Here's a great link to some persuasive letter lessons, complete with a business letter template, which I've used with my students since I started teaching, over at Scholastic.com. True, it's written for high schoolers, but you can adapt some of these sheets, as well as the lesson, for an elementary school Writing Workshop.
Author: Stacey Shubitz
Stacey Shubitz is a K-6 literacy consultant and former elementary teacher. She is the author of CRAFT MOVES and other professional books on writing workshop. Her new book, MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORK FOR YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES (Guilford Press, 2026), empowers parents to navigate the special education system.
Narrative Feedback to a Student
Narrative Feedback to a Student Originally uploaded by teachergal When we returned from Winter Recess I had my students complete self-evaluations of their Writer's Notebooks. (They do this in the middle and at the end of the year. This idea was inspired by Aimee Buckner's Book on Writer's Notebooks.) Each and every student receives a… Continue reading Narrative Feedback to a Student
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WN ENTRY: Remembering
I've been celebrating a lot lately... My wedding, My students' amazing achievements, and as of 5:40 this morning, my snow day. However, amid my joy, Ruth has been going through a more painful time, experiencing the loss of several loved ones over the holidays. She blogged about the tragic loss of her cousins' young children… Continue reading WN ENTRY: Remembering
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WN Entry: Snow Day
Lester L. Laminack wrote a book about it. I had 14 of them my junior year alone. The Governor went on TV last night asking all schools north of Kent County to close... and they did. Today, I have my first snow day in 13 years! (This is what happens when you grow up in… Continue reading WN Entry: Snow Day
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News & Announcements Chart
Each and every Sunday I create my News & Announcements Charts for the week (i.e., for Morning Meeting). I just created one that I really like for this-coming Friday. It looks like this: The #1 reason I like this chart is because of the geography tie-in. (Just thought of doing this since I recently purchased… Continue reading News & Announcements Chart
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Persuasive Letter Writing Rubric
A few folks have left comments asking for resources for teaching persuasive letter writing. I promised to post the rubric I created once it was finished. It's now complete and can be downloaded by clicking here. Once you to the landing page, just scroll down and click on the and downloading the PDF that says… Continue reading Persuasive Letter Writing Rubric
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The “Stuff” on the Desks
I've always been prone to putting reminders, poems, and more on my students' desks through the years. I've rarely received a complaint from a student about this, but I'm sure there are some who feel as though their space might be cluttered. On Friday I did something powerful... kind of in honor of Poetry Friday.… Continue reading The “Stuff” on the Desks
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Writerly Matters
Kelly at Big A little a has some wonderful blogging about the topic of "writerly matters." Do check it out if you want to do some more thinking about the 'basics' I've sometimes neglected, in the past as a teacher of writing. I've grown to think more about it with each passing year by providing… Continue reading Writerly Matters
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Poetry Friday: Another Wedding One
Another wedding poem... an original (of course) list poem. Debacles (that really don't matter) In the end, who really cares that... My wedding ring got stuck on my finger the day before the wedding and therefore it had to be enlarged? I left my lip gloss in Rhode Island? My suite wasn't as bright as… Continue reading Poetry Friday: Another Wedding One
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Amazing Reasoning
I tried to announce a working snack time, like I always do, at the end of Writing Workshop today. However, my students didn't budge. Every single child in the classroom stayed-put where they were sitting and continued to write! What were they writing? Well, they were writing down the logical reasons they'll use to try… Continue reading Amazing Reasoning
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Ideas Galore!!!
Ideas Galore Originally uploaded by teachergal I disseminated a packet of four touchstone texts, written by my former students, that will serve as mentors for my students to use in the persuasive letter unit of study we began today. The letters I gave them as touchstones, which we read together before the WW Time began,… Continue reading Ideas Galore!!!
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WNW: Differences
Welcome to the first Writer's Notebook Wednesday of 2008. Click here to read Ruth's entry. Click here to read mine, which is embedded in this "newspaper clipping." Link us to your entry by leaving a comment.
