Ms. Dillon’s second grade class studied soil and compost during the month of October. After reading books, observing the KLO garden and collecting leaves and cuttings, each student created their own compost baggie, complete with worms. Each week, the bags were taken out for observation, with students recording their hypotheses, questions, and findings in their science journals through writing and illustrations. The project was documented using the iPad camera to take snapshots of the process and the recording app to record video of student questions and reflections. Images and video were then combined into Book Creator, with the final eBook being shared with all students and families.

Screenshot from the eBook:

The three second grade classrooms at Kennedy-Longfellow School spent the month of January researching and writing about non-fiction topics of their choice. Prompted by the Lucy Caulkins curriculum unit question “write about something you are an expert about”, students began entries in their writer’s notebooks on diverse topics such as Egypt, families, sharks, and math. After studying mentor texts and discussing what makes writing informational, students used their prior knowledge of the subject to plan out their chapters, or subcategories. Working closely with their teachers, each student began the process of writing and revising their work on paper. Once carefully edited, it was time to type their work into the iPad, where they would each be creating an eBook using the Book Creator app. A critical piece of the Caulkins curriculum is the student presentation of their work. Each of the second grades held an “Expert Fair”, where other students, teachers, and family members were invited to come watch and listen as students presented their eBooks on the SmartBoard.

True to traditional informational books, each student eBook included a cover page, table of contents, at least three chapters and a glossary: