Discovering the "story" in nonfiction: teaching writing.

Wait! Before kids turn in that report on cell structure or that Underground Railroad research paper, try some of these ideas to help them think more creatively about factual topics.

TO INSPIRE CREATIVE RESEARCH, TRY ...

The Most Boring Topic Ever

* WHAT IT TEACHES: Even an essay on socks can be a page-turner--if you do the research and get the right sources.

* WHAT TO DO: Ask kids to come up with "the most boring topics ever." (A few to get you started: laundry, dirt, bananas--there's nothing too random for this exercise!) Then select one topic to focus on as a class. Challenge students to suggest people and places they could go to for information, excluding the Internet and library. (For socks, you might contact a shoe salesperson or a cotton farmer, for instance). As a class, discuss what types of information you could get from the various sources to make "The History of Socks" as fascinating to read as Harry Potter. Then have kids do the same for their real topics.

* FOLLOW-UP: Discuss the best format for your "boring" topic. Encourage creativity: What about the diary of a sock? Or a handbook for all things argyle?

TO ENLIVEN BIOGRAPHY REPORTS, TRY ...

Scene Stealer

* WHAT IT TEACHES: Why movies like Miss Potter are fascinating. They find the story in someone's life--often by focusing on one or two smaller events to illuminate lifelong struggles.

* WHAT TO DO: Challenge students to choose a significant event in the life of whomever they are studying and write a one- or two-page scene in script form. Find sample movie scripts to share with kids at www.scholastic.com/instructor, "January/February Links."

TO GET KIDS THINKING VISUALLY, TRY ...

Picture Book Inspiration

* WHAT IT TEACHES: There's a reason National Geographic is chockful of arresting photos. They help us to understand the facts--and sometimes tell us more than words can.

* WHAT TO DO: Know a friendly first-grade teacher? Raid her picture book stash and gather an assortment of books on the topic you're studying. Invite students to browse through them to see how the illustrator or photographer capture details that add to the factual information. Then have students illustrate their own fact or piece of information and write a vivid caption for it.

* FOLLOW-UP: Encourage kids to write an entire comic-book style report.

TO BROADEN KIDS' SENSE OF HISTORY, TRY ...

Report From the Future

* WHAT IT TEACHES: History is ongoing. Today's headlines will become tomorrow's textbooks--and ordinary events, fascinating relics of the past.

* WHAT TO DO: Ask students, "What do you think the historians of the future might want to know about the era we're living in right now?" Brainstorm possible topics. Encourage kids to focus on the everyday, such as school, clothes, and family activities. (Explain that in the 19th century, a carriage ride didn't seem newsworthy, but it's certainly interesting to us now.) As a class, pick one of the topics and list all the details that would be relevant for historians to know. For example, a history book entry on instant messaging would need to explain the audience, usernames, and common abbreviations and lingo.

* FOLLOW-UP: Invite students to write a diary account, a letter, or an e-mail that could be used as a document of life now.

RELATED ARTICLE: SPREAD THE WORD: FREE IDEAS ONLINE

It's Time to "Play"

This month online, find ways for middle schoolers to demonstrate what they know about reading and writing drama. Why not snag teacher Emy Lopez's idea and invite kids to create their own Playbills? It's a creative way for them to cover lots of important concepts, such as plot, character, and genre. Find out how you can do it--and get two free reproducibles!

teacher.scholastic.com/6-8