Transformed: How Everyday Things are Made by Bill Slavin

Nonfiction
4th Grade

This is a kid friendly book that teaches them how things they encounter everyday are made. The book is divided into five sections: Fun and Games, Around the House, Soup to Nuts, Cover-Ups, and Back to Basics. Some of the items that it discusses are soccer balls, crayons, wax candles, licorice, tea, work gloves, lumber, etc. The text structure of this book is written in sequence order. Each step is numbered and has a clear description. Also, there is a picture presented with each item being made. This gives students the opportunity to see a visual representation of what they are reading. At the top of each page the item being described is presented in bold print and underneath it there is a description of what the item is used for. At the end of the book there is a glossary with terms that students may not know. There is also an index and table of contents so that students can quickly find what they are looking for without having to search the whole book.


I will use this book as a design project for students. I will have them pick a section of the book they want to focus on. The students will then be divided into groups based on which section they choose. Each group will spend time looking at the items in the section, how the information is presented, and how the items are created. After this students will have to create something using a variety of materials that would fall into the section they choose. For example, if they choose fun and games they may choose to design a ball for a new sport they may event. After they have created their design they will write up a description that could be inserted in their section. They will be expected to follow the same format as the book does. This will allow the students to use the book in a creative way and also gain knowledge on how to read nonfiction text.
I will also have this book available for students to read at any point in the year that they wish. This will hopefully help them answer some of their questions about how their favorite things are made.