From land to sea, first graders at Unqua Elementary School explored living creatures for their nonfiction writing projects. The “All About” animal books were the culmination of weeks of hard work.

Students used books and online resources to research their animals, which included birds, fish, insects, mammals and more. The young authors wrote about what their respective animal eats, what it looks like and where it lives, along with other fun facts. Each eight-page book included a colorful cover illustration, table of contents, dedication page and meet the author section.

After spending much of the year exploring nonfiction story elements, first graders were able to put their knowledge into practice. They followed the process of real authors by penning a first draft, and editing and revising their stories before publishing.