NCTE+Lesson+Plans


 * Create a Picture Storybook **



Learn to write children's picture books by understanding what makes a book intriguing for kids. Use this printout for guiding ideas to write children's picture storybooks on a variety of topics.
 * 1) Find a variety of children's picture storybooks that interest students or that they remember reading as children. Allow students to read/reread these books and discuss the differences in the voice and writing style of the authors.
 * 2) Provide access to the picture storybook pdf. Ask students to look through the list of bullets that describe a well-written picture storybook.
 * 3) Ask students if they saw any of these characteristics in the books that they read.
 * 4) Have the students make/take notes next to the bullets about which books did an especially good job of following each of the specific characteristics of good children's picture storybooks.
 * 5) Discuss with the students the notes they took and also discuss how they think that the books they read could be improved using any of the characteristics from the printable that the author did not already use.
 * 6) Have students brainstorm ideas for their own children's picture storybook. Discuss his/her ideas and the tips on the printable to decide what will help make the book unique and well-written. Allow the student to begin working on writing the book, and refer back to the tips printable throughout the writing process to review and revise the book

Tips for Teen Writing
 * NCTE Lesson **

**Fanfiction**

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 * 1) Before beginning this activity, you might want to learn a little bit about the different types, or genres, of fiction. Children’s Genres contains a list of the most popular genres of fiction and talks about each.
 * 1) Start a conversation with your students. You might open by talking about the expression “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Ask the student if he or she has ever heard of fanfiction and, if so, how this expression relates to it. Your goal is to make sure the student understands that fanfiction is a story based on a book or series that he/she really loves. In fanfiction, the child can take any part of the story that he or she likes, from the characters to the setting, and use it to write a new story. (//Twilight//, //Harry Potter//, //Hunger Games//, etc.)
 * 1) Have the student choose a book that he or she admires. If it’s not a book the child has read recently, ask him or her to reread it. Fanfiction writers must be highly knowledgeable about the details of the book and its characters.
 * 1) Review the different genres of books you looked at in Step 1 with the class. Talk about the features of the genres. For example, the fantasy genre may have fantastical settings, characters with magical or mysterious powers, and plots that are not plausible in our everyday world. Romances typically have two main characters who must overcome some type of adversity in order to be together. You might ask the student to create a list of his or her own that includes the different genres with a few features listed under each.
 * 1) Ask the student what genre of book he or she has chosen. If he or she isn’t sure, ask questions that are designed to help him/her figure it out. For example, you might ask, “Could the events in this book happen in real life?” or “Does the book take place today or in the past?” Keep in mind that some books may belong to several genres. Help the student choose the one that best fits.
 * 1) Explain that true fanfiction should have the same general feel of the original work. Characters should act and talk like they did in the book, and the original author’s style and mood should be preserved as much as possible. Try reading aloud some passages of dialogue to get a feel for the characters' voices. You might also find it helpful to have the child create and print off Character Trading Cards for the characters he or she wants to include in the fanfiction story. These are designed to answer questions about how and why a character acts in a certain way.
 * 1) Now encourage the students to think about ways to extend the story of their choice. Here are some ideas to consider:
 * Envision a prequel—events that might have taken place before the start of the original work
 * Imagine “missing” or deleted scenes—incidents that might have changed the course of the plot
 * Picture a sequel—events that might happen after the book end

Another good way to get students in a creative frame of mind is to have them ask lots of “What if?” questions: What if the main character hadn’t made that choice? What if two key people never met? What if the story took place somewhere else? It might be helpful if the student jots down some of the things you talk about to use as notes when creating his or her story.

Have students outline a sample story using his or her Character Trading Cards and notes. Outlining is a very important step in the writing process because it helps writers organize their thoughts, think through potential problems, and see if their plot makes sense. The outline doesn’t have to follow any set format, but it should include the following information:


 * The setting or setting for the story.
 * Characters in the story
 * What happens to the characters at the beginning, middle, and end of the story
 * Why do the characters act as they do? What are their reasons for the choices they make?
 * What types of things the characters would say

Remind the student of the importance of revising (it often helps to walk away from it for a few days and then come back to it with a fresh eye), proofreading, and spellchecking. The tip sheet How to Revise and Edit offers lots of helpful information.

Once the student is happy with the story, encourage him or her to share it with friends who also like the book that it is based upon.



More Ideas to Try
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 * Discuss the legal implications of fanfiction by addressing the concepts of copyrights and intellectual property. Explain why all fanfiction should include a disclaimer stating who owns the rights to the original work and that no profit is being made from the current work.
 * Ideally, fanfiction characters should act like “themselves.” If they don’t—for example, if a distressed damsel waiting for a valiant prince suddenly becomes a fearless heroine rescuing a timid prince—the work could become a **parody**. A parody pokes fun at, instead of imitating, the original work. Have the student try writing a parody of a favorite scene.

Lesson from NCTE

Fanfiction