The
“Awesome Authors” curriculum example for primary grades PreK-2 offers
young students a chance to use spoken,
written, and visual language to learn about a favorite author, read his/her
stories, and meet the author. Students learn how to gather information, synthesize it, and create and communicate
information.
Before
the project begins, the teacher selects an author to study and identifies available resources about the
author (video, websites, including the author’s, print, CD-ROMs, software,
audiotapes, laserdiscs). The students find books to read by the author and explore the variety of media found to
learn about the author’s life and writing.
In
small groups the students create a drama or reader’s theatre presentation
based on a story they read by the author. They use a video camcorder to
record their presentation to the class. The teacher then uses concept-mapping software to
categorize and classify information the students share about what they know of
the author and what they need to know. The next step is for the teacher to plan a
video or online conference with the author.
The students and teacher record their questions for the author on a
word processor to ask during the electronic or e-mail interview. (This activity can be expanded to include
student-written stories and illustrations and interviews with peer
authors. It fulfills English Language
Arts Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12.)
