Informational Books: Learning to Find Our Expertise
In fifth grade, students take part in writing informational books, using the writer's workshop process. During the prewriting phase, we activate our background knowledge and work together to gather ideas so we can each identify our areas of expertise. We examine a wide variety of mentor texts so each student can find one text, which they can refer to, throughout the authoring process. Throughout the drafting process, we also collaborate with the art department, to create covers for our books. Students are also responsible for taking photos or creating additional artwork to illustrate their books. Work each day includes a brief mini-lesson, which gives students one thing to focus on, as they undertake their writing. During the sharing component of the workshop, students have the opportunity to share their writing with their classmates.