School’s out for the summer! What’s one of my favorite summertime activities? Why reading, of course. I’ll read at the beach, by the pool, in a hammock, on a roadtrip. (I’m starting to feel like Dr. Seuss here.)
But here’s a sneaky secret. All the books I read aren’t just for entertainment. They pull double duty as writing craft instruction.
When I read, I notice elements of the writing craft, like an author’s use of sensory details, lyrical language, story structure, the balance of text and illustrations, and more. Then, when I am trying to accomplish something in my own writing, I refer back to these books to help show me the way.
But here’s the thing. A mentor text is only helpful if I can remember what you read. How do I record what I’m reading? Through mentor text record form.
I’ve developed a Google form authors and teachers can use to record their mentor text reading. When you click the link, you will be forced to save a copy to your own Google drive. Once saved, you can fill out a form for each book you read, and save your records electronically. Or you can print off the form if you prefer to work on paper.
Looking for more mentor text resources? Fellow author and educator Marcie Flinchum Atkins has a wealth of resources on her website. Find them here.
Looking for mentor text recommendations? Check out educator Jen Vincent’s Teach Mentor Texts.
Cecilia Payne’s groundbreaking discovery of what makes the stars paved the way for more star discoveries, including how stars are born and eventually die. That’s right, just like humans, stars have life cycles.
To learn how stars are born, read THE FIRE OF STARS with your students, including the back matter, A STAR IS BORN. Then study how stars’ lives end using these resources:
A mnemonic is a clever and creative way to remember something, using a pattern, sentence, or phrase. You may use “ROY G BIV” to remember the spectrum of light: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Some people use “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos” to recall the order of the planets starting closest to the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Recalling Star Classifications
In Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin’s day, people used a mnemonic to remember the classifications of the stars, a system developed by Harvard’s Annie Jump Cannon. The color classes from hottest to coolest are O (blue), B (bluish), A (blue-white), F (white), yellow-white (G), orange (K), and red (M), as you can see in the image below. You can learn more about star classification at ScienceNotes.org.
In those days, they used the mnemonic, “Oh, Be A Fine Girl Kiss Me” to remember the star classes. Today, some have updated it to “Old Bob Always Favors Green Ketchup More.”
You try
Can you think on another mnemonic to remember star classes?
Is there something else you want to remember? Could you develop a mnemonic to help you remember it? Now draw a picture to accompany your phrase.
The Fire of Stars
Learn more about astronomer and astrophysicist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who discovered star ingredients, in THE FIRE OF STARS. The helped lay the foundation for future scientists to discover why stars have such tremendous energy and why they burn so brightly.
The Common Core ELA standards for grades 3 and up invite students to explore words that are specific to a field of study. The standards call this “domain-specific language.” That’s a fancy way of saying vocabulary words that often appear in glossaries or bolded in textbooks. The concept is introduced in grade 3, where students learn how to figure out what these words mean in context. Older students incorporate domain-specific language in their own informational writing.
If you’ve read my books, you know I love domain-specific language, whether it’s aviation-related words in WOOD, WIRE, WINGS or astronomy-related words in THE FIRE OF STARS. I know that using rich vocabulary in picture books, especially domain-specific vocabulary, adds another hook to my books. It offers one more way my books can be used in classroom, specifically in ELA lessons.
Exploring domain-specific language
With domain-specific language, a little bit goes a long way. If you go overboard, your book can start to lose its musicality and read more like a textbook. We don’t want that.
To see how writers strike a balance, I encourage you to grab a stack of recent nonfiction or informational picture books off your library or bookstore’s shelves. If you see a glossary or list of “key terms” you’ve definitely found a winner, though not all books include them. Mine don’t.
If you need some recommendations, here are a few recent picture book titles I grabbed from my current library stack that do domain-specific language really well:
Once you have your mentor texts, go ahead and read them. Jot down any domain-specific language you find. Then consider:
Are the vocabulary words easily understood within the context of the page?
How do the images add to the reader’s understanding of the words?
Does the book include text features like definitions on the page? Or are the words defined in a glossary?
What is the balance of these new vocabulary words compared to the rest of the book text?
An example
This spread from THE FIRE OF STARS reads: “shrinking and smashing — and Cecilia’s sphere feels smaller and smaller still when she realizes her new school is a black hole with none of her favorite classes.
No algebra. No German. No cinch. Not even any friends for a shy and studious girl like her…”
This book includes two vocabulary words related to astronomy/STEM — “sphere” and “black hole,” though I use them metaphorically. I don’t define either in a glossary or in a sidebar. Yet by studying the pictures and words together, readers can get the idea of what the words mean. Notice Katherine Roy’s gray circular marks, which help define Cecilia’s space and convey the idea that all the light and joy is being sucked away, much like a real black hole’s gravity prevents light from escaping. The dark colors in the illustrations reinforce that idea of a black hole, as does the repetition of the word “no.” Cecilia’s world has an absence of anything joyful and bright, an emptiness, like that real black hole.
Now you try
Are you working on a manuscript where you could inject some domain-specific language to add another hook? Can you do this (sparingly, please)? Do you need a glossary or sidebars to explain the words, or can you rely on the context of your words and potential illustrations?
Please let me know in the comments if you have any breakthroughs!
Each month, I’ll spotlight a book-based educational activity teachers and homeschooling parents can use with their students. This activity was created by FIRE OF STARS illustrator Katherine Roy. It appears in our educators’ guide, which you’ll find here.
Southern Ring Nebula IMAGE credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Make Your Own Stellar Scene
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021 and is the largest optical telescope in space. It is capable of producing high-resolution photographs of ancient, remote galaxies like no telescope before it. Show images that the James Webb Space Telescope has taken to the class.
What are the different colors and shapes in these photographs?
How do the photographs make them feel?
How big or small do you think these scenes are?
What marks or textures could be used to represent these scenes in a drawing?
Explain that illustrator Katherine Roy used an old toothbrush dipped in ink and watercolor to represent the star storyline in THE FIRE OF STARS: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of. To make their own stellar scenes, students will need:
paper
old toothbrushes or paint brushes
watercolor, paint, or ink
water
salt
Make a swirling circle in the middle of your paper.
Get a little more paint or ink on your brush and make bigger swirls. These are the gases orbiting your newly formed star.
Try making some thick marks. Now try making some thin marks. What feels right to you?
Try adding spatter marks and salt to represent dust and particles.
When the paintings are completed, display the paintings in a classroom gallery for their own view of the cosmos.
Here’s an activity linked to THE FIRE OF STARS (Chronicle Books) perfect for the budding astronomer in your life. This constellation projector is simple to make with common household items. And the results are stellar, which you’ll see at the end!
What you’ll need
You will need:
a flashlight (or your phone flashlight)
a toilet paper tube
tape (washi tape looks really nice if you have it)
glue and a popsicle stick for spreading it if you want
Optional: construction paper or scrapbook paper to cover your toilet paper tube OR markers to color it.
Directions
Print out or copy the constellation printables on your printer, reducing them to 30 to 50% of the full size. You want the constellation to fit within the circle of the toilet paper tube.
Using the sharp point of the pencil, punch holes where the stars are on the constellation. Be very careful so you don’t poke yourself!
Cut a large circle around the constellation and and make little snips around the circumference so the edges fold more easily over the toilet paper tube.
Put glue on the edges where you’ve snipped, and glue the constellation over the toilet paper tube.
Cover the paper edges with washi tape or plain old scotch tape if you don’t have it.
You can decorate your toilet paper tube with markers or construction paper, and write the name of the constellation on the side.
When you are finished, go into a dark room or closet and put your flashlight inside the toilet paper tube to enjoy your constellation.
Each month, I’ll spotlight a book-based educational activity teachers and homeschooling parents can use with their students. These activities are pulled from the educators’ guides developed for my books by author and former educator Marcie Colleen. You can download the full A TRUE WONDER educator’s guide here.
Every day we are surrounded by people who quietly fight for the common good or stand up for what they believe is right. These outstanding individuals show what the power one person has to impact our neighborhoods and communities.
