Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Antonyms & Onomatopoeia
After reading the book I Stink! by Kate McMullan, students look at the structure of this "guess who I am" book as well as some similar stories. Then students complete a graphic organizer and write their own guess-who stories.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Oh, Messy Cheetos!
In this instructional activity, sentence fluency is the focus. The mentor text entitled Mrs. Wishy Washy is used to help students explore how using repetition techniques can enhance the meaning of a story. After reading the text,...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Rain Drop Shape Poem
This lesson plan uses the mentor text by Wendy Cheyette Lewison entitled Raindrop, Plop! This lesson plan, which has a focus on word choice, engages students in brainstorming descriptive words and phrases about raindrops. At the end of...
Writing Fix
Writingfix: Alliteration Potluck
In this lesson plan, Potluck by Anne Shelby, is used as a mentor text for word choice. The content focus of the lesson is to highlight alliteration. Each student will use alliteration in a sentence as the student include his/her name, a...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: The Colorful Desert
In this lesson plan, The Colorful Desert, written by Audrey Wood, is used as a mentor text for sentence fluency. The content focus of the lesson is about how sentences build through a "building on" book. Students will use sentence frames...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: If You Give a Student an Animal
For this lesson plan, the book If You Give a Moose a Muffin, written by Laura Numeroff, is used as a mentor text for word choice. The content focus of the lesson is to teach the students to take ownership of scientific and descriptive...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: The Verb Game for Kids
An interactive verb generator for students to use while gathering ideas for their writing.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Unique Imaginary Friends
The writer will first create an original imaginary friend, inspired by Ted from Tony DiTerlizzi's wonderful picture book. The writer will then think of an ordinary activity done on a daily basis, like feeding the family dog. The writer...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Caught Up in the Moment
Students read The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson and discuss the father's actions and the consequences that followed. In small groups, students make and share text-to-self connections of when they were caught up in the moment...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Scheming Against an Adversary
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson makes readers think seriously about this question: "What if I had to spend an entire day with someone with whom I had a conflict?" This question presents young writers with a great launching pad for developing...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Fairy Tales in New Settings
After reading Bubba, The Cowboy Prince by Helen Ketteman, the writer will first choose a fairy tale that he/she is very familiar with. Next, he/she will choose a completely different setting (time and place) for their story. The writer...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Scary Somethings
Dick Gackenbach's classic picture book, Harry and The Terrible Whatzit, is a wonderful story about a child and his fear of the Whatzit that he is sure lives in his cellar. The story shows how through determination and the desire to save...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Other Bad Cases to Write About
After reading A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon the writer will plan an original story where an unusual affliction affects a character and is eventually solved. The students will use strong and memorable details as they convey their...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Showing How to Deal With Anger
Molly Bang's book, When Sophie Get's Angry-Really, Really Angry, provides learners with positive ways of dealing with anger. When students explore their own methods of dealing with anger and then talk and write about new ways of...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Weird Animal Adventures: Tuesday
After reading the picture book Tuesday by David Weisner, students write stories about strange animals and their nighttime adventures. Teacher and student instructions are provided along with student samples, an interactive idea...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Power First Paragraphs
After reading an engaging paragraph from Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure by Robert D. San Souci and then work on writing good opening paragraphs for their own stories. Teacher and student instructions are provided along with student...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Overcoming a Personified Fear
Students read There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer as they learn about writing transitions and examine the theme of overcoming their fears. Then they write original stories of their own about a fear and how they will overcome...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who's to Blame Stories
Young scholars read the book Because a Little Bug Went Ka-CHOO! By Rosetta Stone (aka Dr. Seuss) to learn how a little thing can turn into a big story. Then students practice by writing stories of their own where a little cause has a big...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Fracturing Tales Through Titles
Students read The Wolf Who Cried Boy by Bob Hartman and then write their own fractured fairy tales using first-person point of view and dialogue. Teacher and student instructions are provided along with student writing samples, an...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix:"oh, That's Good!" "No, That's Bad!"
How can something that is good, be bad and something that is bad, be good? Inspired by the pattern and concept in Margery Cuyler's picture book That's Good! That's Bad!, students will brainstorm a sequence of related events as the story...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Going Beyond "And They All Lived Happily Ever After."
After listening to the first 12 pages of the book Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O'Malley, students will discuss story elements leading them to develop their own solution to the story's problem. Students will then generate...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: The Vocabulary Fashion Show
Inspired by Debra Frasier's clever vocabulary fair from her book, Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster, individual students will imagine what a vocabulary fashion show would be like. Assuming the role of a fashion show announcer,...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Just the Facts, Ma'am
Students read The Web Files by Margie Palatini and use the format to write three-scene detective stories of their own. Teacher instructions, student instructions, and student writing samples are provided, as well as an interactive...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Serendipitous Character Names & Powerful Opening Paragraphs
In this lesson, Bertrand R. Brinley's The Mad Scientist's Club is used as a mentor text. Students will analyze the introductory paragraph of the mentor text and its sequel. Then students will use an interactive button to select a...