During the Covid lockdowns, I was teaching Science to 5th and 6th graders in Chicago. The timetable had an odd 20 minutes scheduled in right after lunch, before a specials class. While looking for different activities that would be a good fit and use of educational time for that period, I stumbled across Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's YouTube channel. I found her videos engaging, educational and inspiring though they would be a good activity for my class.
Amy recorded episodes on notebook-keeping, from a little camper van she named Betsey, the Writing Camper. Each week she provided a theme, along with a brainstorm activity and then guided the writer to write on a subject chosen from the brainstorming.
I adapted her videos into PowerPoint presentations to present to my students and chunked up the activity during the course of the week. The children enjoyed the lessons, the routine, and over time, many of them really got into it.
What I enjoyed most was reading what the children wrote. They were able to write about their own authentic lives while the brainstorming sessions gave them options about what to write.
Get a notebook, take a look at the presentation and begin writing.
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is a teacher and writer who lives in upstate New York. Visit her YouTube channel for more ideas and activities.
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