for an audience is equally important. While we share our journals and assignments daily, some students might become a bit comfortable with the class and let their creativity and writing lapse once in a while. To try and combat our class audience becoming a norm, we recently made our own individual children's books for an outside group.
I began this few-day project by asking students to bring in any children's books they had around the house. While I knew not every student would remember or be able to bring in a book, we only needed about four to read aloud.
We reviewed the following terms: characterization, conflict, and theme. We gathered on the floor, pre-school style, to read a few books aloud. After each book, we discussed how our terms applied to each book: What conflict did the animal go through? How did we learn about his or her characteristics? What do you think the author wanted us to learn? The boys did exceptionally well recognizing the ideas from the short books. We then discussed common themes in children's books: acceptance, friendship, lessons, dreams, hope, etc.
The assignment for each student was to create his own children's book, paying special attention to characterization, conflict, and theme. Each book should have a title page, at least thirty sentences, and at least six pictures (traced or drawn). You might be thinking, "Why would these boys ever enjoy making a book about a baby animal?" The catch was that I give them to a friend of mine who teaches a gifted 3rd grade class at a public school in St. Louis City. Knowing these books would be enjoyed by elementary school students forced my students to really care about their plots, pictures, and layouts.
The assignment for each student was to create his own children's book, paying special attention to characterization, conflict, and theme. Each book should have a title page, at least thirty sentences, and at least six pictures (traced or drawn). You might be thinking, "Why would these boys ever enjoy making a book about a baby animal?" The catch was that I give them to a friend of mine who teaches a gifted 3rd grade class at a public school in St. Louis City. Knowing these books would be enjoyed by elementary school students forced my students to really care about their plots, pictures, and layouts.
I will openly admit it is hilarious to hear 14 year-old boys enthusiastically ask each other about plots and pictures. Two freshman, who both played varsity football in the fall, wrote about a ladybug looking for love, and a walrus who is bullied until he saves the day and his fellow sea creatures accept him.
Actual conversation as they were editing:
"Well, does she find love??" One asked the other.
"Obviously!" He replied. "Now let me see your crustacean drawing..."
Plots ranged from a green sloth who is often left out, to a persistent penguin who never gives up on learning to fly, to a certain Seattle coach who needs to learn to run the ball. As always, our favorite, mustached Jeff Fisher also had his own story.
Actual conversation as they were editing:
"Well, does she find love??" One asked the other.
"Obviously!" He replied. "Now let me see your crustacean drawing..."
Plots ranged from a green sloth who is often left out, to a persistent penguin who never gives up on learning to fly, to a certain Seattle coach who needs to learn to run the ball. As always, our favorite, mustached Jeff Fisher also had his own story.
After we finished our books, each student had a turn to read his to the class. While it is entertaining to read our stories to each other, the real audience will be our 3rd grade readers.
These are our stories!
These are our stories!