For Prospective Employers: 

Below are two examples of informational books my students published this year. To provide a range, I have included one sample from one of the strongest writers in my class, as well as one sample from a student who typically benefits from more intensive support and scaffolding from both me and his Learning Specialist. Student names and identifying images have been covered or removed to protect student privacy.

I typically organize these pages with the most recent updates at the top so families can find new information quickly. For that reason, I recommend starting at the bottom of the page and scrolling upward section by section; the culmination of the unit will appear at the top.

Part 4: Designing and Publishing Our Books

In this part of the unit, students shifted from drafting their informational books to publishing them in Book Creator. They first explored the tools available in Book Creator, then learned how to make design choices that would support the reader’s understanding: readable fonts, clear colors, simple backgrounds, balanced spacing, useful text features, purposeful images, and consistent page layouts. Since students at this stage often want to make design choices based on what looks “cute” or “cool,” we focused on helping them understand that strong design should make the book easier to read and learn from, not distract from the information they worked so hard to research and write.

Students also participated in peer feedback focused separately on writing and book design. This helped them revise with a clearer sense of audience: not just asking, “Do I like how this looks?” but “Can my reader understand my ideas clearly?” and “Does my design help my reader focus on the information?” The goal was for students to publish informational books that were both well-written and thoughtfully designed.

Part 3: Synthesizing Research and Drafting an Informational Book

In this part of the unit, students moved from collecting research to actually shaping that research into an informational book. One of the most complex skills they practiced was synthesis: looking across notes from multiple sources, identifying patterns, grouping related facts into subtopics, and using those subtopics to plan possible chapters. From there, students learned how to turn bullet-point notes into focused informational paragraphs by choosing one subtopic at a time, grouping related ideas, writing clear topic sentences, and explaining key details in their own words.

Students also learned how to structure a full informational book, including an introduction that hooks the reader and previews the main ideas, body chapters that teach key information in an organized way, and a conclusion that summarizes the big ideas while leaving the reader with a thoughtful final reflection. The goal was to help students understand that informational writing is not just about gathering facts; it is about making purposeful decisions as an author so that readers can clearly understand and learn from the information presented.

Part 2: Research and Notetaking Skills

Research Skills

Students conduct age-appropriate research –  on a social studies topic of their interest! – using library books, classroom databases, and teacher-approved websites. They learn how to:

• Preview and “survey” sources before committing to a topic

• Use text features (table of contents, headings, captions, glossaries) to locate information efficiently

• Keep track of information across multiple sources

Learning How to Take Meaningful Notes

A major emphasis of this unit is notetaking skills. Students are required to select a minimum of from sources, including at least one book and one Internet source.  Rather than copying sentences from a book, article, or video transcript, students learn how to avoid plagiarism by:

• Deciding what information is important versus what can be skipped

• Paraphrasing information in their own words

• Adjusting how much they write depending on the length and purpose of a source

• Taking notes from different types of sources, including books and short videos

Students practice these skills repeatedly under my modeling and guided practice, learning that strong notes will make writing much easier later on.

Part 1: Nonfiction Reading & Choosing Strong Research Sources

In Unit 2, students shift their focus from fiction to nonfiction reading and research. The goal of this unit is to help students read informational texts more thoughtfully, identify what information truly matters, and take effective notes that they can later use in their own writing. By the end of the unit, students are not just learning facts  – they are developing the skills needed to read nonfiction critically, research thoughtfully, and communicate information clearly.

Reading Nonfiction with Purpose

Students learn that nonfiction texts are structured differently from stories. We study 5 commonly used nonfiction text structures — description, cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, and order/sequence — and discuss how recognizing these structures helps readers better understand and organize information. Students practice slowing down, noticing headings and subheadings, and thinking about why an author organized information in a particular way. This will also serve them well when writing their own informational books and reflecting on how to organize their writing.

Learning How to Identify Strong Research Sources

Students learned how to locate reliable, age-appropriate sources by using our school library catalogue and kids’ digital encyclopedias. They practiced searching by topic, previewing books to see if they were a good fit, and using call numbers to find materials efficiently in the library.

Students also learned how to use trusted online reference tools available through Knes, such as Britannica Kids, to gather accurate information. We emphasized choosing sources that are clear, credible, and written at an appropriate reading level—an essential foundation for successful research and notetaking.