Young Authors

We have read some great stories during snack time over the past few weeks...The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and The Tale of Despereaux, both by Kate DiCamillo.  Both stories have amazing characters that experience many adventures through their interactions with others and their environment.  This has sparked our interests to write our own adventure stories. 
I had the students first begin with a storyboard for a prewrite, much like they do in the movies.  They broke down the story with a beginning, middle and end, and drew a picture to go with each event.  Then , they cut out their board, and began drafting each section, adding details to bring their story to life.  Currently, we are sharing with each other, and revising them by adding more details for clarification or interest.  They will be published soon and hope to invite all of you to be their audience. 
During their rest time, many of the students have been constructing a second story and/or continue to work on their original work.  I love when students are intrinsically movtivated to not only complete an assigned task, but to carry the work beyond my expectations as they see the value and personal fulfillment in the work!