In spring 2020 during the initial COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of schools, the Grade 6's launched a virtual library full of nonfiction books that they wrote themselves. 

How did this come about? Over a few months, the grade 6's learning about different text features and structures. They then selected a topic of interest, wrote articles following a specific structure and published virtual books.  

The young authors were soooo excited to be published: to see their words put in print, to feel like real writers, to practice the skills they learned, and to use technology in a meaningful way.

 And through it all, students learned that persistence pays off, that it takes a lot of work to write and publish a book, and, of course, they developed better writing and publishing skills.

Students shared these reflections from the process:

• "I'm most proud of taking the concept and making it into a book while following the instructions. I was also proud of the articles because I didn't think I would be able to write them."

• "I am most proud that I was able to put all the pieces together into a great story with exciting graphics."

• "I am proud of how my book came together and how my writing has improved from the start of the year."

Take a tour of Churchill’s Grade 6 Virtual Class Library! (That's right, just click on the books in the pictures)

Date Published: 2020

Tags: creativity, experiential learning, Innovative approaches to teaching and learning, perseverance, Student-directed learning