By Lisa Carolin
Kindergartner Nick VanOrman likes dinosaurs and playing hide n’ seek.
Knowing these two things about him, then spending some time together in April and taking photos of Nick, helped Beach Middle School sixth-grader Braden McKenzie create a book for Nick called “Trouble with the Dino.”
“In my book, Nick is playing hide n’ seek with a dinosaur, and Nick forgets to put boundaries on the area where they can hide,” explained Braden. “When Nick goes to his bedroom, he finds the dino sitting on his bed.”
“It was good,” said Nick about the book, which included photos of Nick superimposed in various settings.
“Putting it together was challenging and fun at the same time,” said Braden.
Nearly two months after the kindergartners had the chance to visit Beach and meet their partners, sixth-graders arrived at North Creek Elementary School June 7 to present the kindergartners with the books they created for them.
Understanding the elements of a story and then writing a story are part of sixth-grade curriculum. Sixth-grade teacher Ryann Skrypec says her students talked about plots and how to develop conflict and a theme that teach a lesson.
Dinosaurs were a popular subject and played a part in the book sixth-grader Libby Wacker created for her partner and brother Bo, who’s in kindergarten.
“I liked the dinosaur and the face on it,” said Bo.
“I guess it was a little easier for me to do since he’s my brother and I know him,” said Libby. “My book is about him going to dinosaur world and finding a lost dinosaur. I thought of it because he has a stuffed dinosaur that he plays with all the time.”
After the sixth-graders read their books to their kindergarten partners, the kindergartners led the way with tours of their school.
The books are the culmination of what sixth-graders spent the school year learning.
