Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

AASL Handout

Getting Ready for
Research: Building Skills in K-3
Author-educator
Melissa Stewart introduces scaffolded visual, information, and digital literacy
activities to help K-3 students develop the observational, inquiry, and critical
thinking skills required to evaluate print and digital resources for nonfiction
reports. Supports Common Core RIT Standards 6 and 7 and Writing Standards 7 and
8.
 
Recommended Books

Encouraging Observation

Where’s
Walrus? by Steve Savage

Duck!
Rabbit! by Amy Krause Rosenthal

The Power of Pictures

Wave by Suzy Lee

Fossil by Bill
Thomson

The Girl and
the Bicycle by Mark Peet


Great blog
post with suggestions for wordless picture book read alouds:

http://www.threebooksanight.com/how-tos/read-a-wordless-book/


Words
and Pictures that Work Together

Blackout by John Rocco

One Day, The
End by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Where in the
Wild by David M. Schwartz

Pictures that Go Beyond the Words

A Couple of
Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

Redwoods by Jason
Chin

 

Visual
Teaching Strategies Method

I use images from picture books I’ve written (A Place for Turtles, Feathers: Not Just for Flying, When Rain Falls,
Under the Snow), but you can use illustrations from any illustrated book,
fiction or nonfiction.

Extracting Content-Area Information

Sample Question: How do
animals depend on the place where they live?

Book Pair: Just Ducks by Nicola Davies & Hip-pocket Papa by Sandra Markle

Sample Wonder Statement: I wonder
how a rain forest is different from a desert.

Book Pair: The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry & Here Is a Southwestern Desert by Madeliene Dunphy

For more samples and book suggestions:
Perfect Pairs: Using Fiction & Nonfiction
Picture Books to Teach Life Science, K-2 by Melissa Stewart & Nancy
Chesley

Books with
Designs that Convey an Extra Layer of Information

Move! by Steve Jenkins

Mosquito Bite by Alexandra Siy

The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton

4 Responses

  3. I am late in posting, but I found your session to be so helpful and worthwhile. Thank you!

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