Embedded Files
Sometimes the information you need is not in the textbook or our library. Fortunately, these days with online and digital publishing, just about any book can be instantly bought or borrowed from anywhere in the world with nothing more than a computer and an Internet connection in the form of an ebook. Ebooks are books that are read on a computer or other electronic device, or e-reader, like the Amazon Kindle. Many students have some kind of e-reader in their home they can use. Learning to take advantage of these resource can open up a whole new set of options for both getting information home to students and lessons in the classroom.
How you use ebooks depends on your objectives for a lesson. If you just want to share some content you made for the class so kids can use and read it on their e-reading devices, use one of the many free file converters out there to take your file from a DOC or PDF to an ePub or other e-reader file for export. You can also assign reading by directing students to one of the many digital book libraries out there. Many public libraries also offer ebook checkout. Maybe you also want to write your own book or content and publish it digitally. There are a wealth of tools available for you to do this as well. Check out this book I made about teaching poetry.
Common Core ELA Standards Addressed
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2 - Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5 - Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.7 - Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.C - Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2.D - Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.5 - With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.10 - Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.2 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.3 - Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.5 - Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.6 - Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
When teaching this lesson, be sure to introduce or review what poetry is and how to write it. You will also want to use the handout and plenty of examples to teach the various styles of poetry students will attempt. Shadow Poetry has an excellent resource for this. Print out or project some of their many examples. Finally, students will most like l need some guidance for using the digital publishing tools. Either have these prepared or familiarize yourself with them before students attempt them so you can help troubleshoot in the classroom. Click here to view an example of a poem done by a student in Storybird.
Perhaps the best use of ebooks in the classroom is having students make their own. While publishing written work on paper has its advantages, ebooks offer a different set of advantages that help the teacher in a variety of ways. First, when finished, you have a digital file that can be easily shared via email, website, or other form of digital communication. This gives students a large and authentic audience to showcase their work. Ebook creation tools also give students the ability to make professional-looking work no matter what their artistic talent level is. Of course, there is a bit of a learning curve students need to overcome to publish their work with these tools, but it more often than not, the benefits outweigh the cost, especially since many of these tools are free. Storybird is an excellent tool for digital publishing tool that is easy to learn and well-suited for school projects. Also check out Simplebooklet or any one of these.
Example Lesson for Using Digital Publishing
Example Lesson for Using Digital Publishing
A lesson I do every year with my 6th graders is having the students each make a book of poetry. I teach the basics of poetry writing (see my ebook above) and several styles of poetry. I then ask students to write at least seven poems and publish them as an ebook with illustrations. Students can accomplish this relatively easily using ebook creation tools like Storybird. I typically direct students to Storybird because of the art help it gives, but many others suffice. To the right is the handout I give students which contains the assignment requirements and some of the instructional materials.
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