GUEST BLOGGER DR. ELIZABETH TRACY
Word banks — lists of key words or phrases organized on a central theme or subject — are useful tools for helping students build vocabulary and develop reading and writing skills. They also foster collaboration in the classroom and can be used to support students at all levels in creative word selection. Even experienced authors generate and utilize word banks to enrich their own writing!
Prepare the class
Read Mystery Driver: The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby (written by Elizabeth Tracy and illustrated by Anna Aronson) to your students. Mystery Driver tells the empowering true story of Alice Johnson, the only girl—among 361 boys—to compete in the first Soap Box Derby. It is a dynamic tale about a girl, and her aviator father, that’s bursting with motion and emotion. Now read the back matter section, What Made Alice’s Car “Fly”? which explores how Alice and the other derby competitors used concepts from physics and engineering to build and race their gravity-powered cars.
Start a discussion
First, discuss how Mystery Driver describes Alice’s flying and driving experiences using both pictures and words.
Next, look at the illustrations in the main text. Does the artwork give you a sense of motion? Can you tell how Alice and the other characters might feel in each scene? How do you think the illustrator achieves that?
Now, look at the author’s word selection. Do the words in the story also give you a sense of motion? Are there specific words or phrases that make you feel as though you are flying or driving alongside Alice (words like “cloud”, “bird”, “spin” or “glide”)?
Create word banks
Ask the class to work individually (for older students), or as a group (for younger pupils), to create a word bank by identifying specific words or phrases that relate to flying, driving, or motion in general. Don’t forget sound effects like “whoosh” and “vroom”!
Write your words on the whiteboard or use the Mystery Driver Word Bank piggybank (see attached PDF).
Encourage students to brainstorm and add their own motion-related words or phrases.
Now write!
Ask students to imagine they are in a big race, just like Alice. They could be in a car, airplane, or some other mode of transportation. They can draw on a real-life experience or simply use their imagination.
Instruct the class to write their own stories, drawing words and phrases from the word banks they’ve created.
For an added twist, they can swap word bank worksheets with their classmates.
Featured image credit: Elizabeth Tracy
Elizabeth Tracy writes narrative nonfiction and informational fiction books and articles for kids and young adults. She loves real-life inspiring stories, especially when they feature empowered women and girls. Known for her impeccable research and a child-friendly approach to complex topics, Elizabeth has published articles in Cricket Media’s award-winning STEM magazines ASK and MUSE. Prior to writing for children, Elizabeth enjoyed a career in business and academia. She holds an MS from MIT, and a PhD from the London Business School. She divides her time between New York City and the scenic Hudson Valley. Website: https://drliztracy.com
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