Barbara Gowan
author - naturalist - homemaker
author - naturalist - homemaker
BARBARAGOWAN.COM
For Educators
 |
A recent study found that given a choice of books to read and keep, the vast majority (84%) of the first graders chose non-fiction. This should reinforce teachers' decisions to help primary students by making non-fiction books more a part of the classroom instructions. |
| The Arizona Reading Association (ARA) http://www.azreadingassoc.org and its local councils provide networking, community service, and professional growth opportunities through workshops, author visits, and conferences. Your $30 annual dues in the Arizona Reading Association also includes membership in a local council. As past-president of the Greater Paradise Valley Reading Council and current ARA board member, I encourage you to join me in the support of literacy in our state. ARA welcomes librarians, reading specialists, classroom teachers, parents, authors, illustrators, and all literacy advocates. Check out the Literacy Events post for a schedule of activities. |  |
 |
The Arizona Library Association (AZLA) http://www.azla.org is a professional organization promoting librarian service in all types of Arizona libraries. AZLA sponsors the Grand Canyon Reader Award, a students' choice award for books in five categories - picture book, non-fiction (Desert Digits was a past nominee!), intermediate, tween and teen. For this year's list and classroom ideas to promote this award, check out http://www.grandcanyonreaderaward.org . |
For Writers
 |
Rockne is my writing partner and greatest critic. Even as a puppy, she offered encouragement to sit and focus on my writing. And yes, I still write the old-fashioned way with paper and pencil...although that pencil is a foot long! |
| I am a real believer in professional development and learning from the best so my first piece of advice to beginning writers is to join the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. SCBWI http://www.scbwi.org acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, book sellers and others involved with literature for young people. The Arizona chapter http://www.scbwi-az.org hosts meetings, conferences, and workshops. I serve as the Networking Coordinator for the north valley so I encourage you to join this professional organization to learn more about the business of children's publishing. The Journey newszine is online and members can participate in the listserve to receive emails with updated publishing news. I am also a fan of learning from books and one of my favorites is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown and Lynne Rominger. Harold, a children's book editor, also hosts a great website, The Purple Crayon http://www.underdown.org/ for anyone interested in the publishing of children's books. |
| So, how does a person with a degree in biology become a children's author? Serendipity was on my side when my husband came home from a golf writers' conference and announced that he had a new job for me! He had played golf with the owner of this small publishing house in Michigan, Sleeping Bear Press. They were looking for local talent to write and illustrate their new Discover America series (this was in 2000) and Ed offered my services. The rest is history... and a lot of hard work! |
 |
 |
School Author Visits for Students and Teachers
Barbara Gowan offers students and teachers a unique opportunity to explore
Arizona through author visits to your school or library. Celebrate literacy during
Young Author's Week, Read Across America Day or as a Family Literacy Night.
| Grade level presentations for K-2 are 30-minute multi-sensory experiences. Grades 3-6 explore the creative writing process in a 50-minute presentation. Presentations work best in a library setting with no more than 100 students at a time. Barbara will present 4-6 sessions in a full-day or 2-4 in a half-day. |
 |
Choose either the G is for Grand Canyon or the Desert Digits program
based on which book you would like presented.
 |
In the G is for Grand Canyon presentation for the younger students,Barbara reads the alphabet rhymes while wearing an alphabet apron. Inside the letter pockets are items for the children to discover- copper ore, petrified wood, bola tie, saguaro seeds and more. Older students take a trip through Arizona testing their mapping skills locating sites on a large magnetic map. |
| With the help of animal puppets and props, Barbara introduces the number rhymes and math concepts in her Desert Digits program. Grades 3-6 discover what's inside a Writer's Toolbox and learn how a book is made. During the reading of the book, the author reinforces math concepts. |
 |
| In both presentations, posters of the original manuscript from the rough draft or sloppy copy through the rewrites and editor's revisions are shared with the older students. Teachers appreciate the emphasis on the six traits of writing and the concept of rewrite, rewrite and rewrite - the mantra of an author. Grades 3-6 enjoy time for questions and answers with the author in their 50-minute presentation. |
 |
The Build a Book Writing Workshop for students uses the book, G is for Grand Canyon-
an Arizona Alphabet, as the model for the writing process. Barbara works with one class
at a time in the grade level.
