Today is the second day of my five-day series on using
innovations in your classroom during writing workshop. For today’s post,
I’m highlighting The Important Book
by Margaret Wise Brown.
This book is written by the same author as Goodnight Moon, and it’s another simple story. Familiar items (like apples or spoons) are highlighted in the book, but the details given about each object are the important parts. For example, “The important thing about a spoon is that you eat with it.” That’s obvious, but then Brown gives details. “It’s like a little shovel… It isn’t flat. It’s hollow… But the important thing about a spoon is that you eat with it.” That’s an abbreviated version, but you get the point I’m sure. =)
I like using this book for innovations because it has a
very simple pattern, but requires students to think a little deeper in
order to complete the writing with less obvious details. I usually model the pattern using familiar items in the classroom, like pencils or chalk. Then I send students off to create their own important books using a theme. They can select items from the classroom, the cafeteria, the playground, or even their own bedrooms. The circular structure of The Important Book makes this fill-in-the-blank writing easier to do than starting from scratch.
I use a simple bundle that you can grab here. I usually have students create their own books with several pages, but sometimes we compile them into a class book too. I included our cover if you want to make a class book instead. I also found some third grade examples over at WritingFix.
Be sure to check back for Day 3 of my Innovation Series.
Don’t forget we’re working our way toward a $25 Amazon
gift card giveaway for one randomly chosen follower if my blog reaches
250 followers by the end of this series on Sunday! In the meantime if you decide to purchase this book for your classroom,
I’d love it if you used my link.
HI Christi!
I am LOVING this series! Thanks for all of the great ideas and free resources. This is fabulous!
Krista
stellar-students
Hi Christi!
I am really enjoying your innovations series! It's always great to find good book recommendations!! Also, to answer your question, the only pages that sometimes get torn around the holes are their letters to me because they are written on the thinner, lined paper. Usually we don't have a problem for any of the pages I printed on computer paper. Like you said though, it's nice to be able to move things around and add new things as we go! Hope that helps!
Molly
Lessons with Laughter
Thanks!
I agree…another great book for an innovation. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Sincerely,
Lori (luvyorkies@gmail.com)
Teaching With Love and Laughter
Christi,
I'm so thankful you found my blog! 🙂 Hopefully while you were there you grabbed some freebies and/or entered in my NEW BLOG celebration giveaway! 🙂 Really enjoy the innovations posts! What great ideas! I'll have to keep checking back! 🙂 Swing back over anytime! Michelle @
nomonkeybusinessmichelle.blogspot.com
I love this book and these resources! 🙂
Thanks!
Abby @ Third Grade Bookworm
Thank you 🙂
Dear Christi,
I really enjoyed your post… and the whole series! Text innovations are a such great support structure for young writers. I love The Important Book – I used it with my first graders for writing about geometric shapes. "The important thing about a triangle is that it has three sides. It has straight sides. It's a polygon. (etc.) But the important thing about a triangle is that it has three sides."
By the way, you did such a great job explaining the accordion book on your last post!!! Terrific video!
Linda
Primary Inspiration
I love the idea of using it for polygons. How creative!
Christie,
I love using this book in the classroom. I will have to dig out my ideas and share them as soon as I can. Thanks for reminding me how much I love this book!
Teresa
Confessions of a Teaching Junkie
Find me on Facebook!
Great book! I love your file download and saved it to use. One quick question-How did you get it to load onto your blog like that? It was a zipped file when I clicked on the "grab here" link. That seems so much easier than always loading freebies in TpT or TN stores. Can you give a quick tutorial in your spare time…hehehe?
Elizabeth
Fun in Room 4B
Spare time? Teachers have spare time? 😉 Your lucky because it's super easy to do. I have my own webpage hosted through tripod.com. I upgraded to a paid account because I also use tripod for my classroom website, but you can do it with the free one too unless you have a ton of traffic or really big files. They have a "file manager" that lets you store your files online (pictures, zips, documents, anything). It's literally like adding an attachment to an email, that's how easy it it. Then the file gets a web address that you can link to in your blog, email, anywhere. Easy as that!