Writing Resources

Click here for the monthly text sets - the perfect companion to the writing unit.

-Jessica

Personal Narrative Writing Unit {My Life is a Story}

Opinion Writing Unit (Grades 3-5)

$20.00

Get your students excited about opinion writing! This complete opinion writing unit includes daily lesson plans, notebook charts, mentor texts and more. This unit takes your students through the whole writing process. Students will begin with getting ideas and end with a published piece of opinion writing. The opinion writing lessons included can be used in two ways:

Students get their own ideas for their essay.
Students write based on a prompt.

✋🛑 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!

👉This unit is also included in the following money-saving bundles:

✏️What is included in the opinion writing unit?

Unit Lesson Plans
PowerPoint
Notebook Anchor Charts
Full Size Anchor Charts
Teacher Examples
Rubrics & Checklists
Sorts
Mini Word Wall

✏️ About this Product

This opinion essay unit provides basic opinion writing teaching points and resources based on the Common Core Writing Standards for Grades 3-5. The lesson plans are divided into three parts:

1. Basic Teaching Points: Lessons that can be carried from writing a self-selected opinion piece to writing in response to text. These begin with generating ideas and end with a published piece of opinion writing.

2. Bonus (mini) Mini Lessons: Lessons to be used in small group, conferring, or whole group depending on the needs of your students.

3. Writing in Response to Text: Lessons to be used when writing in response to text or a prompt

This unit provides topic ideas and resources for any opinion piece. You could use a text as a basis for the opinion piece or use this unit to simply kick off opinion writing in your classroom. The writing lessons do not need to be taught in the exact order. Also, some of the teaching points you could use as small group lessons if you find that only some of your students need the lesson.

✏️Writing Minilessons:

The minilessons can be skipped, moved around, modified as needed based on your students' needs.

Study a Mentor Text
Getting Ideas
Collect Entries
Writers rehearse
Reasons and Evidence
Structure of Opinion Writing
Make a Plan Using Boxes & Bullets
Using Transition Words
Hook the Reader (Opinion Statement)
Reason Paragraph (Planner to Paragraph)
Precise Word Choice
Expert Words (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
Elaboration
Craft a Conclusion
Revise: Eliminate Unnecessary Words
Edit
Polish & Publish

Bonus Minilessons

18. Strong, Bold Thesis Statements

19. Addressing the Audience's Concerns

20. Address Counterclaims

21. When, Why, How to Use Transitional Words and Phrases

22. Choosing Convincing Reasons

23. Endings: Restate Opinion + Call to Action

24. Strong Evidence

25. Color Code the Text to Identify the parts of an essay

26. Using repetition

Writing in Response to Text

27. Unpack the Prompt

28. Close Read a Text to Collect Evidence

29. Use Charts and Text Features as Evidence

30. What Makes Strong Evidence?

31. Citing Text Evidence

✏️ PowerPoint:

For each lesson above, PowerPoint slides are included that can be used to model and teach the lesson.

✏️Notebook Charts/Binder Charts for Students (see full list below):

For each lesson, a notebook chart is included to support student learning.

✏️ More Writing Resources Included:

Rubrics & Checklists
Graphic Organizers
Mini Word Wall
Reasons + Evidence Sort
Teacher Example Essay + Planning
Mentor Text Recommendations
Publishing Paper

✏️ Writing Notebook Anchor Charts

The anchor charts included in this product are meant for students to have anchor charts at their fingertips in their Writer’s Notebooks. I don’t know about you, but wall space is always an issue in my classroom. Not only that but storing and keeping track of large chart paper can sometimes stretch our organizational skills to the limits! I have found one of the best ways to support my students is to treat their notebooks like a tool in which they can find the strategies and skills taught whenever they need it. In this way, what we teach our students is not just a one-day occurrence, but they have a “forever tool.”

Characteristics of Opinion Writing
Writing an Opinion Essay
Topic Ideas for an Opinion Essay
Getting Ideas for an Opinion Essay
Debatable Topics
Opinion Vocabulary
Reasons vs. Evidence Sort
Opinion Writing Structure (2 Reasons)
Opinion Writing Structure (3 Reasons)
Transition Words for Opinion Writing
Transition Words from Pig Parade Mentor Text
The Hook
Paragraphs with Purpose
Color Code Your Text
Word Choice
Opinion Sentence Stems
Writers Use Expert Words
Transitional Phrases for Evidence & Elaboration
Crafting a Conclusion
Instead of Says
Using Text Evidence
Quoting or Paraphrasing the Text
Using Quotations from a Text
Opinion Writers Checklist
Peer Editing
Thesis Statement for an Opinion Essay
Planning a Thesis Statement
Rebuttal, Response, & Counterclaims
Repeat Your Opinion
Close Reading Strategies
Writers Choose Strong Evidence
Consider Your Audience
Language & Tone to Validate Your Argument
Opinion Writing Editing Checklist
Solving Your Spelling Problems
Opinion Writer's Checklist
Sorting My Evidence
4 Square Graphic Organizer
Writers Celebrate 3-2-1 Style

Do you need opinion writing prompts and text sets to go with this unit?

