Unit 1 is for 8th grade English/Language Arts students. Goals of the unit are for students to be able to write a meaningful and well written essay on topics that
demonstrate a connection to their lives. Students are able to discover these topics from the journal prompts that are given by the teacher and completed by the
students each day. Students can then pull concepts or entire journal entries from their journals to create a five paragraph essay. To more fully understand the
components of essays, students are to look at texts discussed in class as examples of good writing and implement some of the writing styles in their own papers.
Students are also given tools to extract these components and provided with independent and group practice to put these skills to use. Students will be evaluated
several times throughout the course on their commitment to their assignments and willingness to work with each other. Another goal is for students to
understand the process that goes into making a five paragraph paper a strong, cohesive unit that will grab readers’ attention and maintain their interest. At the
end of the unit students will turn in a final copy of their five paragraph essay, a working outline, a copy of each draft, and all worksheets from class used to
develop the paper, i.e. graphic organizers, peer critiques, articles, pictures, etc.
The following standards are met throughout the course of this unit:
RLA.O.8.1.8
recognize connections among ideas in literary and informational text (e.g. text to self, text-to-text, text to world connection) and recognize
that global awareness promotes understanding, tolerance, and acceptance of ethnic, cultural, religious and personal differences.
RLA.O.8.2.1
use notes to create an outline for developing a written and/or oral presentation noting the inclusion of computer graphics.
RLA.O.8.2.2
analyze how analogies, illustrations, examples, and anecdotes are used to enhance oral and written communication (e.g., letters, poems, brief
reports, descriptions, extended texts, illustrations).
RLA.O.8.2.3
use pre-writing, editing and revision techniques (e.g., read, draft aloud, peer feedback or a provided rubric) to vary sentence length, change
sentence order, eliminate organizational errors, and use vivid and concise words to create a personal style or voice while clarifying and
enhancing the central idea.
RLA.O.8.2.4
use the five-step writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) to develop a creative or reflective composition (e.g.,
reflect on an experience or time in the past, draw upon imagination) and identify areas for further research by making personal connections
to self, to texts, and to the world to demonstrate that written communication is affected by choices writers make in language, tone and voice.
RLA.O.8.2.5
from a prompt use the five-step writing process to develop a focused composition that contains specific, relevant details, and vivid, precise
words.
RLA.O.8.2.6
recognize and write a simple thesis statement.
RLA.O.8.3.5
perform a variety of roles in group discussions:
 collaboration
 facilitation
 persuasion
RLA.O.8.3.7
plan, create, organize, and present an age-appropriate media product that demonstrates format, purpose, and audience.
Focus for the
Week
Week: 1
Cultivating
meaningful
writing material
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
-Introduce students to
complex and meaningful
journaling.
-Read teacher example.
(Journal on how one
particular song impacted
my life)
-Have students respond to
prompt: Your school is
about to enforce a rule
requiring all students to
wear uniforms. How do
you feel about this
situation and what would
you do in response?
-Discuss thoughts and
review what could have
been done to make the
entry more appropriate for
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: The actions of
this generation will
impact the lives of all
future generations.
-Read examples form
previous students’
journals. (Being adopted,
differences in American
and Korean education)
-Review outline for five
paragraph essay and
briefly discuss important
components of each in
relation to each other and
paper as a whole.
Example outline to be
handed outhttp://depts.gallaudet.edu/
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Discuss a social
injustice that has been
done unto you, i.e.
bullying, age
discrimination, race or
religion discrimination,
and what you did in
response.
-Look more deeply at 5
paragraph essay
components through
discussion and interactive
online website:
http://www.graphic.org/g
oindex.html
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Follow-up
from previous day.
Name a social injustice
that needs to be worked
on in America and
some steps that can be
taken to do so.
-Look at interactive
website with a model
five paragraph essayhttp://ed101.bu.edu/Stu
dentDoc/Archives/fall0
3/lhanson/resources/ess
ay
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
an experience that has
changed your life.
-Introduce locating the
five components in an
essay using the
following lesson plan,
website, and graphic
organizers:
http://teachingtoday.gl
encoe.com/lessonplans
/expository-writingthe-five-paragraphessay-lesson-plan-1of-2
essay writing.
