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Writing Text for a Nonfiction Children’s Book
A WebQuest for high school students (Children’s Literature)
Designed by Randi J. Steiger
Steiger30@yahoo.com
Introduction
| Task|
Process|
Evaluation|
Conclusion| Credits|
Introduction
If you wanted to write a nonfiction children’s book
and you knew very little about your topic, you would have to gather
the information. Then, you would need to organize this information.
The
Task
Your task is to create the text for a nonfiction
children’s book. You are to write about a specific topic, how to do
something or a person. When you are finished, your text should be able
to be transformed into a book. Your information should be interesting,
organized, age appropriate and language appropriate. Keep in mind that
your target audience is children ages 4-13.
Process
How do you accomplish this?
Select a topic of interest to you. Here are some
topics from which you might choose.
Country, animals, sharks, dolphins, whales, weather,
earthquakes, tornados, flowers, Amelia Earhart
or other adventurers, presidents, inventors, sports figures, rivers,
oceans, deserts, artists, musicians, actors, authors, bridges, landmarks,
how to skateboard
Gather information from at least two sources. Use
the links listed below. You may use books or magazines, too.
Nonfiction Links
http://www.hhslibrary.org/
http://www.ajkids.com/
http://www.kidsclick.org/
Filter the information. Decide what to include,
what to omit and what to highlight.
Organize your information.
Write your text using the information you selected.
REMEMBER YOU ARE TO WRITE THE TEXT USING YOUR OWN WORDS.
You will
be given 11 4x6 index cards. You are to write the text on the index
cards. Each index card represents a page. Your first index card should
be your table of contents. Your second index card should contain your
introduction. The other 9 index cards should be the text for your nonfiction
book.
Evaluation
Your project will be evaluated using the following rubric with a score
from 1-5, with 1 the lowest and 5 the highest.
| Quality |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| Meaning: the extent
to which the response exhibits sound understanding,
interpretation, and analysis of the task |
Provide no evidence
of understanding
Make no connections
between information
in documents and assigned task |
Convey a basic understanding
of the task
Makes few connections
between information and ideas in the documents and the
task |
Convey a basic understanding
of the task
Makes connections between
information and ideas in documents and the assigned
task |
Convey a good understanding
of the task
Makes clear connections
between information and ideas in documents and the assigned
task
|
Conveys a thorough understanding
of the task
Makes solid connections
between information and ideas in the documents and assigned
task |
| Development: the extent
to which ideas are elaborated using specific and relevant
evidence
|
Minimal, with no evidence |
Develop ideas briefly,
using some details from the document |
Develop some ideas more
fully than others, using specific and relevant details
from the documents |
Develop ideas clearly
and consistently, using specific and relevant details
from the documents |
Develop ideas clearly
and fully, making effective use of relevant and specific
details from the documents |
| Organization: the extent
to which the response exhibits direction, shape and
coherence |
Show no focus or organization |
Establish, but fail
to maintain an appropriate focus
|
Maintain a clear and
appropriate focus most of the time
Exhibit a logical sequence
of ideas |
Maintain a clear and
appropriate focus
Exhibit a logical sequence
of ideas |
Maintain a clear and
appropriate focus
Exhibit a logical and
coherent structure through skillful use of devices and
transitions |
| Language: the extent
to which the response reveals an awareness of target
audience and purpose through words, sentence structure
and sentence variety |
Minimal
Use language that is
incoherent or inappropriate |
Rely on language from
the documents with little awareness of audience or purpose
Exhibit some attempt
to vary sentence structure or length |
Uses appropriate language
with some awareness of audience
Occasionally makes effective
use of sentence structure and length |
Uses language that is
fluent and original with awareness of audience
Vary structure and length
of sentence |
Uses language that is
engaging and has a sense of voice with awareness of
audience
Vary structure and length
of sentences to enhance meaning |
| Conventions: the extent
to which the response exhibits conventional spelling,
punctuation, paragraphing, capitalization, grammar and
usage |
Minimal or illegible |
Demonstrate emerging
control with occasional errors that hinder comprehension |
Demonstrate partial
control with occasional errors that do not hinder comprehension |
Demonstrate control
of conventions with occasional errors |
Demonstrate control
of conventions with essentially no errors |
Conclusion
Students will have learned how to create text
for a nonfiction children’s book for a specific audience.
In addition, students will have demonstrated higher order
thinking skills including analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
* Elements
from rubric taken from ELA Regents
Last
updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page
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