David is a founding member of the team of talented non-fiction writers for children who formed the company iNK — “Interesting Non-Fiction for Kids.” The authors of iNK believe that quality non-fiction is a boon to any classroom. It teaches without being “teachy,” it provides mentor texts for young writers, and it nurtures a love of learning.
Non-fiction can be used to teach curriculum standards in a way that excites children (and their teachers). With a strong emphasis on non-fiction, the Common Core State Standards and many state standards make this the perfect time to get to know iNK.
Here’s who we are …and here is what we do:
Authors On Call – iNK will immerse your school in the excitement of learning when teachers and students collaborate with iNK authors through a series of live, interactive video-conferences and written support through communication on a private wiki.
See what the principal and a teacher at a school in New Jersey had to say about their experience with Authors on Call. And watch the excitement of 3rd graders as they do research on the NASA website as part of their participation in an Authors on Call program with iNK author Vicki Cobb.
The Non-Fiction Minute – Here you will find short pieces of nonfiction, one a day, on a wide variety of topics, written by outstanding nonfiction writers for children. The goal is to get kids reading great nonfiction every day, without burdening teachers with the task of having to go searching for it. The Nonfiction Minute includes audio tracks of authors reading their works. And the best news is—it’s all free and waiting to be used by you and your students.
In an introduction on the “For Teachers” page, Dr. Myra Zarnowski of Queens College gives suggestions of how to use these nuggets of non-fiction in the classroom. So get to know really good nonfiction writing. And it only takes a minute!
iNK Think Tank Free Database If you want to breathe life into a unit on George Washington … or simple machines … or exponents … or Lewis and Clark … or the solar system … or the art and life of Andy Warhol … or myriad other subjects, use quality non-fiction! If you don’t know what books to use, iNK Think Tank is here to help. The database lets you easily find terrific grade-appropriate books for the subjects you have to teach. Organized by curriculum standards, it leads you to the books that will make your teaching (and your students) come alive!
The I.N.K. Blog – Almost every day from January, 2008, through June, 2014, iNK authors shared their thoughts on all things non-fiction. The blog is a treasure trove of information, opinion, musings, humor and general thoughtfulness and searchable by keyword (author names are among the keywords). In 2014, the blog was replaced by The Nonfiction Minute.
CILC – the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration, is not a program of iNK, but David and all of the other iNK authors offer reasonably priced interactive video-conferences on dozens of subjects for students and professionals through the CILC website. (These are single events, as compared with Authors on Call, which is a multi-session program that includes sessions for both teachers and students, along with support.)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON ANY iNK PROGRAMS: Email David or iNK manager, Vicki Cobb.