EnglishWorks/writing/fiv
eparagraph.html
Week: 2
Learn from
others
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: This weekend
you are going to the Mall.
Tell all that you will do.
-Introduce Step Up To
Writing.
http://www2.pylusd.k12.c
a.us/glk/jlaurich/StepUpT
oWriting.htm
-Read five paragraph
essay at grade level 8.
-Dissect essay into five
components and then each
paragraph.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: We know that
many students begin
smoking, even as young
as students in our class.
Write a letter to your
classmates convincing
them not to begin
smoking.
-Read five paragraph
essay at grade 10 level.
-Look at improvements
but note the similarity of
structure.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Write about the
most valuable thing you
ever learned in school.
What made it so useful
for you?
-Read five paragraph
essay at the collegiate
level.
-Discuss similarities and
differences between 8, 10,
and collegiate level
essays.
-Read and discuss a
personal essay in order to
demonstrate the
importance of sharing
writing.
Week: 3
Let’s talk about a
good
introduction
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: “Writing is
thinking on paper.”
-Discuss what makes a
working introduction.
-Look back at sample
essays and study
introductory paragraphs.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: You are faced
with the decision of
whether or not to work
while in high school.
Present an argument to
your parents either for or
against teen employment.
-Look at “broad to
specific” introductory
paragraph model.
-Highlight broad to
specific in sample papers.
-Create an example
introductory paragraph as
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: "Failure is often
a better teacher than
success."
-Center work with
introductory paragraphs
(put sentences in order,
create a thesis, create
attention grabber about an
object on table).
-Regroup and reiterate
reason for strong
introduction and thesis.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What do you
think are the most
important qualities a
president should have
(and why)?
-Discuss the importance
of audience. Look to
website for guidelineshttp://home.earthlink.ne
t/~khatzi/essay/overvie
w.htm
-Read and discuss
articlehttp://web.uvic.ca/wgui
de/Pages/EssayWriting
Aud.html
-Discuss differences in
audiences.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Name and
discuss three things you
could do to improve the
world.
-Look at alternative
ways to begin an
introductory paragraph
and explore options.
Use the following
website for suggestions:
http://grammar.ccc.com
mnet.edu/GRAMMAR/
intros.htm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
five things you would
change academically/
socially about school.
-Review understanding
of thesis with handouthttp://www.unc.edu/de
pts/wcweb/handouts/th
esis.html
-Have class vote on a
journal entry to create
an example thesis.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
a time when you felt
hurt.
-Use graphic
organizers as class to
come up with two
introductory
paragraphs.
Week: 4
Body
paragraphs; the
bulk of the essay
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: “Anger is the
feeling that makes your
mouth work faster than
your mind.”
-Introduce body
paragraphs and their
function.
-Use following website
for key points to discuss
(can use as handout):
http://www.indiana.edu/~
wts/pamphlets/paragraphs
.shtml
-Remind how introduction
and thesis shapes rest of
paper.
Week: 5
Conclusion is
key
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: “Men are
respectable only as they
respect.”
-Introduce conclusion
a class based on previous
day’s prompt.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on any
topic of your choice.
-Spend time reviewing
importance of transitions.
-Use previous day’s
website and
http://www.studygs.net/w
rtstr6.htm for examples.
-Show same papers with
and without transition
words.
-Touch on thesis again.
-Hand out graphic
organizer;
http://www.learningthrou
ghlistening.org/SiteData/i
mages/paragraphlarge/035eb026c02e8a0be
b06f637cc5ad804/paragra
ph-large.gif
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Write a
newspaper article to the
local newspaper about
what your class has been
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Think of a rule
you would like changed
either at school or at
home and discuss how
this makes you feel and
why.
-Explore the following
website: http://www2.
actden.com/writ_den/tips/
paragrap/
-Use thesis from previous
Tuesday and work on
body paragraphs as a
class.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: If there was a
new student in class and
you could only ask that
person three questions to
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Think about
where people live.
People live in small
towns, large towns or
even big cities. Some
people live on farms or
in houses in the
country. Think about
where it is best to live
and why. Choose the
one place where you
would like to live and
give reasons why you
think it is the best.
-Center work (develop
body paragraph for
introduction given, see
what is wrong/missing
from paragraph
(http://www.buowl.bou
n.edu.tr/students/Paragr
aph%20Writing%20Ex
ercises.htm), and piece
together paragraphs).
