Students make connections between the author's life and her work.
They will also gain insight on her writing process and come to
view their own creative work more seriously.
Grade Level: 3–5
Duration
2-3 days
Student Objectives
Students will:
- Read the author's comments about her writing process
- Listen and watch a slideshow narrated by the author in which
she describes step-by-step how her first draft of Because
of Winn-Dixie developed into a published book
- Practice free writing
- Review a list of the author's favorite children's books and
learn why she loves them
Benchmarks
Language Arts Standards (4th Ed.)
- Drafting and Revising: Uses strategies to draft and revise
written work (e.g., elaborates on a central idea; writes with
attention to audience, word choice, sentence variation; uses
paragraphs to develop separate ideas; produces multiple drafts)
- Evaluates own and others' writing (e.g., determines the best features of a piece of writing, determines how own writing achieves its purposes, asks for feedback, responds to classmates' writing)
Materials
- Computer: activities can be modified from one computer to
a whole computer lab
- Flashlight Readers: Because of Winn-Dixie Session Page
- Printed copies of Kate DiCamillo's drafts (PDF)
- Optional: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
- Optional: Power Point, LCD Projector, and Overhead Projector
Transparency Paper. Print out selected Web pages and make transparency
copies to post on the overhead, if you don't have access to
a computer
Directions
DAY 1
Step 1:
Ask students to share what they already know about Kate DiCamillo.
For example, they may know that she was awarded a Newbery Honor
for Because of Winn-Dixie, and that in 2004 she won the
Newbery Medal for The Tale of Despereaux.
Step 2:
Working in small groups, or independently, have students click
the brown house with the red roof to link to Kate
DiCamillo's thoughts on her writing process. After they read
it, ask students: What does this quotation mean: I hate writing.
I love having written. Have students describe how they feel
about writing. Is it hard for them to get started? What motivates
them? How do they feel after they've written something?
Step 3:
Project the Slideshow
of Drafts on an LCD or other projection device for the whole
class to watch together. Distribute the printed-out drafts to
the students for reference as you go through the slideshow together.
After the slideshow is over, ask students what they think was
the biggest change from the first draft of chapter one to the
last draft. Have them discuss what change surprised them the most.
Finally, ask students if they agree with the author that writing
is like walking down a dark hallway with your arms out in front
of you. Have them explain their responses.
DAY 2
Step 4:
Invite students to free write for 10 minutes about a topic
you determine, such as a pet they'd like to have, what they did
last weekend, or someone they admire. Remind students that Kate
DiCamillo uses free writing when she creates a first draft. Tell
them not to worry about punctuation, neatness, grammar, etc. Instead,
encourage them to get their ideas on paper and just keep going
forward. When the time is up, have them work in small groups to
share their drafts. As an extension activity, have students continue
to work on their writing.
Step 5:
Have students discuss what they found most difficult about
the free-writing activity and what they found the easiest. Ask:
Do you like writing in this way? Why or why not? After they've
had a chance to respond, explain that getting their ideas on paper
is a big first step, and that continuing to write and re-write
is the next step. Then, have students return to their computers
and click the library icon to learn Kate
DiCamillo's process for writing and rewriting that has led
to her success.
Step 6:
Invite students to click the main building in the trailer
park to discover Kate DiCamillo's
top five favorite children's books. Ask students the following:
- Which of these books have you read? Did you feel the same way about them as Kate DiCamillo?
- What do these books have in common?
- What can you tell about the author based on her list of favorite books?
Assessment & Evaluation
- Informally assess students understanding of the author's writing
process by noting their participation and the quality of their
comments during class discussions
- Review students free-writing samples for their ability to
get ideas on paper. Do NOT evaluate this assignment for grammar,
spelling, or mechanics
Lesson Extensions
- Have students continue working on the stories they began to
draft during the free-write activity in Step 4. Encourage them
to return to the slideshow and the author's writing process
tips for ideas on how to develop their stories.
- Invite students to write a short story about a quirky pet, like Winn-Dixie. It could be a real animal or one they make up.
- Have students create a list of their top five favorite books
and write a sentence for each explaining why it's a favorite.
They may also accompany each title with an illustration. Compile
the lists to create a class collection of favorite books.
- Encourage students to think about what helps them when they
are writing a story. Have them write down their tips. Collect
and compile their ideas and publish a class book of writing
tips to use as a class resource.
(PDF)
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