Description
Do you have students whose nonfiction writing is formulaic, devoid of energy and voice? In Making Nonfiction from Scratch bestselling PD and children's book author Ralph Fletcher offers a candid critique of how nonfiction writing is often taught in schools and gives teachers the inspiration and strategies they need to help their students write authentic nonfiction. Skilled nonfiction writers draw on strategies, techniques, and craft found in other genres: poetry, comedy, even mystery. Without those elements, nonfiction would be dry and dull. Making Nonfiction from Scratch helps bring all of those aspects together and shows how each genre can enrich nonfiction writing. Ralph emphasizes the power of choice, mentor texts, and nonfiction read-alouds in making nonfiction an everyday part of classrooms. Classroom Connection- sections throughout the book suggest immediate, practical strategies for putting the ideas in the book to use. Two case studies and a chapter on the dos and don'ts of nonfiction writing instruction round out this short, practical book. Any informational writing should be insightful, accurate, and well organized - but it doesn't have to be boring. Ralph invites you to make your classroom a place where students can create delicious nonfiction full of passion, voice, and insight.
Table of Contents
Introduction; Part 1: Setting the Table: Tools of the Nonfiction Trade; Chapter 1: Stone Soup: A Parable; Chapter 2: Lessons from Working as a Freelance Writer; Chapter 3: Louise Borden: Tools of the Nonfiction Trade; Chapter 4: Helpful Attitudes for Making Nonfiction; Part 2: Making Nonfiction in the Classroom; Chapter 5: Choosing Choice; Chapter 6: Where Have All the Nonfiction Read-Alouds Gone?; Chapter 7: An Exploratory Notebook; Chapter 8: Building Deep Knowledge; Chapter 9: Plunging into a Nonfiction Text Study; Chapter 10: The Power of Primary Sources; Chapter 11: Case History No. 1: The ABC's of Bubble Gum; Chapter 12: Case History No. 2: Kindergarten Ethnographies; Chapter 13: Deglazing the PAN: Dos, Don'ts, and Practical Tips for Teaching Nonfiction
