We can’t take any credit for our talents. It’s how we use them that counts.”
― Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
If you have not read Wrinkle In Time and you teach upper-level elementary students, I encourage you to put it on your reading list this school year. Wrinkle in Time is a great novel for readers to experience and it’s a fantastic way to analyze character, conflict, and theme. As an added bonus a live-action movie is in production with a star studded cast!
Usually in my fourth grade classroom we read Wrinkle at the end of the year. By this time, expectations with comprehending literature and using technology are very high. I assign and give students a project rubric, digital booklet I created in Book Creator that correlates with the text, and an optional essay for advanced readers (Some of them don’t realize it is optional 🙂 ). All of these resources are loaded into Showbie along with the due date to keep students on track and accountable for work.
Even if students do not write the optional essay, they are encouraged to take notes in an app of their choice regarding an essay question. This lends itself to classroom discussion on character development and theme. They can even take notes within the digital booklet I assign to them in Book Creator. The blank file I created can be found here as an ePub. Below is a booklet that was completed by a student.
As we near the completion of reading, students choose a project to complete and many choose to create a Twitter conversation based on the novel. I have had students complete this project with different chapter books, and it is always a huge success. This assignment is also a great platform to discuss digital citizenship and how to use social media.
Allowing our students to express their understanding, pushing them to pursue rigorous goals, and scaffolding learning to ensure success for all learners is what makes our room such an enjoyable place to work and learn.
Purpose Driven Teaching 