-Spend time developing
own body paragraphs
based on prompt given
to class.
-Discuss.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Write a page
on what you want to do
when you grow up.
What career do you
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
a time when you could
have gotten someone
in trouble but you
decided against it.
-Review introduction,
thesis, and body
paragraphs.
-Complete interactive
activity;
http://www.dialogueon
learning.tc3.edu/classr
oomapplications/activi
ties/buildaparagraphact
pg.htm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
the weather.
-Complete five
paragraph paper.
Week: 6
Putting it all
together
paragraph writing. Use
following website:
http://grammar.ccc.comm
net.edu/grammar/composi
tion/endings.htm
-Discuss its importance in
wrapping up paper and
final chance to get point
across.
doing.
-Study use of conclusion
from previous papers
studied (8, 10, collegiate
level).
-Provide examples of
poorly written
conclusions.
-Write a conclusion from
past weeks’ introduction
and body paragraphs as a
class.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Imagine that you
are a political candidate
for the Presidency, and
you are asked at a debate
to agree or disagree with
one of the following
statements: "All
Americans are free," or,
"All people are equal."
Respond to the American
public.
-Finish outlines for five
paragraph essays and
have outlines approved.
-Begin work on papers.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on any
topic of your choice.
-Finish papers/finish
papers for homework.
get to know them, what
would you ask them?
-Center activities (piece
together sentences in
concluding paragraph,
write a concluding
paragraph as a group,
each person create their
own conclusion based off
of introduction and body
paragraphs used in class
in previous weeks).
-Discuss.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Some fifth
graders think they are old
enough to decide how late
they can stay up at night.
What do YOU think?
Explain when you think
kids are old enough to set
their own bedtimes. Give
reasons that will convince
your readers to agree with
you.
-Review/brief discussion
on peer editing.
-Peer edit papers. Use
following guidelines:
http://www.timesaversfort
eachers.com/freeforms/pe
ereditingform.pdf,
http://go.hrw.com/resourc
es/go_ss/teacher99/toolkit
/TOOLKT17.pdf (or
rubric from previous
assignment).
want and what do you
want to accomplish?
-Begin work on five
paragraph essay as a
class.
-Prompt used:
Goal is to complete
most of paper.
-Give students time to
leaf through journals
and pick one
meaningful to them.
-If topic is approved,
can begin outline.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: To what extent
should students have
privacy in schools?
-Submit revisions to
online paper evaluation
system:
http://www.mhhe.com/s
ocscience/english/tc/per
elman/iMOATabbreviat
edscreenshots.pdf
-Work on any revisions.
-Organize portfolio to
turn in with final draft.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
overall experience of
unit.
-Make any last minute
corrections/organize
portfolio.
-Turn in portfolio
(final draft, all
revisions, all notes, all
peer
reviews/checklists,
etc.).
-Celebrate with
portfolio exploration
party! (students’
display portfolios and
can participate in
discussions on essay
topics)
-Make revisions for next
class.
Unit 2 is for 8th English/Language Arts students. The goal of this unit is to review old poetry concepts while integrating a helping the students to gain a deeper
breadth of knowledge in poetry. This again highlights my philosophy of composition which is practice. Each day the students will be actively writing and
learning about poetry while still having fun. Students will continue work in their journals and pull from the old entries to inspire their poetry. Students will be
given assignments to practice different styles of poetry and will be encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves in their ability levels.
Students will also learn from studying the works of others; professional poets, peers, non-professional poets, etc. Activities will be focused on actually
developing poetry rather than informing the students what poetry is. Students will also continue to develop their peer editing tools as well as metacognition as to
what helps they write the best. The students will share many of their works in class and will also be encouraged to share them with others around the world. The
unit ends with the integration of technology when the students podcast their poems to share with others.
The following standards are met throughout the course of this unit:
RLA.O.8.1.9
summarize explicit and implied information from literary and informational texts to recognize the relationships among the facts, ideas,
events and concepts (e.g., names, dates, events, organizational patterns, graphical representations as found in photographs, captions, maps,
tables or timelines, textual features including table of contents, headings or side bars).
RLA.O.8.1.10
evaluate the effect of figurative language in text.
