The Connected Classroom

The latest addition of Patricia McKissack’s Clone Codes series was released in February 2011! In the first book of the trilogy that came out last year, “cyborgs and clones are treated no better than slaves, and an underground abolitionist movement is fighting for freedom.” Clone Codes, The #2: Cyborg tells the story of Houston, a cyborg in the year 2130, and how he is considered less than human. Co-written with her husband Fred and her son John, “The Clone Codes sci-fi adventure trilogy continues with this [second] book that blends a futuristic society with pivotal moments in world history.”

Both Clone Codes books will be discussed in Pat’s upcoming Science Fiction-Creative Writing three-part videoconference series. This series now only costs $250 to participate in – for all three sessions. New Links members get an even deeper discount- for three sessions, members can participate in these author visit workshops for just $200.

The goal of the project is to introduce students to the process that authors use to write and illustrate a book and to engage them in writing activities themselves that mirror this process. At the end of the project, students will be able to:

• Use brainstorming and invention techniques to come up with writing ideas.
• Discriminate between different types of audiences.
• Create a science fiction story line.
• Understand character development and create their own characters.
• Understand descriptive techniques in writing & write descriptive paragraphs.
• Create multiple drafts of their work and share them through peer editing.
• Analyze their writing and that of other students.
• Share their work through email with the authors and with each other.
• Evaluate the writing of others and give constructive feedback.
• Revise their writing to conform to the correct standards of English.

To register, contact Rebecca Morrison at Cooperating School Districts by Friday, April 1, 2011. The vc days/times are:
• 4 o’clock central on April 13th (teacher session)
• 11 o’clock central on April 27th (student session I)
• 11 o’clock central on May 11th (student session II)