Main Topics
Expository Writing Theater Writing Word Origins Parts of Speech Paragraph Writing
Imaginary Lands: expository writing project This project is designed to have students examine and then use the elements of expository writing (informational text) in a creative way. They must design their own Imaginary Land and then develop a travel brochure for that land. Download the project guidelines for more information. | View some Imaginary Lands from the past: |
Expository Writing Overview:
- Read Weslandia
- Examining and analyzing travel brochures
- Creating Imaginary Land and a travel brochure for that land, using attributes of travel brochures
- Using Microsoft Publisher to create promotional flyer
- Community Essay Project
- Learning techniques of essay structure around a topic of examining your own community and advocating for change
- Writing for a purpose
Writing for Theater: Puppet Plays Students will work in cooperative groups to write, direct and perform an original puppet play for younger students in our school. This project is done in partnership with Mrs. DiCurcio. Download the project guidelines for more information. And visit the Puppet Show Website from last year to view the puppet plays. Activities:
| Sample Puppet Plays |
Words, Parts of Speech, Paragraphs and More ...
In this series of units, students will move from learning about the origins of words to the roles that words play in a sentence to writing strong paragraphs and then they will move into essay writing.
Origins of the English Language Students will come to learn how words come into our language and then work to invent their own words and definitions by participating in a multi-year Collaborative Crazy Dictionary Project that utilizes a Wiki. See the Crazy Dictionary for yourself.  | Listen to some of the invented words and definitions: Students also use the concept of Eponyms (words named after someone) to create their own "inventions." |
Parts of Speech Students will come to better understand the role that a word plays in a sentence. Activities around Parts of Speech will engage them in critical thinking and use of words within the structure of a sentence. The final project will have students identifying Parts of Speech in their own writing. Download the project handout for more information. | Overview of Parts of Speech:
|
Writing Paragraphs Although this is mostly a review for students, we will be working on writing strong paragraphs with a focus on structure: topic sentence - body of supporting details -- closing sentence. Here are some activities:
| Memory Object Digital Stories use image, voice and narrative paragraph writing to get at a memory of something important. |