Let’s connect!

-Jessica

The Literacy Loft

help@theliteracyloft.com

🛑 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.

Get access to our Free Resource Library:

http://bit.ly/FREEsourceLibrar...

Rubrics, Charts, & Checklists, OH MY!

$6.00

This mini-bundle of resources includes:
Informational Writing Student/Peer Checklist
Informational Writing Teacher Rubric for grading purposes (2 versions)
Narrative Writing Student/Peer Checklist
Narrative Writing Rubric for grading purposes (2 versions)
Opinion Writing Student/Peer Checklist
Opinion Writing Rubric for grading purposes (2 versions)
Language Arts Short Response Rubric
Character Feelings and Traits Notebook Charts
Transitional Words and Phrases Notebook Chart
Words We All Should Spell Correctly Chart
Writing an Opinion Essay Chart
Writer’s Celebrate! 3-2-1 Style

This product is one that I see myself continuously updating and adding new material. hope you enjoy and I would love to hear your feedback about this product! I am always open to ways I can improve my products:)

How to use the Checklists:
The checklists are used to help students understand what is expected of them as they move through the writing process. In addition, the checklist requires them to reflect on themselves as a writer. In my classroom, I introduce the checklist shortly after we have started the unit so they can monitor themselves as we go along. As we move towards publishing our final draft, the “I’m done” declarations dwindle. I have found the checklist reiterates specific things students can work on as a writer. Furthermore, they are required to consult one another through peer editing and revising.

The Rubrics
Reading and Writing grades are not so quick and easy anymore. Although I have the abstract mind of a Language Arts Teacher, when it comes time for grades and assessments- the “measurement” of my student’s progress can be a bit gray and I have struggled with giving my students’ a fair grade. The Writing rubrics included in this product are aligned to the checklists and allow you as the teacher to attach a grade to their final writing piece in an objective manner.

The Language Arts Short Response Rubric is a new one I am trying out this year and am very excited about!!! No longer are our assessments simply multiple choice-you got it or you don’t, a quick and easy grade. Questions and tasks are open-ended, which requires students’ to think more critically. In many standardized district or state assessments, students are required to respond to a task in an essay form AND ALSO a short response. As a teacher, assigning grades isn’t so easy anymore. I have often wondered how my classroom assessments are aligning to the district and state assessments as well as the standards overall. Alas, this product was born.

I don’t know about your students, but when my kiddos get a short response it is…definitely short!! They either answer in 2-3 words or a sentence or two that may or may not answer the question.  No more! This rubric will help you get students in the habit of answering short responses in complete sentences and require them to efficiently and quickly reflect on their work. Because after all, it is a SHORT response I use these at least once a week with a question about the current text or Read Aloud we are using in the classroom. They respond in their Reading Response Journal (or Reading Notebook). An added bonus is that throughout the year you can watch your students grow and become not only better readers, but also better writers

The Charts
Charts, charts, charts-I Love Charts. The problem is that we run out of wall space in our classrooms. I have found that students are sometimes more likely to use charts when they are at their fingertips- in their notebooks. I try to create the charts that they can continually refer to in their Reading and Writing work into half sheet versions they can simply glue into their notebooks. This product includes charts students can use in both Reading and Writing as well as a sample of charts found in the product My Opinion Matters!

🛑 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!

Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Bundle

$43.00

***This bundle has been updated as of 1/11/2016 with the new Opinion Writing Charts***

This bundle contains our Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Units. Click the links below or inside the preview to check out the individual units.

Each unit includes:

Writing Mini Lessons
Notebook Anchor Charts + Full Page Anchor Charts
Google Slides/PowerPoint
Writing Activities

Are you looking for something else?

If these units do not include something particular you are looking for, please email us. We are always looking for ways to improve the quality of our products!

🛑 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!

Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Bundle

Christmas Persuasive Writing {Candy Cane Mix-Up}

$5.00

🛑 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.

About this product:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CC.RA.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

This product is a fun way to get your students excited about persuasive writing. Your students will write this piece from the point of view of an elf working in Santa’s Candy Cane factory. They are an elf who is put in charge of the factory when things take a turn for the worst. Your elves really want to keep their jobs (it is getting close to Christmas!)

This set includes the following items:
- Teacher Lesson Outline
- Student Scenario Page
- Three Planning Pages
- Transition Words Sheet
(plain and holiday versions)
- Hook Santa In Printable
- Endings Printable
- Two Letter Outline Printables

Christmas Persuasive Writing {Candy Cane Mix-Up}

Informational Text Set {Polar Bear Problems} | Distance Learning | Google Apps

$6.00

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:

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!

