Quick and Dirty Research

When I announced to the class that we would be doing some "quick and dirty" research during Reading Workshop, they were clearly surprised by the name of the task!  However, they soon caught on what I meant!  The students had two days to work with their reading partners to research and create an informative poster about an assigned topic from our new shared text, All the Way Home by Patricia Reilly Giff.

The story is set in 1941 and centers around two children, Brick and Mariel who are struggling with growing up and learning more about who they are to themselves and to those they call family.  The historical topics include FDR, polio, Dr. Jonas Salk, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Brooklyn Dodgers, Pete Reiser, and many others.  The kids are always fascinated by the information they find and love when their topic gets mentioned in the story.  The posters also serve as a reference for all of us when the topics come up.

This was also our first time presenting in front or class and all of the skills that come with that sometimes stressful task.  Everyone is doing great!  If your child isn't pictured in the slideshow, they probably haven't presented yet so check back for more pictures this week.