Writing Activities

PERSONAL NARRATIVE WRITING UNIT - PART ONE: BUILDING AN UNDERSTANDING 

This engaging and interactive Google Slide activity will help your students understand the basics of a personal narrative and guide them in the process of discovering their personal stories. 

The Product Includes:

5 Colorful, engaging, and interactive Google Slides 

• 3 slides that define and explain personal narratives.

• 1 interactive slide where students work in partners to explore their stories while playing The Dice Game.

• 1 interactive slide that provides students with quick write sentence starters to help them understand they share stories on a daily basis. 

Download Includes:

• Google Slides Version

• Google Docs Version

• PDF Version

• Teacher Instructions

Personal Narrative Writing Unit - Part Two: Characteristics 

Help your students understand the structure of personal narratives and engagement techniques with this set of notes and activities. 

The Product Includes:

5 colorful, engaging, and interactive Google Slides 

• 3 notes slides: Characteristics of a personal narrative, how to structure a personal narrative, and 3 ways to increase reader engagement.

• 1 practice slide: Students determine the structure of a short film.

• 1 practice slide. Students analyze a speech for engagement techniques.

Download Includes:

• PDF with Link to Google Slides Download

• Teacher Instructions

Personal Narrative Writing Unit - Analyzing Mentor Texts: Lyrics

Sometimes it’s easier to start with a song! With this activity, students analyze three narrative songs for elements, structure, and technique. 

This Product Includes: 

• Lyrics for 3 narrative songs

• 3 analytical questions for each song

• Links to each song

Download Includes:

• Google Docs Format

• PDF Format

• Teacher Instructions

Personal Narrative Writing Unit - Analyzing Mentor Texts: Stories 

Students will read 3 stories that have some of the qualities that are expected when they write their own narrative. With the guiding questions, students can identify and pull out the key elements they will also need to include in their stories. 

This Product Includes: 

• Links for 3 short stories: “Owl Moon,” “ Eleven,” and “The Jacket”

• Guiding questions for each story

• Answer Key

Download Includes:

• Google Docs Format

• PDF Format

• Teacher Instructions

BUILDING YOUR STORY PROJECT

Students will complete the slides in order to understand their life is made up of many different stories. 

The Product Includes:

10 Google Slides templates

• 4 Artifact slides where students explain the importance and meaning of 4 special objects. 

• 3 People slides where students explain the influence of 3 important people. 

• 2 Challenge slides where students explain 2 challenges or struggles they have faced and how they have impacted them.

• 1 This is Me slide where students explain what makes them unique. 

Download Includes:

• Google Slides Version

• Teacher Instructions

Personal Narrative Writing Unit - The Writing Process

Students understand the concept of a personal narrative, so now it is time for students to write their own stories! This pack of activities will guide you and your students through the process.

The Product Includes:

• Topics for Personal Narratives Worksheet: This worksheet lists 12 possible topics for students to use for their personal narrative. In addition, students can start narrowing down and exploring their favorite topics in Part Two. 

• Personal Narrative Graphic Organizer: This tool will help your students organize their thoughts and ideas before they start writing the rough draft.

• Personal Narrative Tip Sheet: Before students write, provide them with this tip sheet to keep them focused, on track, and aligned with your expectations. 

• Personal Narrative Writing Rubric: Make grading easy with this rubric. It lists the 10 major expectations for the personal narrative essay and grades it for you with a simple click of a button! 

Download Includes:

• Link to a Google Docs Download (Topics Worksheet and Tip Sheet)

• Link to a Google Slides Download (Graphic Organizer)

• Link to a Google Sheets Download (The Writing Rubric)

• PDF Versions 

• Teacher Instructions

Student Writing Tools - Editing and Revising

Before students hand in their final copy, they will need to go through the final stages of the writing process, revising and editing.

This Product Include:

• Revision Stations: Students will work through 4 stations to help students with the revision process.

• Editing Checklist: 5 section checklist that encourages students to do a final check of their writing. 

Download Includes:

• Link to a Google Slides Download (Revision Stations)

• Link to a Google Sheets Download (The Writing Rubric)

• PDF Versions 

• Teacher Instructions

Do you need journal prompts that require your students to dive deep and really think about their responses? Do you want to give them the option to complete journaling activities online? Then this is for you and your students.

This Download Includes:

1. Journal Prompts: 30 prompts that require students to think and write.

2. Student Instruction Sheet and Guide

3. Google Docs Version for each prompt.

4. PDF Printables for students and classrooms who prefer paper and pencil

5. Table that includes a list of all the prompts and video links in one spot

6. Complete one a week for a year long activity!

Engage your students with this rigorous and relevant research project!

This 8 Week Unit Plan is modeled after the Google 20% project and Genius Hour.

Download Includes:
*Project at a Glance, outline, and student worksheets.
*8 weeks of step by step/day by day activities to help students develop an interest based research project.

Week 1: Plan, develop idea & research question
Week 2: Proposal Presentation
Week 3-6: Working towards an answer, developing idea, blogging (with steps and instructions about how to set up the blog!)
Week 7: Preparing Presentation
Week 8: Reflection and Parent Presentation

This Easy to Use Download Includes:

*Student Expectation Sheet
*Compare & Contrast Chart
*Compare & Contrast Fill in the Blank Outline
*Writing Space for Rough Draft
*Peer Editing Guide Worksheet
*Writing Space for Final Copy

I used this guide with my middle school students to help them with structuring their essays comparing the novel, Hunger Games to the movie. It was a great tool for my classroom!