Email: help@theliteracyloft.com

Informational Text Set {Polar Bear Problems} | Distance Learning | Google Apps

Current Event Newspaper Assignment-What's the SCOOP? | Google Slides + Print

$3.00

About this Product:

Current Events are a nice way to integrate Social Studies, Reading, and Writing. Additionally, they are a wonderful way to keep your students connected to the community and world around them.

🛑 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 resource addresses the following Common Core State Standards:

Common Core Reading Anchor Standard 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Common Core Reading Anchor Standard 2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

Common Core Reading Anchor Standard 3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Common Core Reading Anchor Standard 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Common Core Reading Anchor Standard 6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of the text.

This product includes:

What’s the Scoop? Directions, Rubric, and Checklist?
This page gives the student directions for their assignment and then offers a checklist/rubric. In this way, students know exactly what is expected of them and how they will get their grade. This is also helpful for the teacher when grading the assignment.

What’s the Scoop?
This part of the assignment requires students to find a newspaper article and then answer Who, What, When, Were, and Why questions based on the article.

The Author’s Craft
This portion of the assignment requires students to think about the author’s perspective, angle, and word choice in the text/about the topic. Students will identify the author’s tone (positive, negative, neutral) and then give examples of the author’s word choice. Students will also identify two new words, give the sentence from the article that used the word, meaning of the word, and create a new sentence using the word.

Sum it Up!
Students will use the article as well as the answers to the previous questions to write a summary of their article.

Current Event Newspaper Assignment-What's the SCOOP? | Google Slides + Print

Writing Charts

$2.00

These charts are for students’ use in their writing notebooks, but also for teachers! At the beginning of the year, one of the most important things we can do for our students is teach them how to get ideas for their own personal narratives. This will lead to better writing in other genres. More importantly, this will get students excited about writing! I like to focus on these key points at the beginning of the year:

Volume, Stamina, & Confidence

This chart is a simple tool students can glue into their notebook as a reminder of ways they can generate ideas for entries, drafts, or stories. Also, teachers can use these as teaching points for mini lessons at the beginning of the year. I would strongly advise teachers to teach students HOW to use this tool & model ways to get ideas, before giving to students. I have included 4 copies:

One half-page (so 2 on a page) for students with my examples
One half-page (so 2 on a page) for students with a blank t-chart
One full page with a blank t-chart
One cute colorful one which could be displayed in the writing center or however you choose.

By giving students a resource to get ideas, you may be less likely to hear, “I don’t have anything to write about…”
And when you do, you have a simple response:

“Let’s take a look at some ways writers get ideas…”

This chart could also be displayed in the classroom for students in the writing center. I would love to hear how this works for you! I appreciate any feedback

🛑 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!

Happy Writing!
Jessica

Informational Writing-Animal Research Project

$2.00

What this Product Includes:

1. Teaching Points for the Unit - These are suggested teaching points you could use to teach this project. They do not need to be taught in this order and you may find your students need different teaching points. Please note this does NOT include full lessons, only teaching points aligned to standards

2. What Should my Field Guide Include? - a Content Guide for students (and teachers) to help guide the research and the content of the field guide

3. My Research Notes - a graphic organizer to help students record what they learn about the animal. This will also help students to organize their research, thus organize their writing.

4.My Research Notes with Guiding Questions - This version of the graphic organizer includes questions from the Content Guide to help students think about what to include in each section.

5. My Research Notes BLANK - This version allows students to think more critically and could be used with other projects. Students would determine what that category would be.

6. Field Guide Template - This is a template you can use for the rough draft of the Field Guide. You could also use this as the students’ actual field guides if you wanted to. In our classrooms, we used this as a template for the rough draft and then used large 11 x 18 in manila paper to recreate the template in a larger format.

7.Field Guide Pictures - Classroom photos to help you and your students see the end product.

8.My Field Guide Rubric - This is included to make your grading life easier!!! Writing can be so subjective sometimes- hopefully, this rubric will help you zip through grading students’ final projects!

9.Writers Celebrate! 3-2-1 Style - These cards can be used at the end of the unit as part of a gallery walk. Students can lay out their final masterpieces on top of desks or in a display area. Students walk around leaving comments for other classmates.

This is a resource to help you integrate Writing into the content area of Science or vice versa. Additionally, you might be able to integrate technology by using websites and videos to support your students’ research. Another possible way to use this resource is by having students create their final product in a power point presentation. There are NOT supplemental resources included in the product, but this may give you some ideas on how you can suit this resource to best fit your classroom‘s needs.

