Fifth graders may be working on individual research papers, but the writing process is a team effort in Grace Falcon’s class at East Lake Elementary School.
For the biography writing project, which is part of a nonfiction unit, each student selected a famous person to research. Their subjects include artists, athletes, presidents and more. They used books from the library and online sources to learn about each person’s biographical information, early life, accomplishments and contributions to society.
After completing their rough drafts, the young authors are revising their stories. Recently, students shared their revisions with classmates to get constructive feedback to use as they continue through the editing process. Another round of peer editing will take place before fifth graders publish.
Ms. Falcon said that students are encouraged to elevate their writing through expert words and context clues. They will write their finals versions in Google Docs and design covers in Canva that will feature a caricature of each person in a setting that reflects his or her life. When finished, they will share their stories with their first grade buddies.