This year’s Be-a-Famous writer contest will be my 10th annual! Ten years of filling classrooms with books! WOW, it almost makes me feel like a superhero! I suppose my super power is to unlock the imaginations of students. The theme this year is all about heroes! There are so many kinds of heroes. From superheroes, with their extraordinary powers and awesome adventures, to real-life heroes —fireman, policeman, athletes, activists, teachers,— the many role models we look up too. There are so many examples of books with heroes for kids to read to prepare for the contest. Heroes can be people or animals!
My contest is all about stretching and exercising the imagination muscle. When we start the process of story telling and using my advice “If you can tell a story, you can write a story” we can find something magical. Not burdened by the correct spelling or sentence structure, just telling a story lets students discover their storytelling superpowers. They are free and have are no limits to their imaginations. So before you get them writing for the contest, how about starting off with a discussion to get the creative juices flowing.
- What is a hero? What are some adjectives that describe a hero?
- Who are some heroes you can name from history? What did they do that makes them heroic?
- Who are your role models? Are role models the same as heroes?
- Are there rules to being a super hero? Do they always have to save the day?
- If you were a superhero what costume would you choose? What would your super power be?
- Can a hero be an animal? Can you think of a book where the animal was the hero?
- Can a friend be a hero? What would make them one in your eyes?
Use the theme as an opportunity for a trip to the library to read books about heroes. Students can explore different genres for example. Or let students explore different formats in reading such as graphic novels and audio books. Allowing students to explore in their reading can help build their vocabularies and comprehension skills. Many teachers create a research lesson around our theme, and heroes certainly let’s them make many book selections. You can read about how teachers have used it in their classrooms and some of the benefits they saw.
I have a very special video made by students for your students to inspire them.
Be sure and watch this video to learn all of the details of the contest, so you can incorporate it into your classroom next fall!
So, think about how you can bring this FREE contest into your classroom. Be a hero at your school, as your class will be filled with books and technology if you win! These amazing companies provide it.
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