In order to implement this into your classroom, students will need to choose an animal to research. You may choose to limit the choices your students’ can make or limit to only wild animals or limit to animals found only in your state. One teacher tip I have for you is that if you do not want your students to choose pets, state that at the beginning of the unit. I gave my students a little too much freedom and some of the field guides became about pets. You might be okay with this if you are using this unit to get your kids writing! In my 4th grade classroom, we aligned this to various animals we discussed in class. As we began this unit, I noticed my students needed more guidance with topics an informational writer might discuss when writing about an animal. The questions we came up with are included in the “What should my field guide include?” page.

This is also meant to be a research project. Students will need to have access to books, articles, or websites about their particular animals. Whenever we begin any type of unit in my classroom, I head to our school library and fill baskets with that type of text. For this unit, you might want to choose two types of texts:
1)Texts based on the topics your students are writing about
2) Texts that students can use as a mentor text. I also suggest you choose a Mentor Informational Text to teach the lessons and model the writing techniques.

On Day 1 of the Unit, you might collect brochures, field guides, magazines, and other informational texts to help define the characteristics of Informational Text. Through your class discussion or minilesson create a classroom chart. Doing this simple study together will help set the foundation for the rest of the unit and create a point of reference for you and your students.

Another thought about implementing this into your Informational Writing curriculum is using the research to create an Informational Essay. In this way, you are still meeting the writing standards, in a fun and innovative way! Your students will have fun teaching their others all about their topic! If you use 11x18 paper to fold into the field guide as shown in the pictures, there is a spot for a sheet of paper 8.5 x 11 or notebook paper.

🛑 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!

Please know the there is a blank template for notes and the field guide. This might allow you to use the field guide and teaching points for other informational writing topics. Have fun and Happy Writing!!

Informational Writing-Animal Research Project

Raving Reviews - Sampler Opinion Writing Unit on Book Reviews

$2.00

This product is a small piece of my Book Review Unit that is growing larger than I imagined! In my 4th grade classroom, we completed a small Opinion Writing Unit on Book Reviews. My kids LOVED it! I began this unit by explaining to my students that “reviews” are a special type of Opinion Writing that a writer writes based on their experience. There are reviews on EVERYTHING! Restaurants, Movies, Video Games, EVERYTHING! I also told my students a funny little story about when I went to try a new Chinese restaurant by my new house and found that my mother had written a review- and it was not a good one! Needless to say, I tried somewhere else. My students got a nice chuckle out of that and it was a nice way to get them excited about Book Reviews. I then showed them the website Crixut.com, which are Movie Reviews written by kids. Even though they are movie reviews, they are excellent examples of a Review and Opinion Writing written by kids. This is just an idea to help you get Book Reviews & Opinion Writing up and running in your classroom.
This sampler includes:

“Building a Book Review” Anchor Chart- This helps to explain the structure of a Book Review. I have included two versions depending on the needs of your classroom. Their essays could be 4 or 5 paragraphs.

“A Book Review” (stepped out version) - This version is for those students who need a little more scaffolding or you could use this as a homework assignment or in a center.

“Planning my Book Review” - a planner for your students to organize their writing Boxes and Bullets style. There are two of these planners, one for a 4 paragraph essay and one for a 5 paragraph essay.

“A Book Review” Publishing Paper- this is the final landing spot for their Book Review with a small window for them to include an illustration of the book cover.

“Bookagram” – an Instagram inspired book recommendation sheet. If you are interested in purchasing this product alone, please see my Bookagram product.

🛑 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!

*My Life is a Story {Personal Narrative Writing Unit}

Raving Reviews - Sampler Opinion Writing Unit on Book Reviews

Reading & Writing Bundle

$64.80

This unit has been updated 8.14.2017 to include Book Reviews

What is included?

This bundle includes my favorite and most used Reading and Writing Unit resources in a package that saves you 20%. This reading and writing bundle includes the resources listed below. You can click on any of the links to take you to the resource and see the preview.

*I'm the Expert! {Informational Writing Unit}

*Reading and Writing the Language of Poetry Unit

*My Opinion Matters! {Opinion Writing Unit}

*Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Literature}

*Reading Notebook Anchor Charts {Nonfiction}

Each of the included units includes Reading and/or Writing Notebook Anchor Charts to help support your students' needs.

Why Reading/Writing Notebook Anchor Charts?

The charts in the units are meant to be used inside students’ reading or writing notebooks. This is why they are shown two on a page. I don’t know about you, but we have copy budgeting issues at my school and I am always trying to find ways to save paper and copies! Plus, my students use composition notebooks for every subject and we have a special section for Notes and Teaching Charts where we glue these in.

More importantly, I use a lot of anchor charts in my classroom. With the amount of charts I make- it would be impossible to keep all of them up throughout the year and sometimes students forget they are there. Having them right in their notebooks allows easy accessibility to help during independent Reading or Writing. You might also find these useful for parents to use at home.

