Children's Book Publishing Project

Day 1: Introduce children's book publishing project. Explain to students they will be writing a children's book for another student in another class (preferably Kindergarten or 1st grade). Students will go through the entire writing process: brainstorming, drafting, editing, revising, publishing. Discuss with students the attributes of a lower-elementary leveled book (few words on each page, very little inferencing, etc.) Ask students what they remember about children's books when they were in kindergarten/first grade. Then, tell students every story will be something about LADYBUGS! 

Day 2: Mini-Lesson on Theme. Create an anchor chart that shows students that Theme is TheMessage. What lesson do the characters learn? What can you apply to your own life? Give students the example: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Have students brainstorm in groups other themes a story can have. Students come back together and list them out on the anchor chart. 

Day 3: Read the story Salt in His Shoes about Michael Jordan. As a class, talk about what the theme is of the story (Never give up, practice makes perfect, etc.) Write the theme and provide supporting details. Explain to students the supporting details are things that happened in the book that led the reader to understanding this was the lesson learned. (Michael wasn't performing well due to his height, others were making fun of him, his mom told him to practice and pray, in the end, he won the game for his team).

Day 4: Assign students their partners (2 to 3 in a group). Have students get with their partner(s) and discuss the possible themes they could depict in their stories. Remind them their stories will have to do with ladybugs so decide which themes could go with that topic. (Don't judge a book by it's cover, treat others the way you want to be treated, be true to yourself, etc.) Students will write their theme ideas on Slide 2 of the Publishing Project Brainstorming slide deck.

Day 5: Read the story Each Kindness. Complete the same activity used on day 3 with Salt in His Shoes. What is the theme? Which supporting details helped you decide? Then, students will go back to the Publishing Project Brainstorming slide deck and finalize their theme on slide 3. Give feedback on student themes.

Day 6: Students will decide on the characters and setting of their children's book. What will the names be? Where will it take place? Are the ladybugs main characters or just part of the story? Students will type characters and setting on slides 4 and 5. If students need to revise theme on slide 3, day 6 is the day to do so. 

Day 7: Mini-Lesson on Summary. Have students create a chart on their pages with three squares (beginning, middle, end). Tell students that summaries consist of details from each piece of the story. It's like wrapping the story up in a small present with a pretty bow. Students will get with their partners and begin deciding the key details for the beginning, middle, and end of their story on slides 6-8. 

Day 8: Continue working on summary. Remind students that whatever happens in the story, the characters have to learn the lesson the students chose when deciding their theme.

Day 9: Students will decide on a title for their book. Show multiple books with different types of titles. Explain to students that titles help young readers decide what the story might be about. Students will type their title ideas on 9.

Day 10: Begin Publishing Project Draft slide deck. Give students time to just write with their partners. Remind students that children's books do not contain lots of words on each page. Show students how to duplicate slide 2 to create new book pages as the progress their story.

Day 11: Students will continue drafting slide deck. Conference with each group ensuring the beginning, middle, and end are flowing nicely. Make sure characters are learning a lesson.

Day 12: Students will finish up their stories and begin to add illustrations. You can have students use Google images for their illustrations, or actually draw them and insert pictures of the drawings. Remind students that often times, kindergarten readers use illustrations to help them make meaning of texts.

Day 13: Students will submit publishing projects to the Publishing Company (you). Help students edit and revise stories. Check for ladybug characters, and theme.

Day 14: Students make final touches and practice reading stories together.

Day 15: Read books to a younger class :)

Read alouds can be exchanged for others that you have. Students do not have to read to another class, it just makes it more fun!

Remediation: Students write simpler story with shorter, easy to read sentences on each page.

Extension: Students can write beginning chapter books instead of picture books.