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Getting to Know You
Description:
Isn't it fun to find out about your favorite author? This lesson will connect students to their favorite living author or illustrator, through research and eventually a letter written to the author. In order to get to know their favorite author or illustrator, students will research that person via the author's or illustrators website, and through the use of the Something About the Author book series. Using the SATA books, students will find the address to write to their author and create a letter to the author about why they are the students' favorite. The letter will then be sent to the author. This lesson will last about one-hour-depending on time given at the school. Students will get the address of an author/illustrator, and find three facts about that person to include in their letter. After the library lesson, students will write their letters in class, and then send them off.
Goals & Objectives:
Instructional Goals:

Students will become familiar with print resources in the library, mostly the Something About the Author series.
Students will become comfortable with finding information through websites.
Students will gain an appreciation for the authors of their favorite works.
Students will feel more connected to the literature they read.

Learning Objectives:
Students will learn how to use the Something About the Author series.
Students will learn how to seek information on-line about popular authors.
Students will learn about what information is relevant when writing a letter.
Students will become familiar with letter writing strategies.

Motivational Goals:
-Establish importance of information skills; students will know and appreciate the resources in the library, for future assignments.
-Maintain an interest in the research process; students will have a connection with their favorite author.
-Generating interest in the research process and motivate continuing information exploration; students will enjoy their time in the library through finding out information they previously did not have, such as an author's address, or interesting facts that they can share with each other.
Materials & Sources:
Mystery Box (with addresses)
Projector
Web-site display
Something About the Author series
SATA display
Websites on computers
Envelopes, pens, notebook

Procedures:

Collaborator(s): English teacher

Introduction: Have a mystery box set up in the front of the library when students arrive. Have each student pick out a piece of paper with an address of an author or illustrator. Tell the students that by the end of this lesson they will know which author/illustrator is connected with which address. Also have Authors and Illustrators on the Web web-page set up on a projector for students to check out as they are seated. Have the Something About the Author series on display for students. Ask students to pick an author or illustrator from the list,
as they are seated. Once students are seated, ask if they can
tell you where the author or illustrator of their choice lives.

Body: Now for the hunt! It is likely that they will not know where the author resides, so now it is time to find out. This is when the Something About the Author series is introduced. Ask a student to yell out the author of their choice from the list on the website. Then show students how to look that author up in the SATA books. Find the address. Now it is their turn. Ask students to look up the address of their chosen author or illustrator. Once they have found the address, give the students an envelope that will hold the letter to their author.
-Have students address the envelope.

-Now it is time to find out something interesting about the person.
Go to the Authors and Illustrators on the Web site, which will already be set-up on each of the Library Media Center computers. Students will
then click on the author that they chose. It is important to know which author students are looking at. It is okay, and probably likely, that the students will overlap on author/illustrator choice.

-Have students write down three interesting facts about their author/illustrator that they can include in their letter to the author.

Conclusion: Make sure each student has an address that is legible, and three facts they can include in their letter to the author/illustrator. Now ask students to read the address on their paper from the mystery box.

Have the student with that address on their envelope tell the class who lives there. That way each student has a correct answer, as well as something interesting to share with the class. Remind students they can find out lots more information about that person or any other person at the library. Wish them luck on writing their first letter to a famous person. Tell students to bring in any responses they may get from the authors or illustrators, so they can be put on display.

Assessment:
By the end of the class, all students should have a complete, legible addressed envelope. They should also have three facts to include in their letters. Once letters are written in their English class, the teacher should share with the LMS the results. Letters should all be sent out at the same time.
Sources:
Print this Lesson Plan
Presented By: Kelly Chambala
Website by Data Momentum, Inc.