Since I began using anchor charts inside our Reading and Writing Notebooks, I have noticed my students are able to work better independently. They have the tools they need to support their learning. The charts have also been helpful in planning and presenting my lessons. For example, when we are talking about “theme,” I have examples and ways to find it by using the chart. This helps to bring a large and broad topic down to a concrete idea.

This set also includes a variety of graphic organizers for both reading and writing. I would love to hear your feedback on this product and requests for any other anchor charts you might feel would be useful to you and your students!

This ELA + Math Morning Work is available for the following grade levels:

ELA + Math Bundles

ELA Bundles

ELA Weekly Assessments

Math Bundles

🛑 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.

Are you not seeing what you are looking for? Please email me at help@theliteracyloft.com if you would like different Reading and Writing Unit resources bundled for a 20% discount.

Let’s connect!

-Jessica

Reading and Writing Notebook Charts (Ultimate Bundle)

$44.00

This resource includes JUST the Reading and Writing Notebook Anchor Charts from my larger Reading and Writing Units. This resource includes half sheet notebook charts.

Why Notebook Charts? *Save Copies
The charts in this product are meant to be used inside students’ reading or writing notebooks. Each chart comes with two on each page. I don’t know about you, but copies have always been an issue at my school. Whether it's a limit on paper, a limit on the actual number, or simply the desire to save a tree- I am always trying to find ways to save paper and copies.

Skills and Strategies at Your Students' Fingertips
In our classroom, we use composition notebooks for every subject and we have a special section for Notes and Teaching Charts where we glue these in. I use a lot of anchor charts in my classroom. With the amount of charts I make, it would be impossible to keep all of them up throughout the year and sometimes students forget they are even there. Having them right in their notebooks allows easy accessibility to help students during independent Reading or Writing. I LOVE making and using anchor charts when I teach. I find myself making the same charts each year. Sometimes I laminate them, but more often than not I end up throwing them in the recycle bin each year. In the past few years, I find myself making anchor charts less and less. I use the notebook charts for students to have the knowledge literally at their fingertips, but I also sometimes simply use them to teach the lesson. We use colored pencils or highlighters to highlight important information rather than taking notes. I want their reading and writing time spent on READING and WRITING-not taking notes.

Most (not all…yet!) of the larger units these come from include (pdf) PowerPoint slides that can be used to project a large anchor chart to use while you are teaching. This is NOT included in this bundle, but you might want to look at these resources before purchasing this one.

For Your Parents
You might also find some of these useful for parents at home. This can help parents use the same language you do to teach certain skills. I use some of the FULL SIZE Anchor Charts pages to include in students' Take Home Binder so they can use these skills at home.

Happy Teaching!
Jessica

What's included?
The notebook charts are included from the following units.

HALF PAGE
*Grammar & Vocabulary
*Newspaper Writing Unit
*Literary Response
*Poetry Notebook
*Reading Notebook (Fiction)
*Reading Notebook (Nonfiction)
*Research Writing Notebook
*Writing NB (Informational)
*Writing NB (Narrative)
*Writing NB (Opinion)

FULL PAGE
*Grammar and Vocabulary
*Reading Notebook (Fiction)
*Writing (Opinion)
*Writing (Narrative)
*Writing (Informational

**Any half size pages that are not listed as full size pages will be added in future updates. You will not be charged additionally and can download from your My Purchases tab. Also, check back soon for updates to the Reading Fiction Notebook Anchor Charts.**

🛑 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!

https://theliteracyloft.co/FREETextSet

Reading and Writing Notebook Charts (Ultimate Bundle)

Opinion Text Set {College Athletes Debate} + Digital Option

$6.00

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:

🛑 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:

Let’s connect!

Email: help@theliteracyloft.com

Opinion Text Set {College Athletes Debate} + Digital Option

Christmas Writing {Rudolph's Missing!}

$5.00

🛑 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.

About this product:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

This product is a fun way to get your students excited about writing details, as well as writing for a specific purpose and audience.

Your students will use good details in order to make a missing poster for a lost Rudolph. Then, they will need to use their good details to write an article that will appear in the North Pole Times!

This set includes the following items:
- Teacher Lesson Outline
- Student Scenario Page
- Planning Pages
- Poster Printable
- Paper Outline Printable

We hope you enjoy this festive writing activity!
*Teaching with Coffee

Poetry

$8.00

***This product is now part of a BUNDLE!***Buy bundled and SAVE 20%!

Click the link below to see what else is included!

Reading and Writing Bundle

The world of poetry is vast and full of variety. Whether you are doing a full on unit or trying to incorporate poetry among other units in your classroom, poetry can be a tool to help you meet students language, comprehension, writing, and even fluency needs. Furthermore, poetry can be integrated into content areas (see acrostic slide). The resources included in this unit can provide you with the tools you need to incorporate poetry into your classroom.

