This lesson introduces Family Message Journals-a teacher-tested tool for encouraging family involvement and supporting writing to reflect and to learn.

After a trip to New York City, students create reflective journals including text, photographs, and illustrations to share their thoughts and experiences, during their trip.

In this lesson, the first chapter of the novel Girl with a Pearl Earring is used as a mentor text. Students will identify metaphors and then create their own unique metaphorical descriptions that they will begin to collect in their...