RLA.O.8.1.11
read, compare and interpret types of poetry (e.g., narrative poems, ballads, lyric, epic) and interpret elements (e.g., lines, stanzas, rhythm,
meter or rhyme) to derive meaning of poetry.
RLA.O.8.3.1
model effective oral communication skills (e.g., tone, volume, rate, audience, etiquette, standard English) through the presentation of
 compositions
 reports

RLA.O.8.3.7
scripts
plan, create, organize, and present an age-appropriate media product that demonstrates format, purpose, and audience.
Focus for the Week
Week: 1
Poetry Introduction
and Practice
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Is there an
event that took place in
your life that has
changed you? Explain
how.
-Introduce students to
poetry as a whole.
Make available
samples (samples will
be mentioned
specifically later in the
unit).
-Hand out list of poetry
terms.
-Explain fluidity of
poetry.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Describe a dream
that you've had. How did
the dream make you feel?
-Introduce ABC poems.
Study, explain, discuss,
and practice.
http://www.authorsden.co
m/visit/viewpoetry.asp?A
uthorID=10146&id=8690
0
http://www.scborromeo.or
g/wisdom/abc.htm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What is your
favorite sport? Why do
you like it, and what do
you like best about it?
-Introduce Acrostic
poems. Study, explain,
discuss, and practice.
http://www.holycross.edu/
departments/socant/dhum
mon/acrostics/what_is_ac
rostic.html
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
poetry you have read
and enjoyed in the
past.
-Center activity: rotate
between three stations.
Several objects will be
at each. Students will
pick an object at the
first station and write
an ABC poem about it,
a new object and
Acrostic poem at the
second, and an another
new object and ___
poem at the third.
Week: 2
Poetry is subjective
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Think of
something you have
wondered about and
write about it.
-Introduce more
complex concepts of
poetry: scanning,
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on any
topic of your choice.
-More practice scanning
and writing phrases in
iambic pentameter.
-Go outside again for
inspiration.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What is silence to
you?
-Review scanning poetry
with hands-on activity.
Students cut out words
from newspapers,
magazines, etc, and create
-Continue journaling. Prompt: If you could
change places with
anyone, who would it
be and why?
-Introduce students to
haikus. Study, explain,
discuss, and practice.
-Take students outside
have them write about
something in nature
(explain historical
background).
http://volweb.utk.edu/sc
hool/bedford/harrisms/h
aiku.htm
http://www.cranberryde
signs.com/poetry/haiku/
history.htm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What I know
about...(Could be
anything you are
studying, or anything
you feel you know a lot
about).
-More poetry work.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
any topic you choose.
-Complete “I Can’t
Write a Poem”
activity. Students list
all of the reasons they
cannot write a poem
Week: 3
Learn from others
and revision
Week: 4
Revision/Portfolios
syllabication, free
verse, rhyme, rhyming
couplet, imagery, etc.
-Spend time on
scanning a poem.
Use exerpt from
Paradise Lost
http://www.types-ofpoetry.org.uk/70iambic-pentameter.htm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: If I could be
any color in a crayon
box, I would be...
-Introduce students to
and work with imagery
and figurative
language.
-Pick activities from
website for students to
practice their skills.
http://42explore.com/fi
glang.htm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Describe how
your classroom will
look the day after the
last day of school.
-Discuss Friday’s quiz.
-Do online poetry
activity.
http://www.rif.org/read
ingplanet/gamestation/
poetrysplatter/default.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Describe how
your mother looks when
she smiles at you.
-Do “Fruit Poetry” to
practice sensory and
imagery skills. A piece of
fruit will be placed in
front of students with
blindfold. They will need
to describe the fruit to
their partner using
sensory adjectives and
phrases, imagery, similes,
etc. Students will then
switch roles and repeat.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What is your
favorite room in your
home and why?
-Complete another online
activity:
http://www.rif.org/reading
planet/gamestation/poetry
splatter/default.mspx
their own poem using
those words. They will
need to color-code them
demonstrating whether
they are stressed or
unstressed.
-Students practice
writing an
autobiographical poem
about themselves and
share it with the class.
http://www.coled.org/cur/lang/lang24.t
xt
and make that into a
poem itself.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Ten crazy
reasons why I couldn't do
my homework.
