NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program

 Adult writers have been doing NaNoWriMo for years - the annual National Novel Writing Month  - held annually during the month of November. Since it began in 1999, writers have taken on the challenge of writing 50,000-word novels starting each November 1. Writers track their word count online, and while planning and research can be done ahead of time, all writing must actually be done between November 1 and November 30.

In 2005, NaNoWriMo started its Young Writers Program for younger writers and for teachers who wanted to bring this unique writing challenge to their classrooms. The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program is open is anyone who is age 17 and under - whether they are participating on their own or in a teacher-led K-12 program. Participants in the YWP and their teachers can set realistic word count goals that are age and ability appropriate, and there is also a handy Word Count calculator to use as a guide. Students can even write in teams or with partners. Individual writers ages 13 and over can also register to write 50,000-word novels, just like at the adult site.

According to the Young Writers Program website:

"In 2011, the Young Writers Program counted:

• 1,800 participating classrooms
• 50,000 registered writers and educators
• 81,000 total reach (comprising classroom participants + independent users)

In 2012, NaNoWriMo and the Young Writers Program expect to welcome over 300,000 authors writing novels in November."

The YWP website has resources for both writers and teachers. Lesson plans, workbooks, and discussion forums for support can all be found, was well as Pep Talks by well-known authors, web badges and flyers to promote the program. There are four downloadable curriculum guides covering grades K-12. Classroom Kits can also be ordered - one free for each teacher who is participating.

NaNoWriMo YWP is a great teaching tool for bringing real writing into the classroom. Focusing on writing a novel in a month gives students a real reason to write, and gives teachers great opportunities for teaching a host of writing skills to their students.

Once done - teachers can also look into publishing student work. CreateSpace and Figment are partnering with NaNoWriMo YWP to enable publication of student novels.

So, even though time is short to sign up - if you aren't familiar with NaNoWriMo - be sure to check it out and get your students involved in a great, and authentic, writing opportunity.

Original copyright 2012 +Irene Taylor. Permission to republish in print or online must be granted by Irene Taylor in writing.

Little Book Adventure: Explore the World Through Picture Books

The My Little Bookcase Project # 8 for the month of October is Explore the World Through Picture Books - a great project that combines geography, art, music and reading wonderful picture books. In this challenge, readers are encouraged to make a Discovery Box based on a favorite "around the world" picture book.

Children should choose books that are set in locations other than where they live. Here are three to get you started:

The Cat Who Walked Across France, by Katie Banks
The Legend of the Poinsettia, by Tomie de Paola
Traveling Tom and the Leprechaun, by Teresa Bateman

Once you have settled on a picture book, do some research to find the location and some famous landmarks. Readers can put many different things in their Discovery Boxes including maps, objects that might represent souvenirs, art activities, music of the chosen country, pictures of flags, currency and much more. The My Little Bookcase site has some great suggestions on things to include.

Younger students, or homeschooled students can work on a group box; older readers can each make their own to present to their class.

This is a great project to help students expand their knowledge. Using picture books will help to set the stage for readers of all abilities, and make great jumping off points for learning about the world.

Be creative and make a Discovery Box of your own!

Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.

Quick Tips for Teachers: Thanksgiving Math Activity

Ah, fall - it is in full swing in some places, with Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner. Thanksgiving is a great time to give your students some lessons on being good consumers. Try this fun comparison shopping activity.

Prepare for this activity by gathering Thanksgiving advertisement pages from various food stores in your area.  Discuss with students items which might be included on a typical Thanksgiving dinner menu. Agree, as a class, on a set of basic dinner elements that each group will be "shopping" for.

Give each group of students the advertisement flyers from 3 or 4 different stores. Have students work with their groups to calculate the cost of the basic Thanksgiving dinner items using the prices advertised by each store.

Next, have students create charts to display their data.  Groups should report their findings to the class.  After all data has been presented, determine which store offered the best values.

As a variation on this activity, allow students to include advertised coupon savings in their calculations, and compare how these affect the final costs.

This activity works great for any holiday meal - or a lesson on family finances and meal planning, as well.

Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor.All rights reserved.

Halloween Hangman (for Thanksgiving, too!)

Here's a fun way for students to practice October or November spelling words - play Halloween Hangman. This is a fun game for any holiday, Thanksgiving included!

Students will need their current spelling list,a piece of lined writing paper, and one set of "scarecrow parts" for each pair of students. Play as in regular hangman.

One student chooses a spelling word and draws a number of blanks to represent the number of letters in the word he has chosen on the writing paper. The other student guesses letters in an attempt to guess the spelling word. If the guess is correct, the first student writes the letter in the correct place.

For each incorrect guess,the first student builds the scarecrow on the desk in front of him, adding one scarecrow part until the whole scarecrow has been built.  If the student guesses the word before the scarecrow is complete, he gets to give the next word. If the scarecrow is completed first, he must try to guess another word.

Have students reuse their "scarecrow parts" throughout the game.

Copyright 2012 Irene Taylor. The copyright of the article Halloween Hangman in Teacher Tips and Lesson Plans is owned by Irene Taylor. Permission to republish in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.

Presidential Election 2012: The Road to the White House

 The upcoming presidential election in the United States is a great time to have your students brush up on some Election Day facts. The events leading up to the November elections provide many great opportunities for students to learn about the office of the president, the responsibilities of that position, and what it takes to become the president.

Give some of these activities a try to make the Election of 2012 a great learning experience for your students.

The Road to the White House

Brainstorm with your students the steps they think a person would need to take to be elected to the office of the President. Help them to include these steps: declaring as a candidate, winning the nomination, outlining a platform, campaigning, winning the electoral votes, being inaugurated. Next, give each student several 3" x 18" pieces of black construction paper which will be used as the "road." Along this "road" have students use index cards to illustrate each of the steps they have listed as candidates follow the road to the White House.

Can You Be President?

Ask students to make a list of the requirements for becoming the president. Then have them share those ideas and create one class list. Next, share the actual requirements with the class and discuss the similarities and differences between their lists and the actual requirements. You may wish to have students write about why they chose some of the other things that they included on their lists.

Mock Election

Prior to the actual election, hold a mock election in your class or school. Have students nominate classmates for class president, vice president, and any other offices you choose. Have them follow the steps the actual candidates go through, making speeches, getting the nomination, and the actual vote.

Straw Poll

You may also wish to conduct a straw poll of the actual candidates in your school. On Election Day, have students take informal votes in other classes. Tally the votes at the end of the school day, and then compare your results with those of the real election.

Don't Forget to Vote Posters

Help students encourage their parents to vote by having them make "Don't Forget to Vote Posters." On a 12"x18" piece of construction paper, have students create posters detailing the importance of voting. Encourage them to display the posters at home and remind their parents to vote on Election Day.

Electoral College

The concept of the Electoral College is difficult for many voters. Help your students to understand this idea by discussing how actual votes translate into electoral votes, and how that determines who wins the election. Discuss the importance of states that have the largest number of electoral votes, and the strategy the candidates may use while campaigning.

Winning Web Sites 

Use these sites for information and other resources to enchance your study of the election:

The Election: Classroom Activities
Brain Pop: The Presidential Election
Project Vote Smart
Who Elects the President?
The Electoral College
POTUS: President of the United States
The American President
Kids Voting USA
Election Comic Strips

Original copyright 2000 Irene Taylor. The copyright of the article The Road to the White House in Teacher Tips and Lesson Plans is owned by Irene Taylor. This article is reprinted here with the author's permission. Permission to republish The Road to the White House in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.