 |
Students create a class ABC book. The workshop is four hours of writing instruction that occurs over a 6-week time period. Additional class time is needed for research, writing and illustrating. |
| Students and teachers are proud of their "published" book. Third graders at Encanto Elementary and fourth graders at Village Vista, Sierra Verde, Cheyenne Traditional, and Paradise Valley Christian Prep are just some of the young authors of classroom alphabet books from the Build a Book workshop with author Barbara Gowan. |
 |
 |
A book sale coincides with the Author Visit. The school receives a donation based on the number of books sold. The students and staff have the opportunity to pre-order books before the visit. Additional books are brought to the school. Books are signed and personalized. Information including a pre-order form and sample books are part of your School Author Visit kit. |
Professional development for teachers is an exciting way to discover what's new in children's
literature complemented by hands-on activities for grades K-6. Allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Choose from three themes:
C is for Creativity - a Writing Workshop
Sharing Nature through Picture Books
Read Any Good Math Lately?
| Read Any Good Math Lately? Participants survey a variety of children's picture books as they relate to the math standards from Number Sense to Data Analysis to Measurement. Hands-on activities including writing math poetry complement the books. A bibliography of math books for K-6 is shared. A specialized version just for kindergarten teachers was presented to educators of the Paradise Valley Unified School District. |
 |
 |
C is for Creativity Teachers explore a variety of ABC books and discover themes that cross the curriculum. Using popular trade books as writing models, participants learn how easy and fun it is to write alphabet books. Samples of student written books are shared. A bibliography of alphabet books is available. A modified version of this workshop was presented at the International Reading Assn. conference in Phoenix in February, 2009. |
Sharing Nature through Picture Books Discover the power of picture books to introduce science/nature topics from life cycles and habitats to teaching kids to love the earth. Pair informational texts with fiction for your early learners. Be prepared to awaken the child in YOU! The Tri-County Teachers' Academy enjoyed this workshop this summer. The Paradise Valley Unified School District and several reading councils of the Arizona Reading Assn have scheduled for fall 2009. |
 |
Program fees: Full-day (4-6 presentations) $600
Half-day (2-4 presentations) $350
Family Literacy Night $200
Staff Development Workshop $300
A mileage fee is added to the program fee.
Contact Barbara at bgowan54@cox.net to schedule your school author visit.
The Books written by Barbara Gowan
 |
 |
Published by Sleeping Bear Press and sold at local bookstores and on amazon.com.
Teacher's guides can be downloaded at http://www.sleepingbearpress.com/educators/.
 |
These informational books are written for all ages. The colorful illustrations and rhymes are enjoyed by the younger listener while the text in the sidebar is suited for the older reader. On the Accelerated Reader scale, G is for Grand Canyon is 6.7 and Desert Digits is 6.5. Celebrated as a Southwest Children's Book of the Year in 2002, G is for Grand Canyon is part of the Discover America State by State series. Desert Digits was nominated for the Grand Canyon Reader Award in the nonfiction category in 2007. |
 |
 |
and illustrated Desert Digits.
 |
 |
L is for Leprechaun - an ABC book of Notre Dame was published by my company, Learning With Little Folks, in 2008. I was responsible for all aspects of the book from research and writing to hiring an illustrator to printing and marketing. It is an officially licensed product of the University. We topped the 1000 book mark in August. A donation is made to the Hesburgh Library for each book sold. |
Available at the Hammes Bookstore on campus and its online catalog http://www.ndcatalog.com
 |
 |
book. She digitized photographs. Look for my daughters, Meghan and Kaitlin, on pages A, G and W.
 |
 |
| I am especially proud of the words that former University president Fr. Hesburgh shared on the back cover. And of course, H is for Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC a scholar, leader, and priest, president emeritus, and activist for civil rights and world peace. |
 |
 |
I will be on campus signing books Otherwise, look for me cheering on the |
To learn more about forthcoming books, check out the post - Future Writing Projects.
About Barbara Gowan
| Growing up in a family with three older brothers in Berea, Ohio, Barbara enjoyed playing with her dolls, building leaf forts along the creek, and reading books. The Borrowers by Mary Norton, The Happy Hollisters series by Jerry West and all of Louisa May Alcott books were her favorites. She attended St. Mary's School and was valedictorian of the Berea High School class in 1972. She headed off to South Bend as one of the few females (only 125) in the freshman class as Notre Dame welcomed in the era of co-education. |
| ||||
| Kindergarten graduation! |
| At the University of Notre Dame, she majored in biology and took classes in ecology, botany, and even entomology (the study of insects!) - great preparation for her job as a park naturalist with the Cleveland Metroparks. |
 |
|
