Curated OER
Writing to Make a Point
Begin your persuasive writing with a helpful exercise on making points. With a list of ten points on transportation in a city, third graders map a logical order to their argument. They then write one or two paragraphs about the points...
EngageNY
Analyzing a Model Position Paper
What's the difference between a position speech and a position paper? Scholars use a rubric to analyze a model essay about Michael Pollan's food chains to understand what makes them unique. Additionally, pupils create anchor charts...
Curated OER
Persuasive Arguments
Examine persuasive writing using this informational excerpt about natural habitat conservation. Readers examine the headings of three paragraphs to determine their effect, then copy the first sentences of each. They use these topic...
EngageNY
Scaffolding for Essay: Planning Body Paragraphs for Position Paper This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCom
Scholars begin creating a plan for their position papers using a Sustainable Water Management Position Paper Planner. They talk with partners about their claims and counterclaims for the essays. Writers then work independently to plan...
Curated OER
Rubrics for Assessing Student Writing, Listening, and Speaking Middle School
This is a fantastic collection of a wide variety of rubrics for writing, listening, and speaking! The resource contains over 14 rubrics for assessing such items as a summary, autobiographical sketch and narrative, speech, oral report,...
EngageNY
Scaffolding for Position Paper: Clarifying Body Paragraphs, Introduction, and Conclusion
Let's have a talk. Scholars talk through the body paragraphs of their Sustainable Water Management position paper with peers. They take turns explaining their work to one another. They then begin to work independently on the introduction...
EngageNY
Finishing the End of Unit 3 Assessment: Final Draft of Position Paper and Reflection on the Writing Process
Scholars work on the end of the unit assessment by reflecting on their writing. They answer questions about the process they used to complete their position paper essays. After completing the end of unit assessment, they add images to...
EngageNY
Scaffolding for Position Paper: Clarifying Body Paragraphs, Introduction, and Conclusion
All clear! Scholars read through the body paragraphs of their position papers to ensure clarity. They also review their planners to make sure all information is paraphrased without plagiarism. When satisfied with the body paragraphs,...
Virginia Department of Education
Grade 5 Writing Prompts
Looking for something to write about? Try out one of the prompts from three and a half pages of ideas. The list includes a variety of different topics that you can pick and choose from when planning a writing assignment or unit.
Fluence Learning
Writing an Opinion Requiring Voting
Challenge writers to compose an essay detailing their stance on, and the history of, voting. Three assignments, each broken down into three parts, requires fifth graders to take notes, read and complete charts, write paragraphs, compare...
Terminix
Bee Writing Prompt
What do your pupils know about bees? Ask them to examine facts and images about three different types of bees and write about one type. Pupils explain why their chosen bee is interesting and back up their ideas with facts and opinions....
Curated OER
Helping Homeschoolers: Rigorous and Relevant Writing
Maximize the strengths of the homeschooling relationship to improve the quality and focus of your child's writing.
Edmond Public Schools
The Modes of Writing: How to Write for Different Purposes
Do your pupils know the difference between varying types of writing? This 57-slide presentation is made up of four sections: narrative writing, descriptive writing, expository writing, and persuasive writing. Split it up and use the...
Bermingham City Schools
Opinion Writing
It's no secret that children can be very opinionated, but rather than fight against this natural tendency, embrace it with this primary grade writing project. After a shared reading of a children's book about persuasion, young learners...
Knox Education
Opinion Argument Writing Packet
You won't need much persuading to use an argumentative writing packet in your language arts class! With helpful reference pages, guided practice through the writing process, examples of opinion and argument writing, and a thorough...
Curated OER
Writing a Letter of Complaint
Here is a very useful presentation on persuasive letter writing that's packed with great information. Learners discover when this type of letter is appropriate to write, then are shown a series of steps that would lead to a letter that...
Curated OER
Narrative Writing
Are you the oldest in your family? The youngest? The middlest? How do you feel about your place in your family? After reading such stories as My Rotten, Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by...
Curated OER
Persuasive Speech Assignment
Practice using concrete evidence from various sources to back up an argument. The lesson emphasizes the use of support in a persuasive speech, as well as the importance of appealing to an audience's logic and emotions. You could modify...
Curated OER
Effective Persuasion: Developing Persuasive Documents
Great guidelines for writing persuasively are presented in these slides, along with plenty of questions to lead your scholars as they research. This PowerPoint will help your writers be clear, focused, and incredibly persuasive as they...
Scholastic
Women's Suffrage for Grades 6–8
Learners study the decisions and solutions involved in winning the right to vote. After reading background information on the fight for women's suffrage, including one woman's story, and its eventual success in the United States and...
Indian River State College
Argumentative (Persuasive) Essay Guidelines
Here is a handout that outlines six great steps to structuring an argumentative essay, which can be continually referenced as you teach your class about persuasive writing.
McGraw Hill
Writing Prompts, Student Rubrics, and Sample Responses
Whether you are teaching mainstream, advanced, or intervention language arts classes, you will find something helpful in a thorough writing packet. It includes prompts, rubrics, responses, helpful hints, graphic organizers, and many...
Virginia Department of Education
Grade 8 Writing Prompts
Imagine four pages of writing prompts. Although designed specifically for eighth graders, the topics could be used for upper-elementary and high school writers as well.
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing
Fourth and fifth graders try their hand at persuasive writing. They listen to well-written persuasive articles so they can get a sense of what good persuasive writing is. Then, they brainstorm topics they'd like to write about and are...