If you are not familiar with Scholastic Storyworks, each issue features narrative, information nonfiction, drama, paired texts, fiction, and many other common core genres. All of the articles are engaging texts to support our common goal of deeper level thinking. If you have the subscription, there is also an online component with videos and activities to engage your students. Storyworks is geared towards grades 4-6th. My fifth graders thought it was the perfect mesh of all genres. I had a student tell me, "It's like pizza there is a slice for every person".
Below I would like to share with you a #smartteachingtip on how to get your students to love ANNOTATING text using Storyworks.
Before starting my READ like a Pirate lesson, I found a great activity on Teachers Pay Teachers by Sally Buttons where students created their own pirate name.
Remember it is all about how you set the scene! Get your students EXCITED about learning!
My Pirate name is: Hook Blonde Boot
In 5th grade, many students have not mastered digging deep to gain knowledge as they read their Science or Social Studies textbooks. I have taught my students how to annotate fiction stories during RTI (reading instruction), which they have have become experts, but when I told them to annotate their Social Studies books many blank stares filled my classroom. This got me thinking!
I want them here, but before I can do this......
I had to create a mini unit on annotating Non Fiction text using a non-fiction based source. What perfect timing for Scholastic Storyworks articles.
I want them here, but before I can do this......
I had to create a mini unit on annotating Non Fiction text using a non-fiction based source. What perfect timing for Scholastic Storyworks articles.
Find the fun in reading non fiction text is important! I pride myself on the ability to make "boring" lessons FUN! My students and I embarked one afternoon on a pirate journey to find treasure!
There are three parts to reading BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER! Today, I will be focusing on the during. In Room 20, we learned how to golden annotate using our pirate treasures (thinking marks). Before we dove in, we discussed what annotate and mega-cognition meant by inferring through pictures.
My students had already been introduced to my Talking with The Text thinking marks, but I reworked them to give them a little PIRATE flair.
Want a FREE copy of my Talk Like a Pirate Annotating pamphlet? Click here!
We read The Search for Pirate Gold from StoryWorks Scholastic Magazine and annotated our thoughts through the entire article. The kids were pirates looking for treasure aka Talking with the Text thinking marks.
When the students were finished annotating their text, they were able to read other articles and discuss with different partners about their favorite part or about something they learned. Storyworks brings a wide variety of engaging reading topics to reach all different interests. My favorite article from this edition was....
Some Pirate Treasures from my Readers:
Some Pirate Treasures from my Readers:
Printables – 30 Day Free Trial
Lessons and activities on other websites can be unreliable
and inaccurate. Only Scholastic Printables has a team of education
experts to ensure you're getting the highest-quality, most up-to-date
resources available for grades PreK-6! Start your free 30
days now!
Scholastic #SmartTeachingTips Contest!
We love
#SmartTeachingTips. Share yours for how you use Scholastic magazines creatively
in your classroom. Tell us about it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, and
include a photo or video. Be sure to use #SmartTeachingTips.
Three winners
will be chosen based on outstanding creativity. Each winner will receive a $200
gift card to the Scholastic Teacher store. We’re excited to see your ideas!
Follow Scholastic Teachers on social media to learn more.
How do you engage your readers to find reading treasures?