Who are the superheroes in your community? Interview and write a report or make a presentation about someone in your own community who you think makes a positive impact. This can be done as a whole class, in groups, or as individuals. Here are some things you can discuss:
Why you believe this person to be a hero to the neighborhood and community.
Describe the person activity/activities that significantly benefitted their neighborhood.
How long has the hero contributed to the neighborhood? What was their most recent activity?
Describe the creative and innovative methods used by the hero to benefit their neighborhood.
Include any other interesting information relevant to the hero’s activities.
What is this hero’s impact to the neighborhood and/or community at large? Include documentation such as pamphlets, articles, presentations, photographs, newsclippings, letters of support, etc. if applicable.
Present these reports to the class. Invite the heroes for a “Real Life Wonder” celebration.
Each month, I’ll spotlight a book-based educational activity teachers and homeschooling parents can use with their students. These activities are pulled from the educators’ guides developed for my books by author and former educator Marcie Colleen. You can download thecomplete WOOD, WIRE, WINGS educator’s guide here.
Dear Olivia Sage: Writing a Persuasive Essay
As her dream outgrew her apartment and her wallet, Lilian needed to turn to others for help. One such person she turned to was Olivia Sage, one of the richest women in the world. But often people don’t just hand money to anyone who asks. Lilian needed to ask Olivia Sage while providing enough details to inform Olivia what her money would be used for. She needed to persuade Olivia Sage to help her.
Ask your students if they know what “persuade” means. If not, can they make any guesses?
Discuss:
What it means to persuade
Times you might want to persuade someone (e.g., persuade your parents to letyou stay up late, persuade your teacher to not give a test)Writing to persuade tells the reader what you believe, gives the reader at least three reasons why you believe it, and has a good ending sentence. You want to try and convince the reader to agree with you.
Pretending to be Lilian Todd, have students write a persuasive essay to Olivia Sage stating why they need money and why she should give it to you.
Use the following TREE structure:
T = Topic sentences
R = Reasons
E = Ending
E = Examine Share your essays with the class. Which is the most persuasive? Why do you think so?
Speaking and Listening Extension: Create a TV commercial or PowerPoint presentation to encourage people to read Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane. Be sure to incorporate the TREE structure!
Each month, I’ll spotlight a book-based educational activity teachers and homeschooling parents can use with their students. These activities are pulled from the educators’ guides developed for my books by author and former educator Marcie Colleen. You can download the full A TRUE WONDER educator’s guide here.
The Hero In Me
Brainstorm a list of the qualities and actions that make Wonder Woman a hero. Then undertake the following project:
Have each student lay down on a large piece of butcher paper while someone traces their body with a pencil. Alternatively, download a printable worksheet, like this Superhero Cape printable from Nurtured Neurons for students to use.
Once the student has the silhouette of their body or cape, they can write the things that make Wonder Woman a hero outside the outline.
Inside the outline, they can write some of the qualities they share with Wonder Woman or ways in which she has inspired them.
Then students can decorate their silhouette or cape. Photos and other images can be added to create a collage.
Each month, I’ll spotlight a book-based educational activity teachers and homeschooling parents can use with their students. These activities are pulled from the educators’ guides developed for my books by author and former educator Marcie Colleen. You can download thecomplete WOOD, WIRE, WINGS educator’s guide here.
Piloting Lilian’s Plane ~ creative story
Imagine that you have been chosen to pilot Lilian Todd’s airplane as she observed and took notes. Write about your experience.
Who are you? Where do you live?
How were you chosen to be the pilot? What experience do you already havewith flight?
What was it like when you saw the airplane for the first time?
Once aboard, how did you feel? Were you nervous?
How did Lilian react? What did she say to you before and after the flight?
What was the best part? Would you pilot a plane again? Is there anything youwould do differently? Research photographs from 1910 to aid students in placing themselves in the time period. Photographs can be found through the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum website and the Library of Congress. Have students share their stories of piloting the airplane with the class.
Kirsten W. Larson 