Using Google Forms To Study Narrative Nonfiction

If you’re anything like me, you have difficulty keeping up with the mountain of papers that needs to be graded on a daily basis. As someone who loves and wants to preserve our environment, I also hate making copies of exit tickets to grade. In Google Classroom, I have had students create documents and slide shows for years. This year, I have started using Google Forms more and more and I am loving them!

I just finished teaching a unit on Narrative Nonfiction. Our touchstone texts included, The House That Jane Built (Tanya Lee Stone), Catching the Moon (Crystal Hubbard), Wilma Unlimited (Kathleen Krull), and Rosa (Nikki Giovanni) among others.

Here are the exit tickets and affiliate links:

The House that Jane Built

Using Google Forms to Study Narrative Nonfiction

In this lesson, students will identify and discuss causes and effects in Jane Addams’s life. In addition, there is a bonus “enrichment” piece where students craft thematic statements from topics and discuss the meanings of some of Jane Addams’s famous quotes.

The House That Jane Built, by Tanya Lee Stone is the inspirational true story of Jane Addams – the mother of social work and the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Students love learning about real people and their stories of fulfilling their dreams. Jane is a wonderful role model.

Catching the Moon

In this lesson, students will identify and discuss problems and solutions and how, in this particular story, problems lead to more problems which need additional solutions. In addition, there is a bonus “enrichment” piece where students search for sensory images, figurative language, and discuss author’s purpose.

Includes:

lesson plan;
graphic organizers for vocabulary, problem and solution, sensory images, figurative language, and symbolism;
vocabulary poke cards;
discussion cards;
color-by-code parts of speech with vocabulary from the book.

Wilma Unlimited

Finding the main idea and the theme of a text can be challenging. I find that repeated teacher modeling and student practice helps considerably! I like to emphasize that there is an element of opinion in a theme whereas a main idea is a statement or very short summary of a work. This resource includes digital and print graphic organizers, a lesson plan, and a Google™ form exit ticket.

Wilma Unlimited, by Kathleen Krull is a great text to use for determining both main idea and theme. In this set of materials, teachers and students are guided to find both.

Students love learning about real people and their stories of perseverance and triumph. Children can never have too many role models!

Wilma Unlimited

Rosa

In this comprehensive book companion, students will be guided to understand the genre of narrative nonfiction. This packet includes several components for distance learning including Google™ slides and a Google™ form as well as a lesson plan, printables in both black and white and color, and a presentation.

Rosa

I like to launch my narrative nonfiction unit every year by drawing on students’ background knowledge of “hybrids”. Discussing hybrids like “ligers”, mules, and hybrid cars helps them understand narrative nonfiction in a new way.

Many students have heard the story of Rosa Parks throughout the years, but Nikki Giovanni’s Rosa is uniquely beautiful. My students and I discuss how Giovanni is a poet and is, therefore, a master of word choice. The vocabulary in the book is rich.