Writing, Ms. Consonni
ABC Books
February 6, 2012
1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
4.
4.
Congratulations! You are about to become the author of your first book.
Your final assignment is due Friday, May 4th, 2012. You have several weeks to complete your book. This time
goes quickly, so plan out your project carefully. Do not wait until the last minute to complete this project!!!
3. This is a research project. You will need to cite the books you use. Our future library lessons will discuss this in
more detail.
4. You will be graded on the following:
Creative, colorful cover & title:
Yes
No
Dedication page:
Yes
No
Copyright page:
Yes
No
Table of Contents: (new this year)
Yes
No
A page for every letter, which includes:
a. a 5-7 sentence paragraph of information for each letter
(You’ll need to be creative on X, Z, etc.):
Yes
No
 You can handwrite it
 You can type it
 You cannot print text directly from the Internet
b. evidence of research:
Yes
No
c. evidence of new information learned (not just what you know):
Yes
No
d. written in your own words: (see pg. on plagiarism)
Yes
No
e. spelling, punctuation, and grammar has
been edited for publication (Use dictionary!):
Yes
No
f. an illustration corresponding to each letter:
Yes
No
 you can draw illustrations
 copy a picture from the Internet (uncopyrighted)
 trace it
 place an artifact which represents the letter
for example (dried flower, baseball card, scrapbook material)
 take an actual picture
5. Dummy book, draft copy, and notes need to be submitted,
along with final edited copy:
Yes
No
6. A Works Cited/Bibliography page is included:
Yes
No
7. ‘About the Author’ (YOU) page, with a picture):
Yes
No
8. Include your original research questions, with answers:
Yes
No
9. Your own VOICE was added to the book: (VIP)
Yes
No
You will be given class time and computer time to work on this project. So, keep some of your research in school and
keep some of it at home. However, you will be expected to do some of this work at home, as class time will be limited.
You may change your topic until Friday, February 10th.
This project will give you:
a. the opportunity to write your first book
b. the opportunity to follow the writing process from the beginning to the end:
 plan
 write
 edit
 rewrite
 publish
c.
the opportunity to use research to write a class assignment/research project- a skill you will need in middle
school and beyond
d. the opportunity to share a finished project with family and friends
e. the opportunity to read/share a book that you have written with your reading buddy
f. the opportunity to share a book that you have written with your family, friends, and other fifth grade
family and friends. (Your book will be displayed with the Science Fair and the Social Studies project
brochures, sometime during the spring.)
g. the opportunity to give this book, as a gift, to the person to whom you dedicate the book
h. *the opportunity to use your creative talents to draw and illustrate your own book, if you choose to do so
i. the opportunity to use and become familiar with technology
j. the opportunity to explore a topic of your own choosing
k. *the opportunity to learn or improve on scrap booking skills, if you choose to do so
l. the opportunity to get your family involved in a fun, motivating project that you’ll have forever
*Not mandatory
Please return by February 10th, 2012
ABC Book Project
Final Due Date: May 4th, 2012
Topic _________________________________
Student Name____________________________
Parent signature_______________________________
Student signature _____________________________
_____ Yes, we have read the article on plagiarism and have discussed it with our child.
The above signature also states that you have read and discussed, as a family, the article on plagiarism. Student work
will be carefully screened to insure that the ABC book is written in a student’s own language.
Every Wednesday, your classroom teacher will be checking to see how your project is progressing. So please bring in
your work every Wednesday. You will want to get a USB flash drive or removable disc drive to save your work, so that
you can work on the project both at school and at home.
Very Special Announcement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The fifth grade is also writing an ABC book on John J. Jennings School: Past and Present. We would love for
Jennings’ alumni, parents and friends to volunteer to help us to plan, write, edit, and publish this book. Your help
would be greatly appreciated. We would like to leave this in the Jennings library as a gift from the fifth grade class
of 2012.
________Yes, I would like to volunteer to help write this John J. Jennings: Past and Present book.

day telephone number where I can be reached___________________

evening telephone number where I can be reached________________
Student name________________________
Parent name_________________________
We would love to include your memories, stories, pictures, anecdotes, etc. in our book.
Any suggestions for our book???
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
________________________
Important Dates to Keep on Your Refrigerator AND in Your Planner:
Due dates for project:
2-6-2012
Project Assigned
Feb. 10th
Book topic due with ABC planning sheet/
Last day to change topic
2-6/2-17
A, B, C, D, E, F letters due, show classroom teacher
2-20/2-24
VACATION WEEK, a good week to catch up
2-27/3-2
H, I, J letters due, show classroom teacher
3-5/3-9
K, L, M letters due, show classroom teacher
3-12/3-16
N, O, P letters due, show classroom teacher
3-19/3-23
Q, R, S letters due, show classroom teacher
3-26/3-30
T, U, V letters due, show classroom teacher
4-1/4-5
W, X, Y, Z letters due *** 4 day week, bring work on Thursday
4-9/4-13
Final edits, Works Cited (bibliography) page, About the Author page, Dedication
page, cover, Copyright page
4-16-2-20
Vacation week, if you’re not done, now’s the time to finish…
4-23-4-27
Final work to be completed, typed, copied, etc.