-Sonnet work. Introduce
and practice. http://poetry.about.com/li
brary/weekly/blshakespea
resonnet18.htm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: *Describe your
feelings on waking up
and seeing snow on the
ground on a school day.
-Practice sonnet
writing.
http://www.readwritethi
nk.org/lessons/lesson_v
iew.asp?id=830
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write
-Final conceptual quiz
using “To His Coy
Mistress”- Andrew
Marvell. Students look
for symbolism,
scanning the lines, etc.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What is the
meaning of "He laughs
best who laughs last"?
-Revise poems completed
from the beginning of the
unit.
-Pick five poems to polish
for final portfolio and
podcasting.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What is the
best advice you ever
received?
-Peer edit the five
chosen poems by center
activity editing.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
your overall
experience of this unit.
-Students present
portfolios and record
podcasts.
mspx
Unit 3 is for 8th English/Language Arts students. This unit’s goal is to get students to think creatively and understand the elements that go into making an
effective story, movie, novel, etc. Practice is again an intricate part of this unit and students are writing in some capacity each and every day; journals are
continued and class activities are geared towards the practice of composition. Students will be provided with an array of activities which help students develop
strong settings and characters while maintaining a compelling storyline and following the guideline of Freytag’s Pyramid. Cross curricular activities are
incorporated in this unit especially the art component aspect. By the end of the unit students are to have written a cohesive short story with the essential elements
of a plot, strong characters, and a descriptive setting. All elements that went into writing the short story must be compiled into a creative writing portfolio that
will be evaluated at the end of the unit.
The following standards are met throughout the course of this unit:
RLA.O.8.1.6
determine and interpret the elements of literature to construct meaning and recognize author’s purpose and/or reader’s purpose: <UL
RLA.O.8.2.1
use notes to create an outline for developing a written and/or oral presentation noting the inclusion of computer graphics.
RLA.O.8.2.3
use pre-writing, editing and revision techniques (e.g., read, draft aloud, peer feedback or a provided rubric) to vary sentence length, change
sentence order, eliminate organizational errors, and use vivid and concise words to create a personal style or voice while clarifying and
enhancing the central idea.
Focus for the
Week
Week: 1
Setting
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What is your
favorite movie?
Describe the characters,
the story, and what you
like best about the
movie.
-Introduce students to
creative writing. Hand
out vocabulary list
incorporating major
concepts.
-Read “The Chaser” by
John Collier.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: You are
walking home from a
late movie, and you
have to cut through a
cemetery. Describe
your experience.
-Discuss short story and
dissect elements
(exposition, rising
action, climax, etc.)
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: You are
visiting the zoo. You
come across an animal
that no one has ever
seen before. Describe
the animal.
-Work on setting. Have
students go to their
“writing place” in the
classroom and free
write for 20 minutes on
a familiar place from
their childhood.
-Come back as a class
and discuss.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Rework old
journal entry to make it
new: Describe your
feelings on waking up and
seeing snow on the ground
on a school day.
-Review elements and
importance of setting:
http://www.brainpopjr.com
/ reading/story
elements/setting/grownups.
weml#teachers
Week: 2
Characters
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Most people
have at least one
strange relative. If you
do, write about that
person. Describe what
is unusual about that
person. What is their
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Write about
your friend(s). Describe
each person and what
they mean to you.
-Provide a good
example of a character
in a story and look how
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Write about the
members of your
family. Describe each
person and what they
mean to you.
-Build character as a
class from a pair of
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: If you could be
any age at all, how old
would you be (older or
younger)? Write about
why you would like to
be this age and what
you would do.
-Have students share
free write with a
partner. Have partner
close eyes and see if
they can imagine the
place the other person is
describing.
-Setting activity.
Students pick a photo
from a magazine or on
the internet and
describe the setting.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Draw a selfportrait, and describe
yourself in writing.
-Have students pick an
object from box and
create a character
(animate or inanimate).
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write about
what Fridays mean to you.
Perhaps tell a story or write
a poem from the free write.
-Center work. Work in
small groups to create a
character. Make up a
relationship to you? Do
you like that person?
-Introduce character
writing. Explain
importance of
developing a strong
character.
