Nonfiction Mentors in Action!

So many things have happened since my last post!  I wrote a grant to collaborate with nonfiction authors as mentors for my students' research.  We received $1,500.00 to videoconference with our authors!  We are going to use the Authors on Call that I blogged about in my last post.  Vicki Cobb is going to be our resident nonfiction expert and will begin Skyping with our kids this week!  Before I wrote and entered the grant, I tried out the nonfiction mentor unit with one group of fourth grade students.  They were my guinea pigs!  I learned a lot the first time around and worked with Middle Tennnessee's Center for Educational Media and videotaped our experience.  You can find it here:  MTSU Center for Educational Media.

When you visit the link for the Center for Educational Media, scroll down until you find the video called, "Using Authors as Mentors for Research." That's us!

I'm excited about receiving the grant and being able to work with Vicki Cobb.  We have set up a wiki

and will post all of the details about our experience together there.  This is my first time working with a wiki, and I love it!  We will be able to post student work examples and the students will post questions they have for Vicki on the wiki as they research.  It will also be available in years to come so we can duplicate the project.  Click here to check out our wiki and check in often to see our updates about the project.