Have someone edit.
5-4
Friday, May 4th, ABC Book Due
***Bringing in the book early is O.K.
End of Project Questions
** Student Reflections
1. What did you learn about ________________ topic?
2. What did you learn by making the ABC book?
3. What went well as you worked on the book?
4. What didn’t work well or needed more work?
5. What would you do differently next time?
6. Would you change anything that you did in the book? Explain.
7. Was this a good project?
8. Would you like to make another alphabet book at a different time on another topic?
9. After reading to your reading buddy: How do you think your reading buddy liked your book? Explain why you
think so. Was there anything about the book that they didn’t understand? If so, how could you make that part
better?
10. Other…
Sample Page/Topic- Fruits and Vegetables
A is for Apple
An apple is a fruit that comes in a variety of colors: red, green, and sometimes yellow. Apples are very good
for you. They have vitamins that can keep you healthy. Some of the types of apples are McIntosh, Red and
Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Gala. Apples grow on small deciduous trees. The center of an apple has
five carpel arranged in a five-point star. At least 55 tons of apples were grown in the world in 2005, with a
value of about $10 billion. Apples can be used to cook many desserts: apple crisp, apple pie, apple fritters,
apple cake, toffee candy apple, etc. A famous apple proverb says, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Have
you eaten an apple today?
Is there a 5-7 sentence paragraph about each letter?
Is there evidence of new information and research?
Is there evidence of correct spelling and grammar?
Was it written by me, or did I copy it word for word?
Do I have an illustration to go along with the letter and text?
Standards:
1.1-1
Establish and adjust purposes for reading.
1.1-4 Summarize, distinguish the main idea from details.
1.1-5 Monitor comprehension and make modifications when understanding breaks down.
1.2-1 Generate questions and draw conclusions to analyze what they read, view, and hear.
1.2-7 Identify techniques that contribute to meaning and appeal of text.
1.2-8 Discuss the appeal of a text.
3.1-1 Write for specific audiences to entertain, inform, explain, persuade, and delight in the imagination.
3.1-2 Use models to develop their own writing.
3.1-4
Plan and revise texts to demonstrate the ability to elaborate and organize.
3.2-3
Revise texts to demonstrate organization, elaboration, fluency, and clarity.
3.2-5
Reflect on and evaluate the quality of their written work according to established criteria (rubric)
through peer conferences and with teacher support.
3.2-7
Present completed writing in various forms using available technology.
3.2-8
Use a format appropriate to audience, purpose, and task.
3.3-1
Frame their own questions to direct research and raise additional questions generated by the research.
3.3-2
Locate and interpret relevant and valid information to answer their own questions.
3.3-3
Organize and synthesize information from multiple sources.
3.3-4
Produce research reports that are accurately documented and in an appropriate format.
3.3-5
Use visuals, as appropriate, to support presentations.
3.3-6
Use available technology to research and produce an accurately documented end-product.
4.1-1
Demonstrate the ability to write and edit their work using mechanics appropriate to this grade level.
4.1-2
Improve the quality of editing by applying appropriate use of Standard English
4.1-3
Use a variety of sentence types in their writing.
4.1-4
Use correct grammar in speaking and writing.
4.1-6
Apply spelling rules appropriate to their grade level.
4.3-3
Communicate messages clearly and precisely in language appropriate to audience, purpose, and task.
Essential Questions
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to write your own book?
Have you ever wanted to study a topic of your own choosing?
What would your topic be?
What would you want to learn about that topic?
List ten questions that you have about this topic?
 As you research, make sure that you have answered those questions.
Who would you acknowledge on your dedication page?
