The Seven-Day Adventure

Art/Language Arts

What You Need

• Large construction paper
• Drawing materials
• Binding materials/stapler

What to Do

1. Tell children they are going to write and illustrate a storybook by working in seven writing teams. The story is to be about an adventure that happens on a trip. The adventure takes place over seven days. Team one tells what happens on Sunday, Team two on Monday, and so forth. Each team should use about the same number of pages for its part of the story (for example, one or two pages).

2. For prewriting, determine the following story components with the whole group.
   SETTING: As a destination for the trip, suggest a place students have become familiar with from their social studies book (such as a national park). Or have children suggest a location in the community. Children also decide the time of year.

   CHARACTERS: Children decide who the characters are; for example, a family of three; or, two friends and a dog. They also decide how the characters are traveling; for example, on foot, in a camper, or by canoe.

   PLOT: Have children brainstorm some ideas, such as an exciting canoe ride, meeting wild animals, climbing a mountain, or spotting alligators. List the ideas on the chalkboard.

3. Work with each team but especially the first one so that children get off to a good start.

4. Read the whole story to the class. Before children publish their book, work with three or four children to finalize the text. Choose good printers to make the final draft.

5. Select a team of artists to illustrate each day's adventure.

6. Have a volunteer place the illustrations where they belong in the text and then bind the book. Place it on the library table for children to read to themselves or to one another.

Teaching Options

• To add suspense, let each team see only what the team before has written but don't reveal the whole plot until the story has been finished.
• Before teams begin to write, start a "word wall." Have children suggest words they might use as they write about the various plot twists. They can refer to this resource as they write.
• Let several volunteers practice reading and presenting the story orally. Invite another class to visit and listen to the reading.