Don't Forget to Write for the Elementary Grades

826 National is a nonprofit tutoring, writing, and publishing organization with locations in eight cities across the country. Our goal is to assist students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills, and to help teachers get their classes excited about writing. Our work is based on the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. Jennifer Traig is the author of the memoirs Devil in the Details and Well Enough Alone, and the editor of The Autobiographer's Handbook.

• Foreword xvAcknowledgments xviiThe Authors xixThe Contributors xxiii1 Tragic Love Tales (by 6-Year-Olds) 1by joan kim and roberto carabeoJust what it sounds like.2 Writing For Pets 6by jennifer traigStudents gain confidence in their language skills by writing a short story for a pet, then reading it to a pet audience. Ideal for very young writers, kindergarten through fourth grade.3 Fort Party! 9by maggie hanksIn this workshop, students build forts using tables, couches, sheets, clamps, whatever you have around. They then go into the forts and do writing exercises. Best for grades two and up.4 Make-Believe Science 14by amie nenningerFacts take a backseat to fiction in this incredibly inventive workshop. Students compose their own wacky faux-science journal. A great way to get more science-minded students interested in creative writing. Ideal for students fifth grade and younger.5 Oh, You Shouldn’t Have, Really (Or, How To Write A Jon Scieszka Picture Book) 22by jon scieszkaStudents learn how a master children’s book author gets his ideas, and are invited to create their own. Great for grades two through four.6 Space Exploration for Beginners: What to Do When You Meet an Alien 29by moira cassidyJunior Space Explorers get the opportunity to “travel” to other worlds, record their experiences in their personal Space Exploration Logs, and make a scale model of one of the alien creatures they meet on their journey. NO SPACE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. Ideal for grades two through four.7 Magic Realism 34by aimee benderWhat if sneezes brought good luck? What if you wrote about it? Our favorite magic realist invites students to imagine a world that’s just slightly off Ideal for older writers, fifth grade and up.8 Recycled Elves: Fairy Tale Do-Overs 36by lucas gonzalez and chris molnarRewriting fairy tales. Good for grades three to six.9 Creating a Guide to Modern Girlhood 40by meghan adlerLearn how to write your autobiography, using a variety of techniques and styles popular in best-selling books for girls. We will do numerous drawing and writing activities. Best for grades five and up.10 How to Write a How-To 47by jory johnAuthor Jory John teaches students how to write incredibly useful howtos, like “How to Avoid a Bath or Shower for as Long as Possible, and Maybe Even Longer.” Ideal for grades four and up.11 Talking Trash! 51by holly mdunsworth and juliet weller dunsworthStudents learn the basics of artifact/trash interpretation and create their own fascinating descriptions of found objects and “trash” artifacts. Neanderthals welcome. Ideal for grades three to six.12 Why did the chicken cross the lesson plan? Writing jokes and riddles 59by marcy zipkeThis introduction to writing jokes and puns encourages language play. Ideal for the very youngest writers—third grade and younger.13 Spy School 62by kate pavao and jennifer traigThis intensive spy-training program encourages descriptive writing, code wordplay, and imaginative reporting. Best for slightly older writers, fourth grade through sixth.14 Literary Mash-Ups 72by susan voelker and susan meyerKids write genre mash-ups (like a romantic horror story). Best for grades five and up.15 Brain Spelunking 76by scott bealUsing Rorschach blots, picture prompts, and automatic writing techniques, we will plumb the inner depths of our minds and see what comes of it. Best for grades five and up.16 PJ Party 80by amy sumerton, jason depasquale, and chloe durkeeStudents learn to craft expert bedtime stories Trust us: wearing pajamas Helps Good for grades two through five.17 Any Which Way: Choosing Your Own Adventure 82by lindsey plait jonesStudents learn about the basic elements of telling a story, then create their own multichoice adventures. For grades two through six.18 Life-Size Board Game! 89by katherine fisher and jessica mortonIn this workshop, we use a life-size game board—where we are the moving pieces. We start off by creating the writing-inspired rules together. Once we’ve collectively thought up the most amazing board game that will soon sweep the nation, we play it together. Best for grades three and up.19 Brains! Or, Writing with Zombies 91by brad brubakerStudents interview a real-life zombie, then use what they learn to write their own zombie stories BRAINS! Good for grades two through five.20 How to Write a Comic 95by todd pound and jennifer traigStudents learn to tell stories in both written and visual media. Ideal for students who think they don’t like to write. This class is designed for students in fourth grade and higher.21 The Meaning of Life (The Short Answer): Writing Big, Large, and Small! 105by elizabeth alexander and kathleen goldfarbIn this workshop, we bravely identify our own big questions and explore them in stories that are both goofy and serious. Best for grades three and up.22 How to Survive Anything 108by rebecca wasleyWhat do you tell your teacher when you forgot your homework? How can you get out of doing your chores? How do you stop aliens from taking over the planet? It’s about time someone put together a book of how to survive absolutely anything—and that someone is you! Good for grades three and up.23 Vindicated Villains 112by nicholas decoulosTelling stories from the bad guy’s point of view Good for grades three through five.24 Ono-Mato-What-Now? 114by katherine hunt and pardis parsaHow do you capture the sound of a candy wrapper being torn open for the first time or your shiny new jacket rubbing against itself? In this lesson students explore everyday sounds to write a fabulous story. Best for grades three through five.25 All-Star Sports Stories 120by aaron devine and karen samaStudents learn about underdogs, dramatic moments, and other factors that make sports and storytelling great. Good for grades four and up.26 I Wrote a Guidebook and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: Travel Writing 124by susie nadler and laura scholesThe entire class collaborates to create a guidebook for their town and learn to observe and describe in the process. Good for grades five and up.27 Cooking For Cryptids: The Definitive Cryptozoological Cookbook 128by shannon digregorioStudents carefully consider the palates of the wild unknown and cater to the likes of Bigfoot and the Chupacabra with an original short cookbook. Ideal for grades one through four.28 Science Club: Ice Cream! 