Please check out http://www.ologyworld.com/
You will be amazed! This is a multigenre publication at its best!
After reading the Moulton article and Chapters 1-5 of Writing Without Boundaries, you should begin formulating ideas and opinions of multigenre writing and projects. On your blogs, respond and think about the following:
What is a multigenre project? What are the ingredients? What is your recipe for HOW you might create a MG project? WHAT TOPICS ARE YOU CONSIDERING FOR YOUR MG PROJECT? How might you begin in your classroom? Here are a few sites you may find helpful for engaging in research with your students as well as your own research:
http://www.ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html
(The best link to child-friendly search engines and research information; please check this out! You will be impressed)
http://www.thinkquest.org/library/ (Children create these projects!)
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html (Amazing history connections!)
Review the lists of genres in the Moulton article (p. 531) and Writing Without Boundaries (pp. 4-5) and the links to a list of genres and possible genres.pdf . What would you add to the list? Which genres have you already taught? Which might you choose to focus on in your classroom? Think about one genre in particular that you may introduce to your students. Can you find examples of the genre to bring in to our next class (brochures, letters, etc.)?
Other sites you may find interesting:
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1013
(Zines for Kids)
http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.asp
(Interactive student materials)
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=774
(Multigenre Snowflake Bentley)
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=892
(Grapes of Wrath)
Mary Brown said,
February 27, 2008 at 1:02 am
This multigenre project is going to be a challenge. We usually think in one-dimensional terms about projects. To have a project that we are investigating and presenting from and in so many different angles is going to force us to make a much more thorough exploration of our topic. Right now, my head is swimming with ideas about what to do. One of the most positive aspects of the multigenre project is that it will allow for different strengths. This will benefit so many students who are not as comfortable writing as they are acting or singing or composing or painting or sculpting. WOW! No child will be left behind in the best sense of the word.
jamiesward said,
February 28, 2008 at 2:50 am
The MG project seems like a lot when you first look at everything and just read. However, if you pace it out and put your students in writer’s workshop and let them work at their pace, it won’t be as bad. (I don’t think) Right now thinking about the make-up of my students, this will be a very interesting project. I hope that I can do it justice. I am excited about the challenge for myself and my students. However, right now I am a little intimidated.
Meredith Zur said,
March 2, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I really like this idea of a MG paper. I have taught the traditional research paper in my 8th grade classes over the years and have tried different strategies to make it more fun and interesting for me and for the kids. This MG thing is a new one for me, and it does seem like an approach that could be useful. I like that it allows for so much more creativity that the traditional research paper does not. I think my adolescent students could really enjoy this type of assignment. I’m a little intimidated too by the whole thing, but I think by doing this project myself, I will be better informed to teach MG writing to my students in the future.
Nicole Atkins said,
March 5, 2008 at 1:37 am
I agree with Meredith about how difficult it is to teach a research paper. I have tried various attempts as well, but have failed. Unless the child has a personal interest in the topic, the traditional research paper is irrelevant. I am also very overwhelmed at the entire project and am having difficulty organinzing my thoughts. As I examined the genre list and possible genres, I was very pleased with my students have covered in just 4 1/2 weeks. Just last week in one class my students did a bumper sticker, comic strip, epitaph,a skit plus others not on the list. One my students really enjoy is creating a license plate for a character. I think many kids enjoy the creativity behind it. I’ve always tried to teach my curriculum thorough “hands on” activities. I just never considered it as various genres before…