It took them weeks to create these nonfiction Big Books, and it all began with a Skype call with "Dr. Goodgrace."

She asked the Magical Minds to help her plan for a zoo she is opening.  She asked them to research a rare animal to help her design the exhibits, and prepare for the habitats and diets of the different animals.  Jazzed to be part of such a ambitious plan, the Magical Minds were eager to jump right in.  The next day we introduced them to Nicole, our FABULOUS neighborhood librarian at the Portola Branch. 

Bursting with enthusiasm, Nicole helped the students locate books on their chosen topics, guiding them through the nonfiction section of the library and demonstrating how to use the computers to locate resources.

With their books in hand, they began a week's worth of research. 

The Magical Minds painstakingly recorded the facts they found on notecards, keeping in mind three or four important subtopics: habitat, diet, anatomy and life cycle.  Once they had written a healthy collection of notes, they began to organize them according to topic, preparing to write what would be their rough drafts.

Rough drafts became final drafts.  The kids photocopied as well as drew pictures, diagrams and maps, and put all their information together into one giant book.  As we got closer to the presentation date, they created notecards to read from and practiced in front of their peers and teachers.

Finally, the day arrived!  Nicole, our local librarian, came to visit and Dr. Goodgrace Skyped in.  Each team of researchers did an amazing job of presenting their findings.

I started the year thinking we needed to learn all the US states in our geography lessons. I was concerned, however, that there wasn't enough time to cover each one. How would we study each state?

Suddenly I remembered one of my favorite mantras: "The brain doesn't remember facts. The brain remembers connections." Bouncing ideas back and forth, Mr. H and I struck upon the idea of taking a road trip across the US. Students would learn about at least 10 states as they travel from one coast to the other.

Starting at an assigned point A, the Magical Minds research one state at a time. Using the guidesheet below, the kids use the web and atlases to discover nine facts about each state. The challenge is to then incorporate that information into a journal entry.

After defining the landforms in our medieval land, we return to AltaVistoria to describe the setting.

Using a guide sheet, the Magical Minds captured the sights, smells, sounds, textures, tastes and emotions their character might experience in our burgeoning town.

Not only was this a literacy lesson on writing setting, the Magical Minds were asked to survey the land for the plot best suited for their needs. For example the miller wanted a plot close to water where she would build a waterwheel. The fishmonger asked for a plot near the sea. 

You know what they say - location, location, location! And for these medieval merchants and craftsmen its all about resources and consumers.

Below you can see how we used a photograph and the SMART Board to mark where each peasant would live.  Lord Glenndelle (aka Mr. H) heard the pleas of all the students, and proclaimed the results after careful deliberation (and a bit of bartering).