Authentic Writing Experience for May - The Great Outdoors

As we all prepare for summer, the authentic writing experience for May centers on the Great Outdoors. Summer is a time for fun, but that doesn't mean kids stop learning. Summer provides a great opportunity to build background knowledge by exploring special interests and activities through books. If families are traveling to unfamiliar locations, make a list of things to learn about and explore them at the library or search for information on the internet. 

For example, if you are camping or just happen to live in bear country, read up on bears and learn how to keep your home and campsite safe from furry intruders. Check out my decodable book, Hank the Tank: Animal in the Spotlight, and other books like Backyard Bears: Conservation, Habitat, and the Rise of Urban Wildlife by Amy Cherrix. Have kids take notes from the books on practical things the family can do to stay safe. Use that list to create a safety poster. You can also read both books and talk about comparing a story with a traditional non-fiction book. Hank the Tank contains a fictionalized story and a background section filled with non-fiction facts.

By the way, my Hank the Tank Activity Book was just named a Next Generation Indie Book Award Winner Finalist! Read about it on Last Week's Blog Post and find a free downloadable PDF full of fun activities. 

The page below is an excerpt from the Hank the Tank Activity Book that gives directions for creating an Information Poster full of Bear Tips. There are 50+ Activities in the Activity Book and connections to online games to work on everything from phonological awareness to cognitive flexibility.

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