A Community of Experts
Since 2019 marks the 10th Anniversary of this blog, on Fridays this year, I’m updating and re-running some past posts that sparked conversation or that I think still have a lot to offer people teaching or writing nonfiction. Today’s essay, which is perfect for the beginning of the school year, originally appeared on October 20, […]
What Is Research, Really?
From an ELA point of view, “research” is something you do to gather information for a report or project. But if you’re a scientist, research has a whole different meaning. It’s a way of developing a new understanding of the world and how it works. Every once in a while, my husband and I have […]
The Heart and Sole of Science Poetry Research by Leslie Bulion
Today author Leslie Bulion discusses some key aspects of writing science poetry for kids. Thanks for your contribution, Leslie. Allow me to introduce one of my favorite writing tools: my boots! I have always been a hands-on learner, so after reading widely to gain a foundational understanding of a new subject, I pull on my […]
Between the Lines: The Nonfiction Proposal by Patricia Newman
Most people imagine middle-grade and young adult fiction authors tapping on laptops, teasing sparks of creativity from their imaginations. Would it surprise you to learn that image also applies to MG and YA nonfiction authors? Not only as we write our manuscripts, but as we craft our proposals. I’ve written five nonfiction books for Millbrook […]
Classifying Nonfiction: A Fresh Look at Nonfiction Categories
Update June 24, 2024: My thinking about nonfiction classification has evolved since I wrote this post, but I’ve decided not to delete it because there’s value in looking back at my past ideas. For my current thinking, please see the book 5 Kinds of Nonfiction as well as information on my website. A couple of months ago, a […]
MSLA Handout: Innovative Activities for Teaching Nonfiction Reading and Writing
Author-educator Melissa Stewart shares fun, practical ideas for helping K-5 students develop information literacy skills as they read award-winning nonfiction books and produce their own informational writing. Attendees will go home with creative ways to support student learning in the library and via collaboration with classroom teachers. READING Nonfiction Smackdown! Upper elementary students read two […]
In the Classroom: A Community of Experts
When students have the opportunity to write a report on a topic they choose themselves, you may run into some research dilemmas. What if your library doesn’t have suitable sources? What if the reading level of websites is too advanced? Professional nonfiction writers often have trouble finding information too. Even a nationwide or worldwide search […]
RI TeacherFest Handout: Helping Students Overcome Their Biggest Nonficiton Writing Roadblocks
Today Sarah Albee and I are leading a 90-minute session at the Rhode Island Teacherfest. We will begin by asking the educators in the audience to share the most common nonfiction writing challenges their students face, and then we will suggest solutions. We will also invite audience members to share their own creative ideas with […]
Behind the Books: Guiding Students Through the Nonfiction Researching and Writing Process
A few weeks ago, I stumbled onto this post by Laura Perle (@VennLibrarian), Library Director at Milton Academy in Milton, MA, and found a link to a FANTASTIC kid-friendly graphic that outlines the steps of the nonfiction research and writing process, from choosing a topic all the way through creating a bibliography. I know it’s a […]
Nonfiction Joy: Passion and Process
Thanks to rock star educator JoEllen McCarthy (@JoEllenMcCarthy), I had an opportunity to chat about nonfiction writing with uber-talented authors Sarah Albee and Loree Griffin Burns last Saturday as part of the Educator Collaborative‘s Spring Gathering (#TheEdCollabGathering). If you didn’t get a chance to catch our program live, I have great news. It was archived here, […]