Activity
New York Times

New York Times: 650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A wonderful collection of 650 writing prompts organized into categories and issues, e.g., role models, family, memories, race, gender, sexuality, social media, etc. Each prompt is linked to an article on that topic. W.9-10.10 Write...
Handout
Other

Kim's Korner: Patterns of Organization

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
This resource from Kim's Korner for Teacher Talk defines various patterns of text organization and provides a brief essay example of each pattern.
Graphic
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Narrative Pyramid

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
A printable narrative pyramid where students can record information about a story including the character, setting, problem, main events, and solution. Directions on how to use this type of graphic organize as well as lists of teaching...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Writing Alternative Plots for Robert O'brien's Z for Zachariah

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Lesson in which students are required to write an alternative plot to O'Brien's science fiction novel. Includes an interactive graphic organizer, handouts, and a rubric.
Graphic
Daily Teaching Tools

Daily Teaching Tools: 10 Graphic Organizers for Download

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
These graphic organizers will engage students in planning strategies for writing assignments. Students will participate in planning stories and critiques via story maps and critique planning sheets.
Lesson Plan
Writing Fix

Writing Fix: A Literature Inspired Writing Lesson: I Never Knew That!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem discover that their seemingly "feeble" father has an astonishing ability with a rifle. For this assignment, writers will compose a letter to a parent or loved one, asking for a return letter that...
Handout
The Write Place

Literacy Education Online

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Literacy Education Online (or LEO) is a great place to start if you need help with your writing. The homepage is organized around kinds of problems or questions you might have concerning your writing. Find your problem, click on the...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Better Living Through Science

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
This lesson involves research on scientists whose accomplishments have impacted areas of nutrition, sanitation, or health care. Students will research an area of their choice, record information on a graphic organizer, and use the...
Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Religion: Frederick Douglass

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Chicago Legacy: Du Sable [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
"Chicago Legacy: DuSable" is a one page, biographical passage about Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, the first non-native American to settle in Chicago. He started a trading post around which the city grew. It is followed by questions which...
Handout
Quia

Quia: Santa Barbara City College: Structure of a Personal Narrative Essay [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site provides two graphic organizers. The first graphic organizer provides all parts of a personal essay, of a college essay. The second graphic organizer serves as a planning tool for a student's personal essay. W.9-10.3,3a...
Graphic
Daily Teaching Tools

Daily Teaching Tools: Story Maps

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides six story-map graphic organizers.
Unknown Type
EL Education

El Education: A Walk Through Highland Park

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This book was created by 2nd grade students in Rochester, New York as part of a three-month learning expedition on animals and habitats called, "A Walk Through Highland Park. Students spent time in their local park doing fieldwork making...
Unknown Type
EL Education

El Education: An a to Z Book of Homelessness

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This ABC book about the lives of homeless people was created by 3rd and 4th grade students in Washington, D.C. The class took part in a Learning Expedition about homelessness in part because students walked by homeless individuals on...
Lesson Plan
Florida Center for Reading Research

Florida Center for Reading Research: Narr. Text Structure: Picture the Character

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
A lesson plan in which students read a narrative text and complete a graphic organizer to illustrate and write characteristics of one of the characters. Materials are included.
Lesson Plan
Florida Center for Reading Research

Florida Center for Reading Research: Monitor for Understanding: Sum Summary! [Pdf]

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
A lesson plan in which students read a narrative or informational text and complete graphic organizers to help them write good summaries of the texts. Materials are included.
Handout
Other

Gallaudet University: English Works: Guide to Different Types of Essays

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
English Works site has suggestions on how to write an essay to convey helpful information. This site offers examples of eight different types of essays and graphic organizers.