131by elaine mpaluckiIn this workshop, students explore a scientific issue—here, the science of ice cream—then write about it. Ideal for grades one through four.29 Sticky Words 139by maya shugart and ryan smithWhy should the ears have all the fun when it comes to poetry? Students write original poems and collage them into art for readers’ eyes and ears to enjoy in harmony. Good for grades three through five.30 Maddening Mad Libs 142by dan gershmanStudents write their own Mad Libs and learn some grammar in the process.31 If I Were a King or Queen: Creating Your Own Country 147by jryan stradal and robert juryImagination gets a thorough workout as students are invited to imagine their own country, from geography to government. Anything goes. Ideal for writers from second grade through sixth.32 How to Be a Detective 150by amie nenningerThis dynamic lesson invites students to solve a real-life mystery, then write about it. Students really get into it. Best for fourth grade and older.33 Harry Potter Spider-Man vs. the Evil Zombie Ninjas 157by eric canosaStudents learn the basics of conflict in a supernatural showdown between good guys and bad guys. Good for grades two and up.34 Out There: Drawing And Writing New Worlds: An Interdisciplinary Art and Writing Lesson 160by meghan mccookCreate your own 2-D piece of artwork using lots of texture, shape, and color. Then write a description or “sketch” of the universe only YOU could imagine! Best for grades five and up.35 Whining Effectively; Or, How to Persuade Your Parents 163by taylor jacobson and abigail jacobsStudents learn the basics of persuasive writing by writing about things they’re really invested in—like later bedtimes. Best for slightly older writers, fifth and sixth grade.36 For the Birds! 167by scarlett stoppaStudents work together to create never-before-discovered birds and create short adventures for their character through these feathered flights of fancy. Ideal for grades two through four.37 There’s Poetry in an Atom: Writing Creatively about Science 170by nicole moore and ryan mooreThis class seeks to make the sciences less esoteric for those who like to write, and to make writing more manageable for those who love science. Best for grades four and up.38 Guerrilla Poetry 175by becky eidelmanThis lesson helps students find poems that speak to them and discover ways of inserting them, unexpectedly, into other peoples’ lives. Ideal for grades four and up.39 Frankenfilms 177by lindsey robinson and jon zackIn this lesson, students take some well-loved recent movies, write in new characters, and completely redo the endings. Best for grades four and up.40 The Rules of Magic 179by julius diaz panoriñganThis inventive lesson plan uses the conventions of fantasy and magic to guide some very creative storytelling. Best for fifth grade and up.41 And Now I Will Perform an Interpretive Dance: Kinetic Writing 182by angela hernandezThis lesson translates physical storytelling to the page. Great for students who need to get up and move. Ideal for grades second through sixth.42 Note To Self: Writing Autobiography 184by tania ketenjianThis workshop invites you to take a close look at yourself and share it with the world. Good for grades three and up.43 Smell This Story, Taste This Poem 186by gabriela pereiraA story/poetry writing workshop that focuses on using the five senses for inspiration. Best for grades four and up.44 Grammarama: Homonym Stand-Off 198by margaret masonCan grammar be fun? Yes, it’s an extreme grammar challenge. One will win! All will learn! For grades five and up.45 How to Be the Next President of the United States! Or, How to Write a Really, Really, Really Good Letter 204by jenny howardIn this lesson plan inspired by the 826 book Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids’ Letters to President Obama, students learn how to compose meaningful letters for the president and other people they admire. Good for grades three and up.46 Character Assassination! 208by eric canosaIn this lesson, students learn to flesh out their characters with all the details that make them feel real. We start by killing them off (sort of), using a brief obituary to really figure out what’s important in the character’s life. Good for grades four and up.47 Sonnets with Superpowers 211by sarah greenDo you want to write poems that can: see in the dark, travel invisibly, breathe underwater, or fly faster than light? In this workshop, we look at the basics of the sonnet form, and learn how to craft creative new sonnets the likes of which you’ve never seen. Best for grades four and up.48 Best Imaginary Vacation Ever! 214by micah pilkingtonWhere would you go if you could go anywhere? What would you do? This lesson plan invites students to imagine their dream vacation and turn their fantasy into a compelling story. Good for any age, but especially for fifth grade and younger.49 What’s the Scoop? How to Get the Real Story 218by mark de la viñaIn this lesson students learn the basics of journalism and try out their newly acquired interview skills. Best for grades five and up.50 The Illustrated Book Report 221by rebecca stern and brad wolfeIn this inventive lesson plan, students respond to books through comic Panels. Best for grades four and up.AppendixEvaluation Rubric 225Self-Assessment Checklist 226Common Core Curriculum Standards 227826 Centers and Staff 255