Inquiring Minds
Want to Know…
HOW IT WORKS
Inquiring Minds Want to
Know… is a social-studies-based nonfiction writing
project celebrating Women’s History Month through interviews
with selected female educators in the students’ school.
Children’s skills in reading and writing nonfiction are
developed while their knowledge of the role of women in
history is enhanced. Work in oral and written communication
is included and students are encouraged to use critical
thinking to develop thoughtful interview questions. The
children study published interviews and note the questions
that evoke story-like answers. They differentiate between
“inside” (those that delve deeply) and “outside” (those that
elicit superficial responses) questions and make decisions
about which to use and the appropriate sequence. They select
the interview subjects and do shared writing to compose a
letter requesting an appointment for an interview. After
additional planning, interviews are held and first drafts
begun. They turn responses into readable narratives, ending
with a detailed written portrait of the subject. Appropriate
writing strategies are taught in mini-lessons as children
compose, revise, proofread, share, and revise again.
Finally, they are ready to publish.
Using wireless iBooks and word-processing
skills learned in the computer lab, students type their
pieces and do a final revision and editing. Digital photos
of interviewer and subject are imported for the cover, and
dedications and “About the Author” sections are added. A
celebration of the completion of this work includes sharing
the interviews with the school community. Each day during
Women’s History Month, a student reads portions of his/her
interview over the loudspeaker during opening exercises.
THE STUDENTS
Twenty-two heterogeneously grouped third grade students
participate in this project, which is done in the classroom.
Students receive instruction in technology during their
weekly periods in the computer lab and though the classroom
work is done using wireless laptops, it can just as easily
be completed in the lab or in a one- or two-computer
classroom. This program can be easily adapted to larger or
smaller groups with children of any ability level and to any
other projects that lend themselves to interviews
THE STAFF
Lori Rosenthal has been teaching for 14 years and has taught
grades two and three. She has been using the Columbia
University Writers Workshop model in her classroom for about
five years. Though this program can be done without
assistance, a computer teacher helped with the iBooks and a
Teachers’ Center teacher added her strong knowledge of the
writing process.
WHAT YOU NEED
Essential materials include biographies of famous women,
which can be found in the school or public library, and
samples of interviews from children’s magazines or
newspapers. Any computer set-up is workable, from wireless
laptops to a computer lab. Internet access is not necessary.
Computers should have word processing software. If
photographs are used, a digital camera and photo-editing
software is needed.
OVERALL VALUE
The excitement generated by Inquiring Minds Want to Know…
motivates students to learn the skills necessary to produce
exemplary pieces of writing and, at the same time, meet the
standards in English/language arts (reading, writing, oral
language, conventions), social studies, applied learning,
and technology. Many areas of the curriculum are integrated,
thus making maximum use of learning time. The skills so
easily acquired during this study can be built upon as
students’ progress through the grades. |