Writing With Reptiles
by Joy Stilmock
April 23, 2008
David Nieves brought his collection of reptiles to the
elementary and middle school to inspire students to write
creatively. Nieves incorporates the six traits of writing
into his presentation. The six traits of writing are Ideas,
Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and
Conventions. Nieves became fascinated with reptiles and
amphibians starting at age 8 when he was growing up in Bellevue,
Nebr. Now, Nieves travels to other countries to research and
photograph these creatures. He has written two non-fiction
children's books: "Reptiles Up Close" and "More Reptiles Up Close."
Nieves presents programs at schools, libraries, zoos, nature
centers, and museums.
