Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Tone Is in the Fear of the Beholder:using Multimodal Mentor Texts
A demonstration lesson presented at the 2014 Write for Texas Summer Institute. It provides a snapshot of a four to five week unit that engages students in the reading and writing workshop model.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Teaching Expository & Persuasive Texts: Writing Expository Essays
In an expository essay, a type of informational text, the writer clarifies or explains something by using facts, details, and examples in a clear and concise way. To write an effective expository essay, students need a basic...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Starting & Stopping With Strong Imagery: Revision Strategy
In this lesson, students will engage in revising their writings to incorporate sensory images. Students will brainstorm topics of places, away from their home, that are special. Then students will choose and then write a descriptive...
Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: Ela Guidebooks: Modeling (Mentor Texts)
This strategy helps students 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.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Revision Lesson: Re Shaping Narrative Writing
This lesson, inspired by the novel Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes is a fabulous classroom mentor text that helps teach a very powerful revision strategy: rewriting an idea in a completely different genre. Grimes' book shares short...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Exploring a More Specific Story
In this lesson plan, Ralph Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams is used as a mentor text. Students will write stories about an important friendship in their life. Then students will revise and attempt to make sure their writings have stayed on...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Serendipitous Character Names & Powerful Opening Paragraphs
For 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...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Desert Theme
In this lesson plan, Brooke Bessesen's picture book, Look Who Lives in the Desert!: Bouncing and Pouncing, Hiding and Gliding, Sleeping and Creeping, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After several exposures to...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Mall Theme
In this instructional activity, Eileen Christelow's picture book, Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After several exposures to the mentor text, students will use click the...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Recess Theme
In this lesson, Hooway for Wodney Watby, written by Helen Lester, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After several exposures to the mentor text, students will use click the buttons with the words "Who", "What",...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Sports Theme
In this lesson, Hoops, written by Robert Burleigh, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After several exposures to the mentor text, students will use click the buttons with the words "Who", "What", "When", and...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Circus Theme
For this lesson, Dr. Seuss' book, If I Ran the Zoo, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After reading the mentor text, students will use click the buttons with the words "Who", "What", "When", and "Where" until...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Racetrack Sentences
In this lesson, The Berenstain Bears and the Big Road Race, written by Stan Berenstain, is used as a mentor text. Students will record their favorite adjectives from the mentor text, rank them according to their favorite, and share them....
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Airplane Flight Sentences
In this lesson, Robert Burleigh's picture book entitled Flight is used as the mentor text. Students will record their favorite adjectives from the mentor text, rank them according to their favorite, and share them. Students will also use...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Creepy Crawly Sentences
In this instructional activity, the picture book entitled Toad, written by Ruth Brown, is used as the mentor text. Students will record their favorite adjectives from the mentor text, rank them according to their favorite, and share...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Action Packed Rain Forest Sentences
In this lesson, Jane Yolen's Welcome to the Greenhouse is used as a mentor text. Young scholars will record their favorite verbs from the mentor text, rank them according to their favorite, and share them. Students will also use...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Action Packed Ocean Sentences
In this lesson, Andrew Clement's awesome picture book, Big Al is used as a mentor text. Students will record their favorite verbs from the mentor text, rank them according to their favorite, and share them. Students will also use...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Action Packed Zoo Sentences
In this instructional activity, If I Ran the Zoo, written by Dr. Seuss, is used as the mentor text. Students will record their favorite adjectives from the mentor text, rank them according to their favorite, and share them. Students will...
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: Tail Acrostic Poems
In this instructional activity, Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur Mentor, Silver Seeds by Paul Paolilli, and Henry & The Kite Dragon by Bruce Edward Hall are used as mentor texts. Students will practice their acrostic...
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 instructional activity is to highlight what topics cannot do. Students...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Beyond the Basic Biography Report
In this lesson students use the format and structure of a mentor text such as A. Lincoln and Me by Louise Borden to write an interesting biography about a historical figure with an emphasis on idea development, voice, and writing...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Onomatopoeia Adventures
In this lesson plan, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, by Linda Williams, is used as a mentor text to highlight the trait of word choice. Onamatopoeia is the focus content for this lesson. After the reading of the text,...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Oh, Messy Cheetos!
In this lesson, 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, students will write...