Students conduct research and write original works of nonfiction on topics of their choice.
NCTE's NCTE Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children is announced today.
Celebrate Children's Authors and Illustrators Week
Students "step into the shoes" of their favorite author by reading several of their books, conducting research, and preparing displays and presentations for the class.
Alex Haley, author of Roots, was born in 1921.
Students explore their own roots by interviewing family members and use their family history to write a fictional account of their roots.
CNN debuted as the first television news network in 1980.
Students brainstorm a list of modern news sources and from previous centuries. Groups then research one of these sources and create a timeline showing the evolution of news.
Author Laura Joffe Numeroff was born in 1953.
Using one of Numeroff's books as a model, students use the circle plot structure as a culminating project for a unit of study completed in the classroom.
Anne Frank received her famous diary in 1942.
Students learn about eyewitness reports through a lesson that is grade-level appropriate. Then, groups use primary source documents and research an event using eyewitness accounts.
The RMS Titanic sank on this day in 1912.
Students use the Internet Workshop model to explore web links about the Titanic disaster.
On this day in 1935, Elvis Presley was born.
Students visit the National Archives to read a letter written by Elvis Presley to President Nixon. The Letter Generator is used to write a letter to a current artist suggesting a meeting with the President.
Annie Moore becomes the first immigrant to enter Ellis Island in 1892.
Students explore online resources about Ellis Island, interview an immigrant in the area, and publish their stories.
Celebrate National Library Week!
Students learn more about libraries as part of National Library Week.
Celebrate Louise Erdrich's birthday today.
Students watch a short video about Erdrich's love of books and write their own memory piece.
Labor Day honors the labor movement in the United States.
Marked by parades, picnics, and other celebrations, Labor Day is a time set aside to recognize the achievements of the American labor movement and the dignity in all work.
Jon Scieszka was born in 1954.
Students review Scieszka's tips for encouraging young people to read and then create their own, sharing ideas with adults in their community through a letter.
Today, the American Library Association announces its annual book award winners.
Students research different awards given by the ALA and do an activity based on one of the awards.
Telling My Story: Make a Bio-Cube
Let children explore an interesting subject—themselves. An online tool will teach them to summarize and organize information as they write.
Amazing Biographies: Writing About People Who Change the World
After reading about historical figures and other important people that have changed the world, children choose someone that they consider to be "amazing"—either someone they've heard about or someone they know—and create a book page that highlights this person.
Paul Revere began his famous midnight ride in 1775.
Through the study of Paul Revere, students learn about primary source documents while researching their family histories, with which they create and compare their family trees.
Go Wild with Webcams!
Can't make it to a zoo? After reading a book about apes, observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many Webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world.
Star Light, Star Bright: Reading and Writing about the Nighttime Sky
Children watch the nighttime sky come alive as the read a book about fascinating elements in the night and write a poem/story about the things they learn!