This indicates resources located on The Teacher's Corner.
The 5 W's
Summary: A creative writing activity that has students creating dolls.
I look forward to the new school year. I am just as excited about my new group and look forward to see how quickly they change as the year progresses. One way that I encourage writing is to have my students make a "doll". This doll can be made from any materials they choose. The trick is- the doll has to represent as many of the five senses as possible. I collect the dolls and place them around my room. I have everything from pillow case dolls, pumpkin, cotton ball dolls, dolls made from grass, dried flowers, yarn, everything. They have to write a short paper on the 5 W's. This gets them in the creative mood to write, they love having their dolls exhibited (we always get our picture in the school news for the display of dolls) and it combines their "creative" side with the academic side.
Submitted by: Paula Ward paula.ward@email-removed
Alliteration Grades Intermediate
This lesson teaches the student how to write with alliteration, repeating the same letter sound at the beginning of two or more words in a sentence. It also is a review of adjectives and adverbs.
Submitted by: Dorie Thurston
Can We Talk? Grades 4-6
Summary: A great lesson to help remind students the skills involved in using dialogue in their writing.
One of the hardest things for my students to understand is the old rule about changing paragraphs when a new speaker talks. After having a few lessons that go over the rules of writing dialogue, I have the students pair together. Each person draws a portrait of their partner from the shoulders up. This makes for a lot of giggles at the time, but the students do seem to try their best to capture a true likeness of their partners. Once this is done, the students mount these creations on a large sized piece of construction paper with a sheet of notebook paper that will be used for their dialogue. They write a conversation to go with this project with each person writing their own words. Each time it's their turn to speak, they must start a new line on the paper indenting as they go. This makes for a cute display for open house or conferences.
Submitted by: Patricia Pason sunset@email-removed , a fifth grade teacher at Spring Creek Elementary in Spring Creek, Nevada. This tip was published in the NEA's Weekly "Works4Me" Email list.
Cartoon Dialogues Grades 3-6
Summary: A fun and exciting way to get students interested in writing dialogue!
To help children learn how to write with dialogue, I choose four frame cartoons with dialogue bubbles. For beginners, I make sure that the cartoon speakers alternate. I make and use a transparency of the cartoon and make a paper copy for the kids with lines below it. I model for them how to write a brief introduction that includes the setting and maybe something about what they see happening. We write the dialogue for each speaker's bubbles and write a conclusion sentence or two at the end. After a few cartoons, they become very capable of using correct punctuation and adding in description to take the place of the pictures in the cartoon. They can then incorporate these skills into their own stories.
Submitted by: Karen Russell krussell@email-removed , a third grade teacher at Willett School in Davis, California. This tip was published in the NEA's Weekly "Works4Me" Email list.
Conjunctions
A printable worksheet for Conjunctions. This is a printable PDF file that will allow students to practice finding conjunctions. Download
Submitted by: Holly Crites - Ingleside, Illinois
Hot Dog Party Grades 3-6
Summary: A fun lesson to reinforce the 6-Traits of Writing.I have a hot dog party to reinforce the six traits of writing. The hot dog represents ideas. The students' ideas must be plump, juicy and full of spices. The bun represents organization. The tip of the bun is the beginning, the crease of the bun is the middle and the bottom of the bun is the ending. Without the bun, the story and the hot dog would roll around aimlessly. The condiments represent voice. As our hot dogs are dressed in an unique way, each child has a unique voice that they bring to their writing. The chips represent sentence fluency. No two chips are alike as are no two sentences alike. The soda represents word choice. Students' stories must have energetic verbs and descriptive words to create the visual images the reader needs. Like the soda, the story must be alive with fizz! The hot dog party itself represents conventions. Students realize they must edit their work for spelling, punctuation, paragraphing and grammar mistakes. Students really understand the qualities of good writing when presented in this fun party fashion.
Submitted by: Ursula White URSNJEFF@email-removed, a third grade teacher at Hartly Elementary School in Dover, Delaware. This tip was published in the NEA's Weekly "Works4Me" Email list.
Paragraph Burger Grades 3+
Summary: This is a fun holiday activity that allows your students practice in writing the four types of paragraphs. Be creative and adapt it to any present!
Here's a great writing activity for the holidays that reviews the four basic types of writing styles and that can be adapted to any grade level. My students write one expository paragraph explaining how to wrap a present, one descriptive paragraph describing what the present looks like after it's been wrapped, and one narrative paragraph describing what will happen to the present. The final paragraph is a persuasive paragraph explaining why the present is the best present given.
Submitted by: Kevin Buchman buchmank@email-removed, a fifth grade teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio. This tip was published in the NEA's Weekly "Works4Me" Email list.
The Present - Four Ways (Paragraph Writing) Grades Any
This is a fun holiday activity that allows your students practice in writing the four types of paragraphs. Be creative and adapt it to any present! "Here's a great writing activity for the holidays that reviews the four basic types of writing styles and that can be adapted to any grade level. My students write one expository paragraph explaining how to wrap a present, one descriptive paragraph describing what the present looks like after it's been wrapped, and one narrative paragraph describing what will happen to the present. The final paragraph is a persuasive paragraph explaining why the present is the best present given."
Submitted by: Kevin Buchman buchmank@email-removed, a fifth grade teacher at Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio. This tip was published in the NEA's Weekly "Works4Me" Email list.
Rules for Editors
Tips to help your students make the most of their time editing.
Submitted by: Holly Crites - Ingleside, Illinois
6 + 1 Traits T of Writing Grades All
This is a great writing resource. It can be used in any grade level and offers a successful framework in which students can improve their writing skills.
The Biography Maker Grades Elementary
This is a fun and interactive way for your students to learn how to write a biography.
Learn Letters Grades Primary
This page offers free software to help children learn the letters of the alphabet by building the letters from basic shapes. It is bright, fun and interactive.
You will be able to find web sites throughout the various writing categories.