The class of 2022 and 2023 delved into the question, how can we as critical thinkers, reflect on how different decisions and actions affect our lives? To investigate this question, the 5th and 6th grade students began experimenting with choices by reading Choose Your Own Adventure books. Following this, students read books in reading class in which character(s) encountered big decisions. Through reading these stories, students engaged in conversations to discuss how changes and decisions affect the characters’ lives.
Subsequently, students worked with a partner to write a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Students followed the steps of the writing process, as well as enacted the 4 C’s of PBL, to create their stories. Students collaborated with each other to generate adventurous ideas to develop an outline for their stories. Following this, students shared out their work with one another and gave friendly critique. Student’s creativity flourished as they began to draft their books and shared their work with their parents, friends, and teachers. Lastly, students submitted their final stories and reflected on how much they grew from the beginning of this process to becoming published authors.