When it’s time to start a nonfiction
writing project, students can use their Idea Incubator as a starting point. If they’re
choosing their own topic, they may be able to pull an idea directly from their
list.

What if you assign a whole-class topic that aligns with your content-area curriculum?
No problem. A list of facts, ideas, and questions is still a valuable tool.

Working alone or with a partner, students can search for a common thread among
the items on their list and brainstorm ways to apply that to the whole-class
topic you’ve assigned.

For
example, let’s say your class is studying the American Revolutionary War, and
you want everyone to write a report related to that whole-class topic. Obvious
choices might be George Washington or the Battle of Bunker Hill. But let’s face
it, not everyone has a deep natural interest in a dead white guy or a skirmish
that happened in Boston almost 250 years ago.

That’s where the Idea
Incubator can come in handy. As a student looks at her list, she may
notice a lot of facts, questions, and ideas about the weather and wonder if she
could write a report about the weather during the
Revolutionary War. After doing some research, she discovers that the 1770s were
an exceptionally cold, snowy period in history, and the weather influenced the
outcome of many battles. Bingo! She’s identified a great topic that she’s
excited about.

Another student notices that his list includes
some facts, questions, and ideas about numbers
and math. He might decide to create a series of infographics
comparing statistics related to different battles or the two competing armies.

A third student who’s fascinated by fashion could focus on the
kind of clothing the soldiers wore, including how a severe shortage of boots
affected the Colonial troops.

When students use an Idea Incubator to
recognize their natural interests and find ways to discuss a whole-class topic
through that lens, they’ll be more invested in the process and their final
piece will burst with passion and personality. But for this tool to work,
students need to start working on it now. Why not give it a try?

For more suggestions to make the process of teaching  informational writing more authentic, more like what professional writers do and how they approach their work, check out this anthology, which features essays by 50 of today’s leading authors of nonfiction books for children.