Curated OER
Author, Author!
Third graders, in groups, select and research a favorite studenT author or illustrator. They answer questions about the author, conduct research and prepare a PowerPoint presentation with their findings.
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Descriptive Writing
This is a comprehensive article about what descriptive writing including what it is, why to teach it and strategies to teach it. It also features two videos Five Senses Graphic Organizer and Writing Poems as well as an annotated list of...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Web Based Bookmarks to Conduct Internet Research
The important thing about this lesson is that it connects literature and science. The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown provides a model for original student poems about a content area topic. Web-based bookmarks guide students to...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Tail Acrostic Poems
In this 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 skills on the...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Playing With Prepositions Through Poetry
Students play with and explore prepositions during a whole group reading of Ruth Heller's Behind the Mask, and then by composing and publishing prepositional poems based on the book's style.
Can Teach
Can Teach: How to Write an "I Am" Poem
This is a template for "I Am" poetry. Students will focus on their own characteristics as they create an autobiographical poem.
Can Teach
Can Teach: How to Write a Diamond Poem
This is a good poem format to help teach adjectives, verbs, and nouns. Lesson plan indicated for 2nd grade and above.
Can Teach
Can Teach: How to Write a Name Poem
This site describes how a Name Poem is a good way to teach children to focus the influence that people (friends and family) around them have. Lesson plan indicated for 3rd grade and above.
Can Teach
Can Teach: How to Write a Cinquain
At the most basic level a cinquain is a five line poem or stanza. Here are two variations. Lesson plan indicated for 1st grade and above.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Seasonal Haiku
This site is a three-part lesson that teaches students how to write and depict seasonal imagery through haiku. Students study, listen to, and create original haiku on colored backgrounds.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Left Brained Writing Prompt: Start & Stop Game: Adjectives
To use this writing prompt generator, click on the button until you find an adjective that inspires a description or a poem in your mind. Sometimes just one good word can put a whole story idea in your head! The object of every Start...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Left Brained Writing Prompt: The Start and Stop Game: Verbs
To use this writing prompt generator, click on the button until you find a verb that inspires a description or a poem in your mind. Sometimes just one good word can put a whole story idea in your head! The object of every Start &...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Left Brained Writing Prompt: The Start and Stop Game: Phrases
To use this writing prompt generator, click on the button until you find a prepositional phrase that inspires a description or a poem in your mind. Sometimes just one good phrase can put a whole story idea in your head! The object of...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: A Left Brained Writing Prompt: The Start and Stop Game: Clauses
To use this writing prompt generator, click on the button until you find a subordinate clause that inspires a description or a poem in your mind. Sometimes just one good clause can put a whole story idea in your head! The object of every...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Memoirs About Photographs
This review discusses Looking Back, a memoir written by Lois Lowry. The song "Photograph", performed by Nickelback, and "In Color" by Jamey Johnson, are suggested as sources to assist with extending the students' understanding of memoir....
abcteach
Abcteach: Similes [Pdf]
This printable worksheet tutorial tests your knowledge of writing snow similes.
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Oceans: A Sensory Haiku
In this lesson plan, students use the ocean and their five senses as inspirations to create their own unique haikus. Lesson provides assessment criteria and a list of sources.