Week: 3
Plot/Learn from
others
Week: 4
Plot/learn from
others
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Think of a
person you really like
or admire. Think of a
personality trait that
makes them so special.
Write about this good
trait and why you like
it.
-Elaborate more fully
the elements of plot.
-Use first activity on
website to take a
familiar children’s story
and analyze its
elements.
http://readwritethink.or
g/lessons/lesson_view.a
sp?id=401
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
any topic of your
choice.
-Learn from others.
Read short story and
discuss important
elements.
the character is revealed
(first two chapters of
The Great Gatsby)
-Use graphic organizers
to note the development
http://www.teacherspay
teachers.com/data/thum
bnails/Character%20Sk
etch%20Graphic%20or
ganizer.doc.00.jpg
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: You have just
been rescued after
being lost for 24 hours.
Relate what happened
that made you scared.
-Use graphic organizer
to analyze plot of
another familiar
children’s story
(student’s choice).
http://www.literacyrule
s.com/pdf/plot32.pdf
shoes (bottom up
method). Create a brief
history and story about
character.
biography of character and
illustrate the character.
-Wrap up character
activities.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Create a list of
things you will never
do. Pick three and
explain. (Keep in mind
this could make a great
story).
-Build a plot as a class.
Create different angles
(plot from different
characters, how it
would change, etc.).
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Imagine you
are walking outside. A
spring storm is coming.
Describe for your
classmates what you
see, hear, smell, taste,
and touch.
-Use same graphic
organizer from Tuesday
to analyze plot.
http://www.classicreade
r.com/book/3606/1/
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on any
topic of your choice that
you feel will help you with
your short story.
-Comic book group
activity.
http://www.readwritethink.
org/beyondtheclassroom/su
mmer/grades9_12/ComicB
ook/
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Write an essay
as though you were 80
years old, looking back
at your life. What have
you accomplished, what
are you proudest of,
what is the world like,
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What is your
favorite month? Why?
-Review and practice
character work,
http://www.essortment.
com/all/creatingcharact
_rdmv.htm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What would
happen if everyone
lived in space? What
type of houses would
they live in? What type
of clothing would they
wear? What type of
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write
-Tie up any loose ends.
-Center activities on
writing a collaborative
story. One student writes
the beginning, another
writes the middle, another
http://www.classicreade
r.com/book/3603/1/
and do you have any
regrets?
-Read another short
story and discuss
elements,
http://www.classicreade
r.com/book/3616/1/
Week: 5
Journal/Outlines
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What would
you do if you wanted to
be friends with
someone who spoke no
English?
-Students look through
past journal entries for
short story prompts.
Look through lists of
prompts and see if any
grab students’ attention.
Week: 6
Drafting/revision
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What do you
think someone your age
can do to help reduce
the amount of pollution
in our environment?
-Continue working on
short stories.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Imagine you
are on a magic carpet
that takes you anywhere
you choose. Think
about where you would
go and what you might
do. Write a story about
your adventure.
-Continue examining
journals and prompts.
-Narrow the topics of
interest to three and/or
three that can possibly
be worked together.
-Clarify and refine.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What do you
think about when you
can't fall asleep?
-Go to computer lab so
that students may insert
pictures and other
elements to grab
reader’s attention.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: What do you
like most about
yourself?
-Use portions of unit
plan to practice any
skills that need extra
help.
http://www.mcn.org/ed/
cur/liv/Units/Creative.h
tm
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Where would
you prefer to be right
now--mountains, desert,
beach--and why?
-Peer edit short stories.
food would they eat?
How would they travel?
-Writing a short story
with newspaper photos,
http://www.eduref.org/c
gibin/printlessons.cgi/Virt
ual/Lessons/Language_
Arts/Writing/WCP0011
.html
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: If you could
have been someone in
history, who would you
have been?
-Complete lesson on
editing.
http://www.nytimes.co
m/learning/teachers/less
ons/20071019friday.ht
ml
writes the end.
http://www.eduref.org/cgibin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual
/Lessons/Language_Arts/
Writing/WCP0009.html
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write on
your overall experience
of this unit.
-Share short stories.
-Share favorite journal
entries.
-Finish sharing short stories
and organize portfolio.
-Continue journaling.
Prompt: Free write
-Begin work on short
stories.
-Create tentative outline
and have it approved by the
teacher.