What this Product Includes:

*28 Writing Notebook Anchor Charts: These Anchor Charts are half-size pages (2 on a page) that students can glue inside their writing notebooks to get ideas, as reference sheets, or use for practice throughout the unit.

22 Large Anchor Charts/Slides: These large anchor charts/slides can be used to teach, in a writing center, or as a reference in your classroom. I have used these large charts as part of my lesson by projecting on the SMART board. After the lessons, I printed these off and put them in sheet protectors and on binder rings to use in our writing center. Students could refer to them if necessary or I have also used these to have a small group work on a specific strategy.

Common Core Standards for Teaching Poetry: Unfortunately reading and writing poetry is not explicitly defined by the Common Core Standards. However, I have included grades 3-5 Literature and Language standards that this unit could help you meet with your students. Writing poetry only helps to make children a better reader of poetry.

Suggested Teaching Points: A calendar of suggested poetry teaching points has been included to help with planning and identifying a sequence of teaching points. I suggest immersing students in reading poetry before writing poetry to study the characteristics of poetry and reading like a writer. In the future, I plan to add explicit lessons to this unit as I have done in my Narrative Writing Unit. Please email me if you are interested so that I can send you updates to this unit.

Reading a Poem: This "think sheet" will help students analyze and read a poem for meaning.

Peer Revision Checklist: This checklist can guide students to revise and edit their poems.

Thank you so much for your purchase! If you are looking for something specific that is not included in this product, I would love to hear from you! Please email me with questions, feedback, concerns, or to get on my updates mailing list.

🛑 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!

-Jessica

Literary Response Opinion Essay Unit Grades 3-5

$7.00

This product is a guide and resource for an Opinion Essay in which students construct a literary response in the form of an opinion. According to assessments which are aligned to the Common Core State Standards, students in 3rd-5th grade may be required to respond to a text based on their opinion. How you use this resource will depend on your district and state assessments. I have based this product on certain Florida assessments in which students give their opinion about characters or the theme of the story.

Regardless of assessment, this unit is intended to help students not only become better writers, but better readers. The teaching points are a guide, aligned to the standard, and reinforced by the student checklist.

Though this product is aligned for grades 3-5, you may find valuable resources for 2nd or 6th grades as well.

The anchor charts are intended to be used in the writer’s notebook, but also might give you ideas about anchor charts for your classroom. I hope this product fulfills your needs and I would love to have feedback based on your experience. You might also be interested in other Narrative, Informational, and Opinion Units which you can find HERE.

What this Product Includes

Literary Essay Unit Teaching Points Planning Calendar

Blank Planning Calendar

Writing Notebook Anchor Charts

*Readers and Writers collect evidence to grow ideas

*Sentence Starters for Responding to Literature

*Readers get BIG Ideas by thinking about the Character

*Theme

*Crafting a Theme Statement

*Common Theme Statements in Literature

*The Hook - Chart for Leads

*Effective Endings - Chart for Endings

*The Hook and Effective Endings (Blank

*Opinion Writer’s Checklist

*My Thesis Statement - (Graphic Organizer to plan Thesis Statement)

*Transition Words for Persuasive and Opinion Writing

*Transition Words and Phrases

Planning & Publishing Pages

*Opinion Essay Boxes and Bullets Planner

*Opinion Writer’s Checklist for Peer Editing

*Elaboration Paper to help students elaborate each reason that supports their opinion

*Publishing Paper

*Square Opinion Writing Planner (Full Page

*Writer’s Celebrate 3-2-1 Style (Comment Cards for Student Celebration)

🛑 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!

Literary Response Opinion Essay Unit Grades 3-5

Opinion Text Set {Homework} | Distance Learning | Google Slides

$6.00

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:

🛑 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)

Let’s connect!

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

Email: help@theliteracyloft.com

Opinion Text Set {Homework} | Distance Learning | Google Slides

Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Bundle-JUST the Notebook Charts

$11.00

This bundle contains JUST the Notebook Charts for the Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Unit Notebook Charts. Click the links below to see the full units.

If you are interested in the FULL Writing Bundle click HERE!!!

You might also like...

Reading and Writing Bundle #1

This bundle includes:

*Informational Writing
*Opinion Writing
*Narrative Writing
*Poetry Reading and Writing
*Reading Notebook Anchor Charts

My Opinion Matters! {An Opinion Writing Unit}

I'm the Expert! {Informational 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.

Let’s connect!

Narrative, Opinion, & Informational Writing Bundle-JUST the Notebook Charts

Writing Process Signs {Calming Blue}

$2.00

These writing process signs will help you and your students identify the steps/parts of the writing process as well as keep track of where they are when working on a project and what to do next! Implementing a routine at the beginning of the year will help students be successful as writers throughout the year as well as in the rest of their writing life. These Writing Process Signs come in a calming blue with clear steps and visually pleasing clip art that will catch the eyes of you and your students. If you would like to see these posters in another color, please email me at help@theliteracyloft.com.

