Students Collaborate On Book

Leigh Dowden and her students with their book, "Just One Can" which they wrote, illustrated, assembled and entered into a contest sponsored by the NYS Senate.

Stratford School students in Leigh Dowden's fifth grade class recently wrote, illustrated and assembled their own 25-page had bound book entitled " Just One Can." The book, as fictional work, is abut a girl named Sally who doesn't think twice about littering.

But one day something unusual happens: Sally, heedlessly tosses a soda can into a nearby bush - and the can magically comes to life. So begins Sally's journey from disrespectful litterer to responsible citizen. The now animated can teaches Sally facts about recycling, and Sally soon realizes the importance of doing her part to preserve and protect the environment.

"The wonderful thing about this book is that each student in the class helped to write the text, and then each author illustrated his or her own page," Mrs. Dowden said. "I'm very proud of all the young authors/illustrators who contributed to the project."

To compose the text, Mrs. Dowden sat at a computer and took notes, as 25 students brainstormed aloud. The class then distributed the text onto 25 pages for editing and refinement, with each student receiving his or her own page. The students also brainstormed about what Sally should wear. The result is that she dresses in the same outfit throughout the story, but each child illustrates the ensemble in a different way on his or her page.

The class has entered "Just One Can" in the NYS Senate's 17th Annual "I'm A Green Nation." Senator Kemp Hannon will announce local winners in May.