Grade 1: Authors Host Publishing Party

First graders in Heidi Byczko’s class worked hard for the past two months creating animal reports and this week they hosted a publishing party to unveil their works. Each student read one page from their report, teaching animal facts to an audience of their peers, faculty and staff.
First graders in Heidi Byczko’s class worked hard for the past two months creating animal reports and this week they hosted a publishing party to unveil their works. Each student read one page from their report, teaching animal facts to an audience of their peers, faculty and staff.
 
Gabi Cairns (1) researched rabbits, her “second favorite animal,” and learned that there are many types of rabbit breeds. Mayur Madiah (1) found out through reading a book about sharks that these creatures see better than humans and have many rows of teeth.
 
Mrs. Byczko explained that her students learned how to take “dash fact” notes before organizing the information into categories. Categories evolved into paragraphs which were edited by both teachers and classmates. Art teacher Cathy Naughton collaborated to guide students in creating two art pieces, an impressionist version of their animals and a scientific drawing with labeled body parts. Authors also fully illustrated their books.

"One of my objectives was for them to really understand all the steps in writing a book, from the research to the editing to the publishing," says Mrs. Byczko.
 
The books feature anacondas, sloths, deer, pandas, cheetahs and more and are on display in the library for your enjoyment.
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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.