![Smithsonian in Your Classroom: Introduction to the Nature Journal [Pdf] Unit Plan](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Smithsonian in Your Classroom: Introduction to the Nature Journal [Pdf] Unit Plan")
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian in Your Classroom: Introduction to the Nature Journal [Pdf]
Smithsonian in the Classroom presents "Introduction to the Nature Journal." Teachers can download this comprehensive teaching package in which students will practice and develop their skills of writing observations and making hypotheses....
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Writing Across the Curriculum
Designed by groups of Nevada teachers, this collection of modules and lesson plans is continually growing. Find suggestions for incorporating good writing practices in non-language arts areas of the curriculum from history to science.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Writing Fix Homepage
Have you ever needed someone to help you out with your writing? This site offers help to students and teachers. The lessons and resources are organized based on the 6 Writing Traits model. An especially interesting feature of the site is...
Other
Teaching Ideas: Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report
Just as the title claims, here are fifty different ways to respond to a book. Most can be adapted to all grade levels.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Reasons to Write
This video segment from Between the Lions features a motivating, kid-friendly song that celebrates the reasons to write in everyday life.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Kindergarten Writing Lesson #2/Descriptive Prompt
This lesson plan provides a descriptive writing prompt for kindergarten students about a single event or about several events. Students will use a combination of dictating, drawing, and writing to narrate their stories.
Utah Education Network
Uen: K Act. 08: Language Arts Writing Experience
Teachers will model sentences about their favorite foods. Students will mimic these sentences about their own favorite foods and will illustrate pictures of them. All pages will be assembled into a class book.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Come Along Daisy
Students will engage in discussions about story details and write an informational piece about the events in the story "Come Along Daisy".
Read Works
Read Works: Lessons: Lesson 3: Identifying Facts and Forming Opinions
[Free Registration/Login Required] A lesson plan and materials to teach kindergarten students identify facts and form opinions using the book Animal Smell.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Who Writes the Story? Who Does the Illustrations?
Students will learn to identify the author and illustrator on the cover of the book and orally define their role. Pictures and video of the instructional activity in action are included.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Revise and Revisit: Butterflies
Students will take a previously created paragraph and edit it to make it better by adding details, definitions, a topic sentence, or a closure to an informational paragraph. Resources include a PowerPoint presentation and pictures and...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Grade 1 on Demand Opinion Writing Samples
This collection of opinion essays prompted first graders to write about a "best pet." From the Vermont Writing Collaborative, with Student Achievement Partners and CCSSO, these written pieces are part of the In-Common: Effective Writing...
Other
Pic lits.com: Inspired Picture Writing
This innovative resource offers a wide selection of photographs and words to stimulate writing in an interactive format.
CPALMS
Cpalms: The Magical Library
In this tutorial, students will take a virtual trip to a library and learn how to identify the genre, author, and illustrator of a book. After listening to short segments from a magical wizard, students will identify books that are story...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Writing an Opinion in Response to the Story
Students need to have lots of opportunities to share their opinions based on text. In this instructional activity, the teacher will read the story, Jack and the Beanstalk, multiple times before the students create their opinion. The...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Introduction to Opinion Writing
Students' opinions are a crucial step in the foundation of good writing. After reading 'I will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato', students will state their own opinion about a topic through writing.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Oh My! It's Apple Pie!
In this lesson, students will give an opinion on the best part of the story "Oh My! It's Apple Pie!" and validate why it is their favorite. Included are student samples, an assessment sample, templates, and videos of the lesson in action.
CPALMS
Cpalms: What's So Great About Kevin Henkes?
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, students will serve as researchers of author/illustrator Kevin Henkes. With prompting, students will read three books by Kevin Henkes. They will recall information from the text to...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Describing a Memory
Students will be able to use a combination of drawing, dictating, or writing to narrate a single event and provide a reaction to what happened. This lesson centers around the book "The Song and Dance Man", a great Grandparents Day activity!
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Letter to the Lunch Ladies
This lesson really allows readers to express their opinion regarding an issue that affects them - the lunch menu! Students will be guided through the writing process and then will write a convincing opinion piece by stating their...
CPALMS
Cpalms: A Piece of Cake
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson plan, students will present their opinion through drawing, writing and speaking. Students will enjoy discussing their favorite animals, pizza and cake. Students will learn about...
CPALMS
Cpalms: A Chilly Feeling
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this close reading activity, the students will analyze the poem "It Fell in the City" by Eve Merriam. They will read the poem, identify words or phrases that show feelings or appeal to the senses,...
CPALMS
Cpalms: Wild About Authors and Illustrators
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, students learn about the roles of authors and illustrators through games and book-writing. Students will have an opportunity to act out the roles of illustrators and authors. They will...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Topic Sentences
Often, we ask students to find the main idea in the story- this helps when re-telling. Why not apply this idea to writing? Find the main idea and introduce your writing with that idea; just like with a book, it helps with re-telling!...