Steps Included
*A Writer's Thinking labels (3 different versions, rectangle, oval, circle)
*Generate Ideas
*Develop & Plan
*Rehearse
*Draft
*Revise
*Edit
*Peer Edit
*Publish
*Celebrate!

Ideas for Classroom Use
These posters come landscape 11 x 8.5. If you are looking for a different format, please email me! I suggest printing and laminating each of the signs. You may or may not want to use all of the signs. In general, there are variations in the steps of the writing process. Printing on card stock would allow these signs to be more durable, but is not necessary! You could even print and slip into sheet protectors. If you do not have access to a color printer, or find that it is too expensive, simply print in gray-scale and you are good to go! Here are some ways I have used writing process signs in my classroom:

*Writing Center- Put signs in sheet protectors and then attach on a binder ring and have students use as a reference.

*Bulletin Board- Display in a row above or on a bulletin board or even in the writing center as a reminder of the steps writers go through during the writing process.

*Writers’ Tracking System- Use as a way to track your young writers’ status in the writing process. You could do this by connecting the signs using binder rings. Then, hang on a bulletin board and use clothespins with your students’ names or numbers to track where they are in the writing process.

Are you looking for something else?
Please email me at help@theliteracyloft.com! I would love to add any words or signs that you use in your classroom.

Are you looking for a different color? I will be adding other versions of this same product with a different color. Please email me if you are looking for something specific!

🛑 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.

I look forward to hearing how you implement these in your classroom! Please contact me with any questions, issues, or feedback! help@theliteracyloft.com

Let’s connect!

Happy Writing!
Jessica

Writing Process Signs

$2.00

These writing process signs will help you and your students identify the steps/parts of the writing process as well as keep track of where they are when working on a project and what to do next! Implementing a routine at the beginning of the year will help students be successful as writers throughout the year as well as in the rest of their writing life. These Writing Process Signs come in 3 different designs and patterns (navy & white quarter foil, navy & white stripes, teal & white chevron) If you like the signs, but would like to see them in different colors, please contact me! There are also two “title” posters. {The Writer’s Process and A Writer’s Thinking}

I suggest printing and laminating each of the signs. You may or may not want to use each of the signs. There are slight variations on the steps in the writing process, as a general rule of thumb. Printing on card stock would allow these signs to be more durable, but is not necessary! You could even print and slip into sheet protectors. If you do not have access to a color printer (or find that it is too expensive) simply print in gray-scale.

The signs could be used in several ways...
Writing Center- put signs in sheet protectors and then attach on a binder ring and have students use as a reference.

Bulletin Board- Display in a row above or on a bulletin board or even in the writing center as a reminder of the steps writers go through during the writing process.

Writers’ Tracking System- Use as a way to track your young writers’ status in the writing process. You could do this by connecting the signs using binder rings. Then, hang on a bulletin board and use clothespins with your students’ names or numbers to track where they are in the writing process.

🛑 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!

I look forward to hearing how you implement these in your classroom! Please contact me with any questions, issues, or feedback!
Happy Writing!
-Jessica

Research Writing Unit Notebook Charts

$6.00

This resource was a requested product to support a Research Writing Unit for 5th Grade as well as supplement Argument-Based Writing and MLA Format. The printable pages are created 2 on a page so that they can be glued inside your students' writing notebooks. Writing Notebook Charts are a tool I use to provide students strategies at their fingertips.

Why Writing Notebook Anchor Charts?
Wall space has always been an issue for teachers and it would be impossible to display every chart you have ever used with your students on the walls all year round. It would also not look very pretty! By giving students' the anchor charts to glue in their notebooks, the notebook becomes a tool for their learning. Not only does it hold their ideas and entries, but it is also a lifelong tool for writing.

The following charts are included:
*Using Timelines in Writing/Research
*Primary vs. Secondary Sources
*Point of View 1st, 2nd, 3rd Person
*Point of View 1st, 2nd, 3rd Person {Blank for students to try on their own}
*Mission Statement
*Writing a Thesis Statement
*Consider the Source! (Evaluating Source Credibility)
*MLA Format
*Creating a Bibliography Page {Book/Website}
*Creating a Bibliography Page {Newspaper/Magazine}
*Rebuttal, Response, & Counterclaims
*Consider Your Audience
*Language & Tone to Validate Your Argument
*Using Quotations from a Text {for a Literary Response}
*Citing the Text MLA Style
*Quoting or Paraphrasing the Text

As stated above, the charts were created for a custom order requested by a 5th Grade teacher. Some of the charts will be added to My Opinion Matters! {An Opinion Writing Unit} and Reader’s Notebook Anchor Charts.

