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Write Here!! Write Now!!
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Have you ever noticed that people who love to read always are able to find books by authors they love? Somehow the author just knows what you want to read! Have you ever wondered where they get their ideas? Have you ever wondered if your favorite author has a favorite author? We are able to become better readers when we are able to pick just the right book to read. How do we learn about an author and, more importantly, how do we figure out what we want to read? We are going to learn all the answers to these questions by learning as much as we can about out favorite authors. What you learn and share with others will help them to find books that are just right!!
You will be assigned as a team to work with another student. Your team will be asked to research a favorite author. You are asked to provide information about your author using the following as guidelines:
· Locate interesting facts about the author and his/her life
· Locate a picture of the author
· Provide a list of books by the author
· Design a new cover for at least one book by the author
· Tell why you like that particular author
You and your partner may determine how you would like to present the information about the author. You may develop a Power Point presentation that shares what you learned about your author, create an Author BioBook or create an Author Card.
List of Authors
- You may choose an author from the list below.
- If your favorite author is not listed,
- please tell our teacher or librarian so that we can add him/her.
- You may also use the Internet Resources listed below to locate information on your author.
Authors and Illustrators on the Web
Children's and Young Adult's Authors & Illustrators
Learning About Authors and Illustrators
Eduplace Authors and Illustrators page
Educational Paperback Association
Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators
Other Resources
Books by your favorite author – This list will be according to the author chosen by the students for the WebQuest and the books available to the student in the school library and public library.
Encyclopedias – This list will include regular print encyclopedias housed in the school library and also found in some student’s homes.
Author biographies - Depending on the school library they may have access to specific books on authors in the biography section of the library.
OPAC - Online Patron Access Catalog – This is the card catalog for the school library and will show students all materials in the library pertaining to specific authors.
DISCUS – DISCUS is available from the school web page. It is a service provided by the South Carolina State Library. It is a virtual library for students of all ages. With a password from the school librarian, students are able to access this wonderful resource from home. It contains the Biography Resources Center, as well as several online encyclopedias including the New Book of Knowledge, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, Grolier Online Kids, and SIRS Discoverer. The DISCUS link for middle and high school students contains even more resources including Literature Resources and Infotrac.
As you complete the process you will assess yourself and how well your group is working together using form #1 and form #2.
You will fill out the forms on your own and then conference with your teacher and agree on your marks.
Your teacher will fill out the final form and grade your team on the project after it has been presented to the class.
Congratulations!! You have finished your author study project. You should have a better understanding of how authors are able to create their imaginative stories. You have become very knowledgeable about one of your favorite authors. You practiced some great research skills. You understand some great books on a deeper level. You have had experience publishing work using the computer. This learning experience should transfer to your own writing. You should have gotten a number of ideas for writing your own story. As you write, remember everything you learned that your author does. Create your own power point presentation of your life, a book of your life or your own personal "author" card." Perhaps you can try the writing style of your favorite author.