Byron Center — Brown Elementary fourth-grade teachers recently transformed the cafeteria into a cozy coffee shop, complete with hot beverage service and video of a crackling fire projected on the wall.
Dressed in comfy clothes and pajamas for the coinciding Spirit Day, fourth-graders found their seats around tables with baskets of stories, all written and illustrated by their classmates.
Students sifted through the piles looking for their own, or one written by their friends. Some chose one to read based on the colorful, hand-drawn covers. Cups of hot chocolate in hand, they dove into stories written about new experiences.
Teacher Tara Kiel said the students became authors during their language arts unit on personal narratives.
“They all had to write about an experience in their lives,” she said. “They brainstormed ideas, drafted, revised their drafts and designed their book’s cover.”
Topics included overcoming fears, riding a rollercoaster for the first time, getting a new pet and even broken bones.
Aubree Kraft said the first draft she hand-wrote of her story, “Upside Down Time,” was super messy.
“When I typed it out on the computer, it was a lot neater,” she said. “You can choose your own font and it will fix all of your spelling.”
They also learned about the elements of storytelling, like dialogue, tone and how to keep the reader engaged.
One student said his classmate’s story ended on a cliffhanger and left him wanting to know more about what happened after the words “the end.”
Caitlin Devries captured her readers’ attention by opening her story, “Moving,” with dialogue between her and her dad.
Twin brothers Ethan and Elijah Van Singel each chose a different memory from their summer adventures.
“Gone Fishing,” written by Elijah, told the tale of how he went fishing for trout and salmon but, sadly, didn’t catch anything.
Said Ethan: “I wrote about going to Michigan’s Adventure and riding the ripcord with my brother. I closed my eyes for the first part, and then it was fun.”
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