Louisiana Department of Education
Out of the Dust
The Grapes of Wrath may be the most famous novel set during the Dust Bowl, but what other stories cover the same time? The unit focuses on the Karen Hesse novel Out of the Dust. Learners keep a timeline of the Dust Bowl, maintain a...
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Big Bang Theory: An Evidence-Based Argument
What evidence supports the big bang theory? Individuals analyze scholarly resources about the the theory and develop arguments backed by evidence. They brainstorm, share ideas, watch a video, and read articles to complete a graphic...
Curated OER
Parts of a Friendly Letter
The art of writing a letter has not been lost to email and texting! Teach kids how to format a friendly letter with a presentation about the parts of a letter, as well as prompting them to write a letter about their favorite holiday.
East Side Union High School District
Biographical Narrative: Journal Prompts
The opportunities are endless with a worksheet containing 24 biographical narrative writing prompts. Although there are no directions or specifications for the writing process, the prompts promote the use of narrative writing...
Curated OER
Summer Shorts
Want to use sequence maps in your narrative writing unit? Young writers work to create personal narratives about their summer vacation. They write a narrative of their vacation and create a display using summer clothing shapes made from...
Curated OER
The "Write" Stuff: Third Grade Strategies and Conventions
Students analyze the writing process through the ten lessons of this unit. The expository lessons address topic and detail sentences, paragraph organization and development, note taking, reports and letter writing.
Curated OER
Reviewing Proper Writing Techniques
Students use proper writing techniques to write an effective description of the best or worst meal they have ever eaten. For this proper writing techniques lesson, students review the parts of a composition and discuss was to...
Curated OER
The Golden Rules of Story Writing
For this story writing skills worksheet, students consider 6 guidelines for authoring their own stories. Students use the guidelines as they write their own stories.
Curated OER
Writing a Biography - Part Three
Students edit and revise a first draft of an essay which they are in the process of writing. They proofread for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors while using their word processing skills.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Our Solar System
Second graders research the Solar System using the Internet to complete questions. They sing The Planet Song and study the names of the planets using an acrostic poem. They write descriptive paragraphs with a partner with whom they check...
Curated OER
Ideal Hideaway- Descriptive Writing
In this descriptive writing activity set, 4th graders discuss places they would like to go to get away. They fill in a pre-writing activity in which they describe the place they would go. They finally write a description, in paragraph...
Curated OER
Descriptive Writing Using Landscape Scenes
Young scholars use the descriptive writing process through the use of landscape scenes, the Paragraph Writing Strategy from the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning, and the 4MAT Instructional Model.
Curated OER
Counting Sentences' Words
Explore language arts by completing a worksheet with class. They read the story Owl Moon and discuss the rhythm of the writing and how action verbs are used appropriately. Then complete a writing worksheet which discusses writing...
Curated OER
Getting Hooked, Introduction for a Narrative
How can you interest your reader? Here is a great lesson on reading and discussing the characteristics of a narrative. Elementary schoolers explore writing techniques to hook the reader. They identify their hook and share their...
Curated OER
I'm Published! A Parts of Speech Book
Reinforce the importance of the writing process with this publication lesson. Elementary and middle schoolers compose a parts of speech book which includes one page each for nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions,...
Curated OER
Contemporary Civic-life Issue Research Based Essay
Seventh graders write a five paragraph persuasive essay on a contemporary civic-life issue.
Curated OER
Formatting Fun
Launch this lesson by saving the provided Formatting Fun template on your classroom or library computers. Young learners can then practice formatting basics for use in writing activities. Exercises include practice in highlighting text,...
Curated OER
Style and Voice
Develop the writing skills of your high school class. Writers consider their personal style and voice, read selections by other authors, and then write pieces that challenge them to experiment with their own style.
Curated OER
Run On Sentences
Explore run-on sentences with your language arts class. There is a SMART Board presentation included, but even if you don't have access to this technology, there are several useful pieces here. Provide your learners with the "student...
Curated OER
Illustrating Student Writing in Grades 1-3
Students depict story elements in a visual medium, exhibit creativity through the completion of the drawn image, and practice computer skills. They use Microsoft Word to write about who they would like to meet, using Microsoft Paint they...
Curated OER
Show Not Tell
Middle schoolers learn to show, not tell, in their narrative writing. A slide show takes them through the process of choosing strong, descriptive words, and then provides writing prompts for them to use as practice. The first two pages...
National Geographic
Steps in a Process Diagram
Start at step one with this straightforward graphic organizer! Learners write down five steps in a process to complete the worksheet. Arrows point from one box to the next to show the relationship between steps.
Curated OER
Definitely Definitive
In these descriptive writing worksheets, students use their five senses to write several descriptive paragraphs about a shoe, a dog, a cat, a television, and homework.
Curated OER
Science Inventions
Third graders explore the world of inventions by describing their impact on their own lives. In this technology lesson, 3rd graders practice writing descriptive paragraphs about different inventions that they find...