Distance Learning

You probably already know that conferring and working in small groups is the most organic and effective way to differentiate your instruction AND meet your students' needs. However, that requires YOU to be working with them. What about when you're not working with them? You want meaningful, rigorous writing opportunities that are skill-specific. That is precisely the purpose of these writing centers. 

There are 5 Types of Writing Centers with 5 of each writing center. That means you've got 25 Writing Centers to help your students grow! Each writing center also includes an Answer Key so that students can self-check or you can use as a grade if you prefer. The centers are available as color-coded or black and white. This particular set of Writing Centers are based on Scientific concepts.

✋🛑 The materials in this resource are the same ones included in The Literacy Loft Membership. If you are a monthly or annual member, please do not purchase! If you'd like to learn more about the membership, click here!

You can grab the Narrative Writing Centers here.

💻Google Slides

🖨Printable Pdfs

Click here for Writing Centers Volume 2 (Narrative)

What centers are included?

1. Fix it Up! Editing - Students edit a paragraph. The number of mistakes is located at the bottom so students know when they have found them all OR if they need to keep looking. An answer key is included so students can self-check.

Topics:

• Cool Critters! (Ants)
• Sluggish Situation (African Land Snail)
• Amphibians
• Salamanders
• Poison Dart Frog

2. Transition Mission- Students use a transitional words and phrases chart to add transitions to a paragraph. An answer key is included so students can self-check.

Topics:

• Crocs & Gators
• Metamorphosis
• Animals Impact Their Environment
• Oil Spills
• Endangered Species

3. Elaboration Station - Students are given a few sentences with facts about the topic. After the facts/evidences, students use elaboration strategies to add on to the paragraph. Sample responses are included.

Topics:

• Volcanoes (Informative)
• Grizzly Bears (Informative)
• Drought (Informative)
• College Athletes (Opinion)
• Physical Education (Opinion)

4. Paraphrase Practice - Each center has a paragraph. Students practice paraphrasing the paragraph. A chart for the STP (Stop! Think. Paraphrase) strategy is provided.

Topics:

• Indicator Species
• Pollinators
• Tracking Twisters
• Invasive Species
• Animals in Zoos

5. Sort + Write - This center includes 5 different science-based sorting activities. Students have directions for each sort. They are given words and phrases to sort for a specific purpose. After they have sorted, they write a multi-paragraph essay using the details and the sort to organize and write their essay. There are a total of 5 sorts. These could also double duty as a science center.

• Writing Rocks! (Classifying Rocks)
• Life Cycles (Complete + Incomplete)
• Heat Energy (3 Types)
• Writing Matters! (Solid, Liquid, Gas)
• People & Their Environment: Helpful or Harmful?

The centers are included in color + black and white. Ideas for storage and organization are included. Please see the preview for more information and to get a better look at these centers.

If you have any questions as to how you can use these in your upper elementary classroom, please email me at help@theliteracyloft.com.

- Jessica

🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.

These centers are the perfect supplement for our writing units and the monthly text sets.

• Informative Writing Unit
• Opinion Writing Unit
• Narrative Writing Unit
• Monthly Text Set Bundle

Let’s connect! 

The Literacy Loft Blog

The Literacy Loft on Instagram

The Literacy Loft on Pinterest

The Literacy Loft on Facebook

Email: help@theliteracyloft.com 

About this Product

This product came as a result of my students’ love of the biography series “Who Was…?” If you have not looked into this series, I recommend that you do! They are a fun, easy read that offers an engaging way for students to learn about historical figures and important people. Although this product is based on this series, this product could be used for any biography book or project. This is a nice way to integrate Reading, Writing, and Social Studies.

🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.

How I Used this Product

In my 3rd Grade classroom, I used multiple copies of the same book or books and paired students in partnerships. In my school, we have a 30 minute Reading Intervention Block. I began this project with students who were not pulled out or working with me in small groups during this time. This was a nice way for students to work independently or in partnerships. It also created an extension for what they could already do as readers. Plus, they had so much fun! I let them work on this project in their partnerships. This held several benefits. Many students who were not pulled out or working in small groups tend to be higher level students OR students who have untapped potential. Allowing them to work on a project like this can extend their learning, as well as find new ways to enjoy reading. While other students had special groups or went to see other teachers, it was nice for these students to have their own project too.

The Poster Page is a template that you could use for students to turn in with the essay or you could use this as a planning page and then have students create a larger poster on their own. I assigned it as homework and was pleasantly surprised at what my students turned in. I saw a wonderful increase in engagement by students who had shown little motivation or enthusiasm for reading. You can see the photos in the preview or in the product itself. Please know I updated the pages after the photos were taken with more detail and provided the poster template. Good luck to you with this project! If you have any questions, please contact me!

