A Picture Book Writing Lesson from WritingFix
Focus Trait: WORD CHOICE Support Trait: IDEA DEVELOPMENT

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Student Writing Samples from this Lesson

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On-line Publishing:

New! Publish your students at our Ning!
(You must be a member of our "Writing Lesson of the Month" ning to post.)

Student Samples Page:
Poems to Bug Your Reader

using wordplay to develop a poem about invertebrates

The writing of poet Douglas Florian is currently inspiring student writers to try new techniques with the traits of word choice and voice. Join us in teaching (and adapting) this on-line lesson and sharing your students' work.

New! You can publish up to three of your students' edited and finished stories at this page to be entered in a semi-annual contest for free classroom resources from the Northern Nevada Writing Project.

Use these samples to inspire your student writers! Discussing the strengths of published student samples before, while, and after using this on-line assignment is important. If your students are engaged in trait- or skill-inspired discussions about any of the samples we've posted here, they will produce better writing, especially if you help them take their writing all the way through the writing process.

Thank you, those who share their students' writing with us.

 

Additional Student Samples Being Sought:
Grades 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Learn more about WritingFix's policies for publishing student work by visiting our Publishing Student Writers Information Page.

WritingFix is currently seeking additional student samples from this writing assignment that can be featured in this space. Submitted student work must show evidence of revision, editing, and the final draft must be typed and sent through e-mail. Teachers: if you can help us obtain up to three student samples, along with a digital photo of the student(s) and a signed permission slips, we will send you a complimentary copy of one of the Northern Nevada Writing Project's print publications.

To have us consider your students' writing for inclusion on this page, you must post the writing to our Ning page dedicated to this lesson. Click here to access that page. You must first be a member of the Writing Lesson of the Month Network in order to post.

Student Samples: Elementary

The Dragonfly
by Miles, second grade poet

The Dragonfly,
The Dragonfly
Killer of the sky.
I kill at will as I fly.
I am the dragon
Killer of the sky.
I am the dragon
I'll put up a fight.
If you fight me, you'll run with fright!

 

(Click here to print this poem as well as a poem from four of Miles' classmates.)

The Gnat Will Not!
by Saskia, fourth grade poet

The Gnat
will not
leave you alone,

The Gnat
will not
leave your home.

The Gnat
will not
stop annoying humanity,

The Gnat
will not
stop filling your life with insanity.

The Gnat
will not
take a good long break for recess,

The Gnat
will not
give you a nice break from your stress.

The Gnat
will always
haunt your home,

The Gnat
will never
ever be alone.

The Gnat
will bug you
day and night,

But that’s a gnat,
and I’m always right!

(Click here to print this poem as well as a poem from one of Saskia's classmates.)

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