What better way to wrap up the year than with an author study for elementary students? This unit is not only engaging, but also great way to connect reading and writing.
Check out all of the ideas in this post in my Author Study Activities resource.
An author study project is easy to implement in your elementary classroom. Students choose which author they study, then research their author, and finally write/create projects based on what they have learned.
Here are 6 author study projects for your third, fourth, or fifth grade classroom:
Author Study Paper
An author study paper is a great way for students to show what they know about an author.
However, writing a paper can be tough. Breaking down a writing assignment into smaller parts will help elementary students develop their writing.
The first thing students should do is brainstorm books that they love to read. These could be books that have been read aloud or books that they have read independently.
Then students need to look up information about the authors of their favorite books. They can look online or in the library to see how much information is available on the author.
Many authors list their biography and question/answers sections on their own websites.
Have students ask themselves, is there enough information on this author to write a paper?
If not, they should select another author for their project.
After students have selected their author, they need to prewrite. A web is a great way to plan out an author’s study paper.
Then students will write their rough draft, revise and edit their paper, and write their final copy.
My resource will guide students through these steps of writing an author study paper.
Slideshow
After researching an author, elementary students will have no problem creating other projects to demonstrate what they have learned.
A Google or PowerPoint slideshow is a great way for students to present information about their author.
Students will include facts about the author’s life and career. Plus, pictures will make their presentations visually intriguing.
Slideshows are the perfect way for students to present an author study project to their elementary class.
Poetry
Next, elementary students can write a poem about their author or a favorite book that the author has written.
Many elementary students struggle with poem writing. Therefore, an acrostic poem is an easy way to start.
Writing a poem is a way to spark students’ creativity. Since poetry doesn’t have to follow any specific rules, poem writing can be freeing for students.
Letter to the Author
Writing a letter to their favorite author is a great way to get elementary students invested in an author study project.
Not only do students get to work on their letter writing format, but they will also have to think of relevant questions to ask their author.
This activity is especially rewarding if the author writes them a letter back.
For instance, one year I had my whole class write a letter to Judy Blume after we read Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing. I sent off all the letters to the publisher in one package.
Several months later, we received a letter back from Judy Blume along with a few goodies for the students.
My class was ecstatic to receive a response to their letters!
Author Quiz
Creating a quiz about their author is an excellent author study activity for elementary students who love to be the teacher.
In this elementary author study activity students will think of at least ten questions about their author.
They can make a paper quiz or a digital quiz. Students can use Kahoot, Quizlet, or Booklet to create their quiz digitally.
The best part is giving the quiz to others. Students love to see if they can stump their friends.
Create a Board Game
If you’re looking for a way to have your students, be productive and keep them occupied for a long amount of time, creating an author study board game is the activity for your class.
I usually have students work about an hour a day on their board game for about a week.
Students design the game, create the questions, and decide the rules the players must follow.
Then at the end of the week, students get to play each other’s games. It is such a fun way to celebrate their favorite authors and books that they have read throughout the year.
As you can see, an elementary author study project would be an excellent end of the year activity.
Not only does it incorporate books that your class has read throughout the year, but it also gives students a creative outlet.
Author Study Activities include guides and choice boards that are easy to print and go. I’d love to see any of these elementary author study activities that you try with your class.
Looking for more end of the year activities? Check out my blog post: 15 End of the Year Activities.
