Planning Our Course Using Student Input
Objective
Allow kids to give their input for planning of the book project. (Give kids a sense of ownership in terms of how the book project develops.)
Activities
- Begin by assigning a journal question, "What is your impression of the book project?" or "How do you feel about the book project?"
- Ask the kids to collaborate with teachers in making a list in response to "What do we have to learn to begin this project?" Put the list up on the board. (Teachers can sneak their ideas and agenda in as the list is being created by asking leading questions.) This will allow students and teachers map out the "spectrum" of issues -- because there are a ton. Teachers can even ask the kids to try and categorize some of the issues into topics -- i.e. storytelling, themes, genre research, audience research, thinking like a kid, book design . . .etc.