A-Z Topic Ideas
A: ancient civilization, agriculture, aviation, airplanes, asthma, Africa, art history, art, artists, astronomy,
automobiles, America, African American history, alligators, the Air Force, the Amazon, Antarctica, the Army, Appalachia,
Arctic, ______________________
B: baseball, biographies, the human body, famous buildings, biology, birds, Brazil, beetles, boats, the Bible, Bristol,
butterflies, bugs, _____________________________
C: careers, citizenship, Canada, cats, Civil War, chemistry, civil rights movement, cowboys, computers, cities,
Christmas around the world, celebrations, children, cooking, ________________
D: dinosaurs, diseases, dogs, desert, Declaration of Independence, doctors, Diabetes, desert, Dr. Seuss, designers,
____________________
E: endangered species, economics, Europe, electricity, science experiments, Earth, ecology, the environment, Thomas
Edison, Eskimos, education, Egypt, elections, exploration, explorers, emotions, extinct animals,
______________________
F: flags, food, family, farms, fish, forests, flowers, fresh water life, fashion, frogs, ____________________
G: geography, Greece, geology, games, gardens, gymnastics, _________________
H: holidays, Holocaust, herbs, Hispanic Americans, hobbies, healthful habits, home, Hawaii, heroes,
______________________
I: Important people, India, Native American Indians, Industrial Revolution, inventions, inventors, insects,
immigration, Ice Age, Iraq, Iran, __________________
J: Jazz, Japan, jungles, Jamestown, jobs, J. J. Jennings School, jets, Judaism, jets,__________________
K: Korean War, knights and knighthood, Martin Luther King Jr., ______________
L: Abraham Lincoln, language, London, the Labor Movement, ______________
M: music, multiculturalism, mythology, mountain climbing, mountains, minerals, Mars, Mexico, mammals, mathematics,
Middle Ages, the Middle East, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Marines, _______________
N: nursery rhymes, people’s names, nature, nutrition, newspapers, New York City, North America, the Navy, National
Parks, nature, Navajo Indians, _____________________
O: Oceans, orchestras, Olympic Games, _______________
P: physical education, Pacific Ocean, famous painters, paintings, prehistoric animals, princesses, presidents, prairies,
__________________
Q: queens, science questions and answers, Quebec, ________________
R: the Revolutionary War, racism, the rain forest, rivers, recreation, the Renaissance, rocks, ancient Rome, Russia,
Reconstruction, religions of the world, Red Sox, reptiles, ____________
S: space exploration, stars in the sky, San Francisco, South America, safety rules, Scandinavia, the four seasons, the
sun, sharks and other sea animals, slavery, the Supreme Court, snakes, the Solar System, sports, superstitions, skulls,
sailors, ________________
T: technology, telephones, Texas, Thanksgiving, trees, the thirteen colonies, theater, the tundra, transportation,
teaching, ______________________
U: United States, undersea exploration, U.S. landmarks, the universe, U.S. History, ________________
V: Vikings, Venezuela, vice presidency, the Vietnam War, vegetables, ______________
W: weather, Washington D. C., American writers, the White House, the women’s rights movement, World War I or
II, ______________________
X: X-rays and other medical terms, Xmas around the world, __________________
Y: Yukon Territory, Yellowstone National Park, Yugoslavia, Yankees, _____________
Z: zoos, zoology, zeppelins and other aircraft, Zambia, Zaire, Zamboni and hockey, zodiac, _____________
No states please, that was 4th grade
Other ideas or suggestions for topics:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__
ABC Book Updated Resource List – 2012
The following websites have ABC book templates that you can use to print your book in color, type
your book on the computer, or see samples of other ABC books written by students and authors.
1. ABC book templates: http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/sites/literacy/fetc.ppt/ppt_index.htm
 This has a PowerPoint template like shown in class.
2. Book cover creator:
http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat_material.asp?id=58
3. Digital Scrapbooking
http://digital-scrapbooking.org/shop/index.php?main_page=product-info&products_id=6656
4. http://www.cobbk12.org/sites/literacy/fetc/ppt/ppt_index.htm
 or just type in abc book templates, scroll down to ABC book templates to download
 or type PowerPointandkidpix in the search line – the site will come up, scroll down to the abc book
template
 Sorry, but this will not work if you don’t have PowerPoint on your computer.
5. http://www.k12connections.iptv.org/pdfs/ABCBook.pdf
 here’s one that will save on ink, as it is two letters per page, but it is not in color
6. http://writingfix.com/classroom_tools/alphabet_books.htm
 Ideas on abc books
7. http://www.suelebeau.com/abcbooks.htm
 samples of abc books and ideas
8. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson083.shtml
 Here’s where I got that long list of ideas/topics from
9. http://nettrekker.com
 a good search engine for elementary
10. http://www.boolify.org
 a good search engine for elementary
11. http://www.openc.k12.or.us
 an easy citation maker for elementary- for the works cited or bibliography page
12. http://wisedownloads.com
 has information on how to download FREE Microsoft PowerPoint
13. http://www.prezi.com- presentation program like PowerPoint
14. http://www.Googledoc.
15. Books can also be done on http://www.snapfish
 or any photo developing site
On the Jennings website http://www.bristol.k12.ct.us under class sites, and then
grade five, you will find the entire assignment- in case you lose your original
paperwork. There is also a direct link to the PowerPoint template to make this
assignment easier to manage.
Also on the school website, there are other great children friendly websites that
students can use for research, under library media center. Students are expected to
use these student friendly research engines.
Wikipedia will not be accepted.
 Good luck.  Have fun. 