Curated OER
Writing: Mentor Text Lesson & Microteaching
Mentor texts are a great way to demonstrate how to write with purpose. Pupils will be reintroduced to two well-known books and then asked to think about them from the writer's point of view. They will see that the author had to use basic...
School District No. 71
Adding Written Detail: Using Jane Yolen’s Owl Moon as a Mentor Text
Access your senses with a worksheet on sensory language. Based on Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, the worksheet prompts kids to find examples of each of the five senses, as well as phrases for inner emotion.
Curated OER
Using a Mentor Text to Develop a New Style of Writing
Students examine some of the author's writing traits and then make an effort to incorporate his style into their own writing. They show how richly written literature can be used as a mentor text, or model, for improving one's own writing.
National Council of Teachers of English
Writing Acrostic Poems with Thematically Related Texts in the Content Areas
Scholars scour thematically aligned texts to gather a bank of words they can use in an original acrostic poem.
Scholastic
Ask the Author
Here is a quick activity that could help your kids with their reading comprehension. They practice a classic strategy that gets them to start asking questions about what they are reading, while they are reading it. They write out...
Curated OER
Point of View and Mentor Relationships
Tenth graders analyze the role of mentors, point of view, and prejudice using the texts of To Kill a Mockingbird and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. For this literature analysis lesson, 10th graders review Scout's...
Curated OER
Adding Strong Voice to Your Writing
Identify examples of strong voice in popular picture books. Young authors add voice to their writing and revise their own writing. In addition, they share their writing with their peers.
Curated OER
Connecting Students to a Professional Mentor
Students use videoconferences to consult with a professional mentor as they work on a project or experiment in their science class. They evaluate the mentor experience through a written reflection. Students are assessed based on the...
Curated OER
Showing not telling writing
How do good writers exhibit emotion in their work without using an emotion word (angry, sad, happy, etc.)? This plan offers learners model texts that describe an emotion without using an emotion word. A well-formatted writing activity is...
Curated OER
Borrowing Narrative Skills from Mr. Fletcher: Using a "Prompts in Reverse" Technique to Inspire Your Writers
Help your class find their writing voices with this instructional activity which uses the work of Ralph Fletcher to guide a "Prompt in Reverse" activity. Using the chapter "First Pen" from Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams, learners decipher...
Reed Novel Studies
The Wednesday Wars: Novel Study
Teacher's pet or enemy? Holling, a character in The Wednesday Wars, feels his teacher is out to get him. However, he has to remain on his best behavior to ensure his father's business does not suffer. How will he ever survive 7th grade?...
Curated OER
Revising Ordinary Sentences into Strong Leads Using "Crispin: The Cross of Lead"
Students create stories using powerful introductory sentences by creating something other than "Once upon a time...". In this sentences lesson plan, students read The Cross of Lead to base their introductory sentences on.
Curated OER
The Candid Camera
Pupils examine the influence of photographer Jerome Liebling on documentary films. They read and discuss an article, take photographs, and create an original photo essay and artist statement.
Curated OER
Cyber Museum Page
Ninth graders create webpages similar to that of a local artist and then help fourth graders create artistically balanced webpages with colorful backgrounds, appropriate fonts and interesting graphics using Netscape Composer.
Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: Ela Guidebooks: Modeling (Mentor Texts)
This strategy helps learners understand an author's craft, refine their writing about texts, and improve their language skills, including using standard English grammar, usage, conventions, and vocabulary in writing.
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: The Author Study Toolkit
Explains the benefits of doing an author study and how to do one with a class. Includes lists of resources and ideas for culminating projects.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Writing to Your Favorite Author
In this lesson, the book Dear Mr. Henshaw, written by Beverly Cleary, is used as a mentor text. Each student will generate a list of questions for his/her favorite author. Then each student will write a letter to the favorite author and...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: The Visiting Relatives Prompt
This review discusses Ralph Fletcher's book entitled Marshfield Dreams and Cynthia Rylant's book called The Relatives Came. The author suggests that these books be used as mentor texts. In the suggested activity, learners will engage in...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Serendipitous Crazy Illustrations
For this lesson, Flotsam, written by David Wiesner, is used as a mentor text. Students will analyze the author's use of crazy illustrations and word choices. Students will then use a game on this web site where they will click to...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Writing a Roundabout Story
In this lesson plan, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff, is used as a mentor text to highlight the trait of organization. The content focus of the lesson is to highlight that authors' story structures can be imitated. Story...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Summarizing Mathematical Learning With the Important Book
In this lesson, The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown is used as a mentor text. Students will create an illustrated paragraph about a particular math topic. Students will use the mentor text and attempt to adapt the author's style to...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Some Animals Don't Do That!
In this lesson plan, Dogs Don't Wear Sneakers by Laura Numeroff, is used as a mentor text for to highlight the trait of idea development. The content focus of the lesson is to highlight what topics cannot do. Students generate a list of...