Author, Jennifer Richard Jacobson, Visits JHB
Excited James H. Bean students peeked into the library to see author, Jennifer Richard Jacobson, preparing for her morning with them. It was hard not to laugh when a third grade student declared, “The Eagle has landed,” when he realized she was actually on grounds. During her presentation, Ms. Jacobson shared the inspiration behind her books as well as techniques she uses when writing both nonfiction and fiction with first and second grade students. During her session titled, “Did this happen to you?” she used her books Oh, Chickadee, the Andy Shane series, and the Twig and Turtle series to engage students in a discussion of ideas, characterization, story conflict, research, and revision. Third, fourth, and fifth grade students were introduced to the importance of building a story and the significance of choosing quality details (those that go beyond the obvious or general) to transform writing. Quality details add richness to the storytelling and character development. In these sessions, Ms. Jacobson featured her books Small as an Elephant and Paper Things. She discussed the process of writing: beginning with an idea, adding and developing characters, creating a problem for the character, and finally discovering the resolution. Mr. Gordon’s class proudly shared the storyboards they created in honor of a main character in a Jacobson book they are reading. Ms. Jacobson commented not only on the students’ background knowledge of her stories, but their attentive listening skills, inquisitive questions, and wonderful contributions to her presentations. Students beamed as they left with a signed copy of a Jennifer Jacobson book. #WeAreRSU18 #JHBdragons
