We will explore educators’ new ideas about reading, analyzing, and writing nonfiction. Old strategies mislead classes: the 5-paragraph essay oversimplifies nonfiction. We will discuss the goals, structure, and development of complex modern essays, including scholarly articles. Participants will receive handouts with essay structures, lesson plans, and nonfiction writing assignments for students.
Diverse works inspire empathy and good student writing. We will analyze poems by women, Hispanic, Native-American, Black, Arab-American, and Asian-American poets: Alberto Ríos, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Mong-Lan, Joy Harjo, Naomi Shihab Nye, Robert Hayden, etc. We will discuss what makes a poem outstanding. Participants will get handouts with poems, lesson plans, and a bibliography.
Help students enjoy ‘reading it in and writing it out’ by embracing their author mojo. Hear how a former classroom teacher and published picture book author uses mentor texts to mine ideas, format stories, and hone craft. Explore lessons, games, and activities that provide the space and opportunity for students to have their voices heard and to represent their own communities.
Cindy Williams Schrauben lives in west Michigan where she writes books for children that range from the truly serious to the seriously silly. When not writing or sharing her books, this award-winning author might be found dissecting her grandsons’ shenanigans for story ideas, reading... Read More →
