Creativity & Non-Fiction

Most of what students read today in school is non-fiction, and now, according to an article in Ed Week Teacher, with the introduction of Common Core, even greater emphasis will be placed on non-fiction curricular materials. AP Teacher Nathan Sun-Kleinberger says that students in his classes learn to be creative with non-fiction. He teaches the “Declaration of Independence” as a breakup song and for homework has students create their own “Declarations”.  Sun-Kleinberger’s students write satire like “State of the Union” addresses, but focus on topics such as “texting, zombies, drama queens, the NBA, reality television, and Velcro. Humor, this AP teacher believes, sets students into creative gear. You’ll want to read about his AP birthday card project and “brutally honest” class discussions.