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Reader’s Notebook Anchor Charts

My Opinion Matters! {An Opinion Writing Unit}

My Life is A Story {A Personal Narrative Writing Unit}

Buzzin' in Book Clubs {Book Club Reading Unit Resources}

Newspaper Article Writing Unit {Here's the Scoop!}

Opinion Writing for a Literary Response

Current Events Writing {What's the Scoop?}

🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.

This unit is 50% off through Thursday, July 14th!

Join the TLL Teachers Facebook Group to participate in all the fun!

This unit is a foundational unit to build craft, community, and confidence in your writing workshop. This is a 10 day unit that focuses on moving through the writing process and having students complete one narrative piece. The narrative unit will go deeper into crafting a personal narrative. 

What's included? 

• Unit Lesson Plans 
• Writing Notebook Charts
• Google Slides Presentation
• Google Slides Interactive Student Presentation
• Google Slides Interactive Student Notebook
• PowerPoint pdf

Need something else? Let me know in the comments! 

By the end of this unit, your students will be able to:

• Follow routines, procedures, and directions during each part of Writing Workshop. They listen quietly during the minilesson and participate with their partner.
• Begin working right away during independent writing time. They solve problems on their own and do not disturb others.
• Generate ideas for a personal narrative.
• Plan a personal narrative.
• Use their writing plan to draft a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• Use strategies to spell unknown words.
• Effectively communicate and work with a writing partner.
• Revise their own work by using a checklist.
• Edit their own work by using a checklist to correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
• Collaborate with a partner to share and work on their writing.
• Name and apply the stages of the writing process.

✋ 🛑 If you're a member of the TLL Membership, you already have access to these inside the membership. Not a member? Click here to join! 

 You can grab the Informational & Opinion Writing Centers here.

💻Google Slides

🖨Printable Pdfs

You probably already know that conferring and working in small groups is the most organic and effective way to differentiate your instruction AND meet your students' needs. However, that requires YOU to be working with them. What about when you're not working with them? You want meaningful, rigorous writing opportunities that are skill-specific. That is precisely the purpose of these writing centers.

There are 5 Types of Writing Centers with 6 of each writing center. That means you've got 30 Writing Centers to help your students grow! Each writing center also includes an Answer Key so that students can self-check or you can use as a grade if you prefer. The centers are available as color-coded or black and white. This particular set of Writing Centers are based on Scientific concepts.

Click here for Writing Centers Volume 1 (Informational & Opinion)

What centers are included?

1. Storytelling vs. Summarizing - Students decide whether the writer is storytelling or summarizing the story.

2. Storytelling Revision - Students rewrite the summary as a story. They are to add details, characters, dialogue, thought shots, and other narrative writing elements to slow it down and make the writing sound like a story.

Topics:

• New Girl
• What's in the basement?
• Camp Out!
• Roller Coaster
• Bee Sting!
• New Pet

3. Fact Adjectives - Students are given cards that has a photo with directions on writing with fact adjectives. They are to write inside their writing notebook or on a sheet of notebook paper.

Topics:

• Cats on a Computer
• Girl on the Phone
• Elephant & the Mouse
• Best Friends
• Stocking Up Squirrel
• Little Monkeys

4. Speaker Tags - Students think about what is happening in the conversation and how the character might speak. They will then write a speaker tag to complete each sentence.

Topics:

• It's a Deal!
• Homework?
• Recess Wars
• Kings' Quarrel
• Phone Call
• Book Spill

5. Transitions - Students will write a transition word or phrase to complete the sentences. A transitions chart is also provided.

Topics:

• Snowboarding
• Rooster's Ride
• Camp Commotion
• To the Hospital
• Something in the Water
• It's Just a Game

The centers are included in color + black and white. Ideas for storage and organization are included. Please see the preview for more information and to get a better look at these centers.

🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.

If you have any questions as to how you can use these in your upper elementary classroom, please email me at help@theliteracyloft.com.

- Jessica

These centers are the perfect supplement for our writing units and the monthly text sets.

• Informative Writing Unit
• Opinion Writing Unit
• Narrative Writing Unit
• Monthly Text Set Bundle

Reading and Writing from 1 text set!

What are monthly text sets? 
The monthly text sets are two or more texts based on the same topic. Each monthly text set can be used for both reading and writing. The topic of each text set is high-engaging nonfiction topics. Each text set supports opinion or informational based writing in response to reading.

