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SUBJECT
Reading, Language Arts

GRADE
2-3

DURATION
40 Mins

UNIT PLAN
Picture-Perfect Language Arts

My Favorite Story

Classic Photo Book

OBJECTIVE
Students will learn to identify story elements and make a basic oral presentation in class.

MATERIALS
My Favorite Story Student Reproducible; digital camera; Internet access; crayons or markers

SET UP AND PREPARE

Before you begin:

Set up your classroom Collection at Shutterfly. Take photos of yourself and the classroom for parents to view online.

Send home the reproducible Photo Permission Form (PDF) and invite parents to view your classroom photos online and upload their own family photos.

REPRODUCIBLES

My Favorite Story (PDF)

DIRECTIONS

Initiate a discussion with students about their favorite books; ask them to name specific titles and to describe what makes each book so special.

Review the elements of a story with students, including setting, plot, characters, conflict, and resolution. On a sheet of paper or the blackboard, list each element and have students provide examples, such as:

Setting: beach, city, park, farm
Plot: a boy and girl meet in the park, a man and his dog take a trip to the beach
Characters: boy, girl, dog, robot

Explain that a conflict is a problem or challenge that arises in the story that characters must work through. The resolution of the story is an end to the problem or conflict. A resolution can be good or bad.

As an ongoing class project, distribute >My Favorite Story (PDF) Student Reproducible 4 to one student per week and have him or her complete the worksheet at home. Have students bring the reproducible back to class and use it to give a brief presentation about their favorite books.

Photograph each student and a close-up of the reproducible.

Use the photos to create a "My Favorite Book" album in your Shutterfly classroom Collection.

Shutterfly Bonus Activity:

Use the photos from this project to create a Shutterfly Hardcover Photo Book with a picture of each student and the completed homework assignment. Add it to your classroom library. (To create a Photo Book, use Shutterfly's special offer.) (PDF) Next year, new students can look at the book to see what last year's class enjoyed reading. This can also serve as a yearbook for kids to remember each other and as inspiration for summer reading lists.

HOME CONNECTION

From your Collection, send parents an e-mail to invite them to view the album online with their children and add their positive feedback to each child's photo. You can also choose to share the finished book in your Collection.