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ABC books are available on almost any topic imaginable, but have you ever thought of having your students write their own ABC books? For primary-grade students, writing ABC books reinforces many language skills. At the elementary level and above, writing ABC books develops research skills; students become teachers as they share the results of their efforts. For middle and high school students, creating ABC books for young students -- and then sharing the books with those younger students -- is a collaborative project that teaches all the students valuable lifelong lessons.

The ABC Project
In this activity, older students use PowerPoint to create ABC books for younger students. The books might be general ABC books or books tied to themes that are of interest to young students. Elementary and ESL teachers and students will love the completed ABC books.

ABC Book Lesson Ideas
The links below lead you to lesson plans from the Education World archive. The lessons engage students in learning as they create their own ABC books.

• ABC Book of Tongue Twisters
• P Is for Poetry
• ABC of Endangered Species
• Heroes in History ABC Book
• A World of Special Celebrations
• Famous African Americans ABC Book
• Create a Big Book
• Pair the Plants: An Introduction to Scientific Names

Student-Created ABC Books
The links below lead you to a sampling of student-created ABC books available online.

• Our Canada ABC Book (Grades K-1)
• Surfing for ABCs (Grades K-1)
• Morris Farm Alphabet Book (Grade 1)
• ABC Book of the Ocean (Grade 2)
• Endangered Species ABC Book (Grade 4)
• Our ABC Book of Manitou Springs (Grade 4)
• The Alaska Railroad from A to Z (Grade 5)

Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
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