What is included in each text set? 

• 2 (or more) related informational articles
• Reading Comprehension Questions
• Writing Prompt to be used with the texts in an essay format
• Writing Plan Example
• Teacher Example Essay (editable)
• Differentiated for Grades 3-5  

Polar Bear Problems
Students read articles about polar bears. Using the texts, they write an informational essay about the topic.
Standard-based reading comprehension questions help you integrate reading while using the same text you are using in writing.

Try the free text set here:
https://theliteracyloft.co/FREETextSet

These text sets go perfectly with the Informational and Opinion Writing Units:

• Informative Writing Unit
• Opinion Writing Unit

Check out the Monthly Text Set Bundle and save up! The bundle includes ALL of the text sets that are currently available.

What topics are included for each month?
The topics included are thematically related to that month. However, the text sets can be used at any time of the year based on your needs.

January - MLK (Opinion Text Set)

February - Equality in Education: Thurgood Marshall & Mary Mcleoud Bethune (Informational Text Set)

March - Ants: Perk or Pest (Opinion Text Set)

April - The Benefits of Bees (Informational Text Set)

May - Sea Turtles (Informational Text Set)

June - Sharks Text Set (Try for FREE here!)

July- Hurricanes Text Set (Informational Text Set)

August - Video Games: Harmful or Helpful? (Opinion Text Set)

September - Homework: Harmful or Helpful? (Opinion Text Set)

October- Bats (Informational Text Set)

November - Paid to Play: Should College Athletes be Paid?

December - Polar Bear Problems (Informational Text Set)

🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.

Let’s connect!

The Literacy Loft Blog

The Literacy Loft on Instagram

The Literacy Loft on Pinterest

The Literacy Loft on Facebook

Email: help@theliteracyloft.com

Reading and Writing from 1 text set!

What are monthly text sets? 
The monthly text sets are two or more texts based on the same topic. Each monthly text set can be used for both reading and writing. The topic of each text set is high-engaging nonfiction topics. Each text set supports opinion or informational based writing in response to reading.

What is included in each text set? 

• 2 (or more) related informational articles
• Reading Comprehension Questions
• Writing Prompt to be used with the texts in an essay format
• Writing Plan Example
• Teacher Example Essay (editable)
• Differentiated for Grades 3-5  

Paid to Play: Should college athletes be paid?
Students read 2 articles about the positive and negative impact of college athletes being paid to play. Using the texts, they write an opinion essay in which they give their opinion about whether college athletes should be paid.
Standard-based reading comprehension questions help you integrate reading while using the same text you are using in writing.

Try the free text set here:
https://theliteracyloft.co/FREETextSet

These text sets go perfectly with the Informational and Opinion Writing Units:

• Informative Writing Unit
• Opinion Writing Unit

🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.

Check out the Monthly Text Set Bundle and save up! The bundle includes ALL of the text sets that are currently available.

What topics are included for each month?
The topics included are thematically related to that month. However, the text sets can be used at any time of the year based on your needs.

January - MLK (Opinion Text Set)

February - Equality in Education: Thurgood Marshall & Mary Mcleoud Bethune (Informational Text Set)

March - Ants: Perk or Pest (Opinion Text Set)

April - The Benefits of Bees (Informational Text Set)

May - Sea Turtles (Informational Text Set)

June - Sharks Text Set (Try for FREE here!)

July- Hurricanes Text Set (Informational Text Set)

August - Video Games: Harmful or Helpful? (Opinion Text Set)

September - Homework: Harmful or Helpful? (Opinion Text Set)

October- Bats (Informational Text Set)

November - Paid to Play: Should College Athletes be Paid?

December - Polar Bear Problems (Informational Text Set)

Try the free text set here:

https://theliteracyloft.co/FREETextSet

Let’s connect!

The Literacy Loft Blog

The Literacy Loft on Instagram

The Literacy Loft on Pinterest

The Literacy Loft on Facebook

Email: help@theliteracyloft.com

Reading and Writing from 1 text set!

What are monthly text sets? 
The monthly text sets are two or more texts based on the same topic. Each monthly text set can be used for both reading and writing. The topic of each text set is high-engaging nonfiction topics. Each text set supports opinion or informational based writing in response to reading.

What is included in each text set? 

• 2 (or more) related informational articles
• Reading Comprehension Questions
• Writing Prompt to be used with the texts in an essay format
• Writing Plan Example
• Teacher Example Essay (editable)
• Differentiated for Grades 3-5  

Homework: Helpful or Harmful?
Students read 2 articles and a poem about the positive and negative effects of having homework. Using the texts, they write an opinion essay in which they give their opinion about whether having homework are helpful or harmful.
Standard-based reading comprehension questions help you integrate reading while using the same text you are using in writing.

