Pop-Up Activities to Teach Genre

After discussing why writers need to understand genre two weeks ago, today we have a wonderful book for writers, teachers and children who want to understand and use children’s book genres:  Pop-Up Activities to Teach Genre: 18 Unique Pop-Up Projects With Templates, Story Starters, and Graphic Organizers That Motivate Kids to Write in Different Genres by Tamara B. Miller.

I need to reveal right away that writer/teacher Tamara Miller is a close friend. Although I may be biased, I think she is absolutely the most creative person I know when it comes to designing activities for children, which shows in her ideas for pop-up stories.

In the book Tammy briefly explains each of the genres:

• Mystery
• Humorous Fiction
• Science Fiction
• Tall Tales
• Fairy Tales
• Historical Fiction
• Personal Narrative
• Expository writing
• Adventure

and gives examples of popular children’s books that fit each type. She then gives instructions for two very creative writing activities for each section with hand-on components that reinforce learning. To help students organize their thoughts and get ideas flowing, each activity comes with a prewriting page (wish they had these in real life).

For example, for personal narrative, each student writes about an important experience he or she has had. Then the students can make a pop-up and illustrate it, too. When the teacher reads the story, the class can guess the identity of the student.

After the class has guessed, they can lift the flap to see whose story it was.

Isn’t that a great idea for helping the students get to know each other at the beginning of the school year?

 

 Another fun project explores expository writing by having the students create their own pop-up newspaper.

The best part is, there’s something in these lessons for every type of learner. Visual learners will love the illustration component, audio learners will enjoy hearing the stories and kinesthetic learners will be kept active by making pop-ups. Of course, the lessons can support Common Core standards as well.

Are you looking for a way to brush up on genres and/or teach writing to children? Then this book is for you!

For more information and ideas on how you can use pop-up books to motivate your students in writing this year, go to Tamara Miller’s website at www.popupbooks-workshops.com.

Pop-Up Activities to Teach Genre: 18 Unique Pop-Up Projects With Templates, Story Starters, and Graphic Organizers That Motivate Kids to Write in Different Genres by Tamara B. Miller

Age Range: 8 – 10 years
Grade Level: 3 – 5
Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: Teaching Resources (September 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439453356
ISBN-13: 978-0439453356

 

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