Winter Mentor Text for Teaching Theme

My 5th graders love when I read a picture book to them as part of a reading lesson.  When the book has beautiful illustrations and involves dogs, even better! When I was a 3rd grade teacher, we learned a lot about the Artic, Alaska, and the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.  Using the book Togo, by Robert Blake to teach theme is a way for me to bring a little bit of Alaska into my 5th grade classroom.  

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Mentor Text for Descriptive Writing

Nothing is more fun for me as a writing teacher than getting to use mentor texts with my students.  I wholeheartedly believe that authors can teach my students so much about the craft of writing.  I've got a shelf of books that I love to use as mentor texts, but one of my favorites is All the Places to Love, by Patricia MacLachlan.  It's a beautiful story of a boy describing each of his family member's favorite places on their farm.  The detail in both the pictures and text is fabulous!  

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