Try the free text set here:

https://theliteracyloft.co/FREETextSet

These text sets go perfectly with the Informational and Opinion Writing Units:

• Informative Writing Unit
• Opinion Writing Unit

Check out the Monthly Text Set Bundle and save up! The bundle includes ALL of the text sets that are currently available.

What topics are included for each month?
The topics included are thematically related to that month. However, the text sets can be used at any time of the year based on your needs.

January - MLK (Opinion Text Set)

February - Equality in Education: Thurgood Marshall & Mary Mcleoud Bethune (Informational Text Set)

March - Ants: Perk or Pest (Opinion Text Set)

April - The Benefits of Bees (Informational Text Set)

May - Sea Turtles (Informational Text Set)

June - Sharks Text Set (Try for FREE here!)

July- Hurricanes Text Set (Informational Text Set)

August - Video Games: Harmful or Helpful? (Opinion Text Set)

September - Homework: Harmful or Helpful? (Opinion Text Set)

October- Bats (Informational Text Set)

November - Paid to Play: Should College Athletes be Paid?

December - Polar Bear Problems (Informational Text Set)

Let’s connect!

The Literacy Loft Blog

The Literacy Loft on Instagram

The Literacy Loft on Pinterest

The Literacy Loft on Facebook

Email: help@theliteracyloft.com

This Repurposing/Recycling Project is a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day. However, I have included more than one version of the documents so that you could have your students create this project at any time of the year. This assignment could be completed in school, but I sent it home and gave students two weeks to work on it. You may choose to do this any way that suits you and your students.

Students will take an item that they would normally throw away and repurpose it to be a new, useful item. In my classroom, we used a gallon water jug. Throughout this explanation, I will use the water jug as my example. Please know that this project is adaptable for any recyclable item you choose to have your students use. You could even have students choose their own item. This resource is created in a way that leaves room for choice and creativity. And of course, some writing!

I don’t know about you, but I go through gallons of water jugs! I began to collect these because we did not have a plastic recycling system. For this project, I gave each of my students a jug. As a class, we created this assignment. I displayed the large quantity of gallon jugs for my students and explained how horribly I felt just throwing them away or even just recycling them! It seemed as though they could have another purpose in their life!

As a class we brainstormed a list. I included some of the ideas on the assignment sheet to help students choose a project. Prepare to be amazed at what your students will produce!

Students begin the project by sketching a picture and listing all of the materials they will need to complete the project. Once they have made their project, students will list out the directions, and complete a written procedural text explaining How-To make their new and improved product. There are three ways, you might have your students complete the writing project.

How-To Book 
How-To Article/Report
Newspaper Ad for the Product

I hope you and your students enjoy this project as much as we did! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at help@theliteracyloft.com 
Happy Recycling! 
- Jessica

🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.

What this product includes:

{Numbers 1-4 are the same idea but 4 different versions}

Earth Day Project Assignment Sheet-this sheet contains the student directions and planning sheet.

Recycling Project Assignment Sheet - (in case you are not doing this for Earth Day, simply for a recycling project)same as #1

Earth Day Project Assignment Sheet for Any Item - same as above, but to use with any item rather than a gallon jug.

Recycling Project Assignment Sheet - (in case you are not doing this for Earth Day, simply for a recycling project)same as #1 AND can also be used with any item, not just a gallon jug

Checklist & Rubric - a half-size sheet to help your students be sure they have all the parts of the project. This also serves as a grading tool to make your life easier! 

Recycling Project Writing Planner - Students will answer questions to help them think through the writing portion of the project. 

How To Make…{Article Version} - Final page for students to turn in. This is formatted like a How To article. This is 2 pages, to be copied front and back.

How To Make..{Book Version} Cover Page - Students can create a How-To Book with illustrations of the steps. These pages can be stapled between construction paper with the first page glued on the front cover. 

How to Make…{Book Version} Introduction- Students illustrate what the end product will look like and write an Introduction for the project. 

How to Make…{Book Version} Graphic Organizer to create Step by Step Directions with Pictures

How to Make…{Book Version} Writing Pages-these can be used for the writing portion and come in several designs. 

Newspaper Ad for the Product- This can be used as a writing extension in which students write an ad for their new and improved project. This comes in two designs so your students can make their own title if they wish.

Again, you have options for how you use the pages!