🛑 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 a request for any other Writing or Reading Notebook Anchor Charts, I love suggestions! Please contact me at help@theliteracyloft.com.

Let’s connect!

Happy Writing!
Jessica

Poetry - JUST the Notebook Anchor Charts

$4.00

This is a custom request for just the Poetry Notebook Anchor Charts from my Poetry Writing Unit which you can find here...

Reading and Writing the Language of Poetry

This set includes ONLY the Writing Notebook Anchor Charts listed below. The following description is for the FULL Unit Resources.

The world of poetry is vast and full of variety. Whether you are doing a full on unit or trying to incorporate poetry among other units in your classroom, poetry can be a tool to help you meet students language, comprehension, writing, and even fluency needs. Furthermore, poetry can be integrated into content areas (see acrostic slide). The resources included in this unit can provide you with the tools you need to incorporate poetry into your classroom.

What this Product Includes:

*28 Writing Notebook Anchor Charts: These Anchor Charts are half-size pages (2 on a page) that students can glue inside their writing notebooks to get ideas, as reference sheets, or use for practice throughout the unit.

22 Large Anchor Charts/Slides: These large anchor charts/slides can be used to teach, in a writing center, or as a reference in your classroom. I have used these large charts as part of my lesson by projecting on the SMART board. After the lessons, I printed these off and put them in sheet protectors and on binder rings to use in our writing center. Students could refer to them if necessary or I have also used these to have a small group work on a specific strategy.

Common Core Standards for Teaching Poetry: Unfortunately reading and writing poetry is not explicitly defined by the Common Core Standards. However, I have included grades 3-5 Literature and Language standards that this unit could help you meet with your students. Writing poetry only helps to make children a better reader of poetry.

Suggested Teaching Points: A calendar of suggested poetry teaching points has been included to help with planning and identifying a sequence of teaching points. I suggest immersing students in reading poetry before writing poetry to study the characteristics of poetry and reading like a writer. In the future, I plan to add explicit lessons to this unit as I have done in my Narrative Writing Unit. Please email me if you are interested so that I can send you updates to this unit.

Reading a Poem: This "think sheet" will help students analyze and read a poem for meaning.

Peer Revision Checklist: This checklist can guide students to revise and edit their poems.

Thank you so much for your purchase! If you are looking for something specific that is not included in this product, I would love to hear from you! Please email me with questions, feedback, concerns, or to get on my updates mailing list.

🛑 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!

-Jessica

Poetry - JUST the Notebook Anchor Charts

Peer & Self Editing Checklist for Writing Narrative

$3.00

This product is a checklist meant for intermediate writers in a Narrative Unit. This form allows students a checklist for what is expected in a quality narrative piece of writing. It is meant to be used at the end of a unit before final publication. I have used this in my 3rd grade classroom and was extremely helpful in identifying expectations for my students, as well as promoting partnership conversations based on their writing. This also assisted in assessing their final piece of writing.

🛑 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!

My Opinion Matters! {An Opinion Writing Unit}

Peer & Self Editing Checklist for Writing Narrative

Mother's Day Booklet {All About My Mom}

$3.00

🛑 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.

Give the gift of writing this Mother’s Day! This is a printable booklet that comes in 5 versions for Mom, Grandmother, Aunt, Auntie, and also a blank one. There are 6 pages for the booklet and 1 page used for students to gather information about their mom (or grandmother, aunt, or auntie through an interview. This page can be given as homework before students actually make their booklet. The pages are in order the way they should be copied back to back, but includes a cheat sheet.

Father's Day Booklet {All About My Dad}

$3.00

Give the gift of writing this Father's Day! This is a printable booklet that comes in 3 versions for Dad, Grandfather, or Uncle. There are 6 pages for the booklet and 1 page used for students to gather information about their Dad, Grandfather, or Uncle through an interview. This page can be given as homework before students actually make their booklet. The pages are in order the way they should be copied back to back, but includes a cheat sheet.

ou might also like...

Biography Project Grades 2-5

Reader’s Notebook Anchor Charts

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.

Let's connect!

http://bit.ly/FREEsourceLibrary

Informational & Opinion Writing Bundle

$32.00

This unit has been updated as of February 2019 to include updates for both the Opinion and Informational Writing Units. You can sign up for updates and freebies:

This bundle includes the Informational & Opinion Writing Units. Click the links below or inside the preview to check out the individual units.

My Opinion Matters! {Opinion Writing Unit}

I'm the Expert! {Informational Writing Unit}

Each unit contains ...

Writing Notebook Anchor Charts
Daily Unit Lesson Plans
PowerPoint
Rubrics
Checklists
Writing Planners
Activities & Sorts

🛑 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!