 One of the great thrills of stepping into a new direction is not knowing where the road might lead. Since I wrote my first book, Michigan, An Illustrated History for Children, fourteen years ago, many unexpected opportunities and challenges have come my way. Perhaps the greatest surprise to me has been the simultaneous development as a writer and an educator. For while my depth of knowledge and ability as a writer increased with each of the three subsequent books, so too did my ability to teach history and writing, as I have had the honor of working as a Writer in Residence in hundreds of schools along the way. These trials by fire helped me develop an effective program that teaches kids Great Lakes history while they learn to write.
Full-Week Program: In the course of my full-week Writer in Residence program, every student creates a piece of historical fiction based in Michigan during the early 1600's. The knowledge students gain through a series of historical presentations is crafted into a detailed story about a time when Native American people ruled the Great Lakes region. Students love to imagine living in the woods and on the water, and given a structure and facts they find interesting to work with, the stories they write are always good, and often remarkable. Typically the school week begins with a presentation to all upper elementary students and teachers, where I introduce myself as an author and the methods I use to research and write my books. The balance of the day is spent with those participating in the core writing project, usually 3-4 classes, each with 20-25 students, from grades 3-5. Student writers immediately begin to develop images of life in a Native American village. The rest of the week I schedule five groups each day in 50 minute sessions. I meet at least once a day with the core writing groups, and we continue to explore Great Lakes history and to build the stories. If time permits, I am happy to present to classes not participating in the writing project during any remaining 50 minute sessions. Topics covered include, but are not limited to:
During the past several years, I have had the pleasure of working a week or longer in the following schools, and offer them as references for my writing programs. Click on the school name to view letters of recommendation. Angell Elementary 1608 S. University Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Robin Jackson, Principal Tara Webster, Coordinator Bach Elementary 600 W. Jefferson Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Shelley Bruder, Principal Educators Cuadill, Tarchinski Columbiaville Elementary 4775 Pine Columbiaville, MI 48421 Robert Pepera, Principal Burns Park Elementary 1414 Wells Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Kathy Morhous, Principal Educators Wall, Copes, Barber. Dicken Elementary 2135 Runnymede Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Interlochen Elementary PO Box 32 Traverse City, MI Barb Prior, Coordinator Lakewood Elementary 344 Gralake Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Pat O'Neill, Principal Sue Bright, Coordinator Lakeland Elementary 616 Buckley Elk Rapids, MI 49629 Terry Starr, Principal Mitchell Elementary 3550 Pittsview Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Susan Lewis, Principal Pittsfield Elementary 2543 Pittsfield Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Mary Anne Jaeger, Principal West Kelloggsville Elementary 4555 Magnolia SW Grand Rapids, MI 49548 Jeff Owen, Principal Wines Elementary 1701 Newport Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Current Project: I am currently working in Leelanau County schools in collaboration with the Leelanau Historical Society's History Writing Program thanks to a grant from the Ed & Virginia Ball Foundation. To see photos and read newspaper articles related to this program please click the links below.
During a one-day program I reserve five sessions a day. Typically I combine several large audience presentations to various grade levels and several more detailed presentations to smaller grade specific groups. This program can be modified to accommodate the goals of each individual school. For More Information: Please feel free to call me at (231)271-6821 or email me. Sincerely, John Mitchell Click To See More Classroom Photos |
