Writing Resources

Abelardo Morell
Image Credit: The Loveliest Garden You Ever Saw, 1998

Books on Writing

The Elements of Style
by William Strunk and E.B. White
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by Stephen King
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott

 Art and Writing: Source for Best of Teen Writing

 The Resources below are from The Things You Can Read, check out The Writing Whisperer's sister blog!



Elements of Fiction Presentation:

The lesson plan that accompanies this video is found on Flocabulary

Elements of a Story Lesson Plan

Lesson Objective: Define and identify the five elements of a story. Analyze a story to determine its elements.
1. Watch the free Flocabulary song, “Five Things.” When you finish the song, ask students to recall the five elements of a story.
2. Hand out the Five Elements of a Story worksheet. Ask students to write down the definition of each element to the best of their memory. Explain that you will show the video again soon for students to update or fill in any definitions.
3. Show the video again. Before you begin, ask student to record in their chart the definitions and a few examples of each from the song while they are watching. You may wish to pause the video after each element to give students time to write.
4. Hold a discussion of the five elements, where students clarify definitions. Ask students to brainstorm examples of each element from their previous reading and record them in the “Your Examples” column.
5. Read a short story of your choosing as a class. Any story–from a children’s book to a New Yorker piece–will work. You can find some classic short stories here. Using the second worksheet, record the five elements in that story.
Optional Extension Activity: Have students use the second worksheet to plan out an original story, and then write it! Your students can even write their story in rhyme with our Writing Academic Rhymes lesson plan.
What are you favorite short stories? 


DVD you might want to consider, if you are doing a very simple introduction to Elements of Fiction:


Lesson Packet for Elements of Fiction:

This is a complete Unit from Dewey Hensley on teaching the Short Story:

Quizlet Resource for Literary Terms:

http://quizlet.com/3001972/literary-elements-definitions-flash-cards/

 Links for additional Resources to teach Elements of Fiction:


Complete reading logs--to use for independent reading time--includes literary elements
Somebody Wanted But So for plot development

Image Credit:  http://besottment.com 
General Resources

Great resource for anyone teaching English! 

Click on the link below:
TES-Teaching Resources
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Writing Resources


Click on the link below:

Writing Mini Lessons

Five Articles on Writing

Writing Prompts
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Research Resources





Click on the link below:

Big 6


 IIM: 7 Easy Steps to 
Successful Research for 
Students in Grades K-12

Click on the link below:
7 Easy Steps to Successful Research
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We, here at The Things You Can Read, are gearing up for our return to the classroom, and have been scouring the Internet for resources, which we can use to add a bit of spice to our multimedia presentations and our classroom walls.  First, we have to say that we love quotes.  We collect them!  So, imagine our surprise to discover our most recent find.  Turn your most beloved quote into a stunning masterpiece using Create a Quote.  The Things You Can Read is really in love with this Internet tool, and to start the year off, we plan on having our students bring in their favorite quote, and make their own masterpieces.  Do you have a favorite quote?  Share it with us here at The Things You Can Read, and enjoy creating your own masterpieces using Create a Quote.
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Boy, are we here at The Things You Can Read excited about this great find.  If you want to spice up your blog or your classroom multimedia presentations here is a resource for you, The newspaper snippet generator.   This free Internet tool can presto chango  your writing or that of your students, and make the words look like a real newspaper article.  Fun stuff!

 Also on this site are links to The Movie Clapper Generator:
The animated Squirrel, Daffodil, Tomato, Owl...etc, etc, etc...
Create your own Animation

 Have fun playing with these resources and let us here at The Things You Can Read know what you create with them.  We love to hear from our readership!

 Happy Reading & Writing from the folks here at...


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Did You Know?
Image Credit: olooa.blogspot.com/

As we, here at The Things You Can Read, were perusing the Internet, we came across a great little feature on Mental Floss.  We had some fun hitting the The Amazing Fact Generator a number of times as our brain was fast at work thinking...how we might use this in our English classroom?  We don't have an answer yet, but we would love to hear from our readership.  We'll throw the question out there.  Give us your suggestions-How can this great feature be used in a middle school English classroom?  Check out The Amazing Fact Generator on Mental Floss, and don't forget...have fun!

  
In early drafts of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holly Golightly was named Connie Gustafson.




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Read the full text here:
Image Credit: L. Frank Baum
In celebration of the The Things You Can Read's discovery of Create a Quote.  We thought we'd share a few quotes from the inimitable L. Frank Baum, the writer of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series.  Enjoy and think about creating a masterpiece using Create a Quote, and don't forget to share your masterpiece with us here at The Things You Can Read.

 Quotes courtesy of Goodreads:
L. Frank Baum
“A baby has brains, but it doesn't know much. Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get.

L. Frank Baum
“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others”
― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum
“Oh - You're a very bad man!"

 Oh, no my dear. I'm a very good man. I'm just a very bad Wizard.”
― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
“I shall take the heart. For brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.
”
― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
“To be angry once in a while is really good fun, because it makes others so miserable. But to be angry morning, noon and night, as I am, grows monotonous and prevents my gaining any other pleasure in life.”― L. Frank Baum, The Emerald City of Oz

L. Frank Baum
“As a matter of fact, we are none of us above criticism; so let us bear with each other's faults.”
― L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz
L. Frank Baum
“Everything has to come to an end, sometime.”
― L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz
L. Frank Baum
“Never question the truth of what you fail to understand, for the world is filled with wonders.”
― L. Frank Baum, Rinkitink in Oz
L. Frank Baum
“No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire.”
― L. Frank Baum, The Lost Princess of Oz
L. Frank Baum
“. . .It is the Law that while Evil, unopposed, may accomplish terrible deeds, the power of Good can never be overthrown when opposed to Evil. . .”
― L. Frank Baum, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Image Credit: Create a Quote
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If you would like to submit a resource for consideration, please leave a comment.

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