http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/story-starters/fantasy-writing-prompts/ - Scholastic Story Starters

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/index.htm - Myth - Story Writing

https://sites.google.com/site/njaskwritingprep678/speculative-explanatory/graphic-organizers - NJ ASK Writing

Transitional words and phrases. Use something besides first next last.....

http://descriptivewords.org/ - Descriptive Words

http://writingfix.com/traits_primary.htm#forkids - Interactive Writing Prompts - WritingFix.com

http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/staff/boldtkatherine/WritingResources.htm - Writing Site - Resources & Samples

http://www.writingfix.com/right_brain/Who_What_When_Where_Camping1.htm - When I Go Camping With Grandmom

http://www.writingfix.com/right_brain/Great_Sentence_Creator_Ocean1.htm - Sentence Creator - Writing Fix

http://www.writeguy.net/for-teachers - The Writing Guy - Jeff Anderson

http://quizlet.com/9521999/flashcards - Writing Acronyms & Terms - Flashcards

https://staff.rockwood.k12.mo.us/kerenselizabeth/compact/Documents/SaidisDeadlist%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.pdf - Said Is Dead - Verbs to Substitute for Said

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/test/Trait_classroom_at_a_glance.pdf - 6 Traits Graphic Organizer

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/Building_Traits_Overview.pdf - 6 Traits - Charts

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/6_Traits_on_one_sheet.pdf - 6 Trait Post - Its - 1 Sheet

Show Don't Tell

Show, Don’t Tell: An Overview of the Craft Element

1. Use active verbs to show what’s happening. (called, stepped, hung, though, swung, raised, pulled, watched, dropped, ran)

2. Use the exact words a character spoke (“Strike two!” the umpire called.)

3. Show the feelings of a character by what he does. (hung his head, heartbeat throbbing in my ears)

4. Paint pictures with specific words or groups of words. (I raised the bat over my shoulder and waiting, I dropped the bat and ran and ran and ran, first base.)

http://teacher.scholastic.com/resources/whiteboards/activities/Show_Dont-Tell-1.jpg - Show Don't Tell - Example

http://teacher.scholastic.com/resources/whiteboards/activities/Show_Dont-Tell-2.jpg - Show Don't Tell - Example

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/show-dont-tell/ - Show Don't Tell Tips

http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/showing/ - Show Don't Tell Tips

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/genres/expository/Post-its-for_Dangerous_Book_Boys.pdf - Ranking the Author's Voice

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/test/Analytic_Traits_8th_Expos_Organization.pdf - Organization Rubric

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/test/Analytic_Traits_8th_Expos_Ideas.pdf - Idea Development Rubric

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/test/Analytic_Traits_8th_Expos_Voice_WC.pdf - Voice & Word Choice Rubric

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/test/Analytic_Traits_8th_Expos_Conventions_SF.pdf - Conventions & Sentence Fluency Rubric

http://books.google.com/books?id=Ofntq_pjaocC&pg=PA146&lpg=PA146&dq=personification+examples+for+middle+school&source=bl&ots=w7WUpp6_Q9&sig=j1sn0OQ1dXQ8Rggith0zkkrsaY8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jEprT5qICobQgAfcmIWPBg&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false - Middle School Writing Toolkit

http://www.funenglishgames.com/writinggames/story.html - Writing Games & Activities

Writing Terminology

There are a number of important terms we use for commonality. It is important to use the same terminology to unify our efforts and so students are all on the same page. Its easy for students to be confused when teachers do not use the same terms. It may seem natural for us teachers, but it is often difficult for students.

WRITING PROCESS TERMS:	PARAGRAPH TERMS:	GENERIC WRITING TERMS:
BRAINSTORMING: Thinking of ideas and writing these down on your paper before you begin the actual writing	CLINCHER STATEMENT: This sentence wraps up, provides closure, and concludes the writing. It tells the reader what you have told them. At advanced levels, this sentence will also provide a Theme for writing	ESSAY: This is an extended writing assignment utilizing at least two (or more) paragraphs working together to expand and discuss a topic with more specific detail and examples.
DRAFTING: Writing activity in which students transfer their thoughts on a topic into a written or textual form. This may be sentences, a paragraph, or an essay format. Mistakes and corrections are expected so students can improve.	DETAILS: These are the facts, examples, and statistics that make up a Support. These can be in the form of information from charts, graphs, and even quotes.	FCAs: Focal Correction Areas, these are the specific areas in the rubric for students to focus and work on for a particular work. We begin with FCAs on form and format, then move on to other areas as students master these.
EDITING: Revising for content. This is where students should look to add, remove, or change their ideas	LEAD: A Personal Life Experience at the beginning of an essay to hook the reader and relate the writing topic to a related concept outside the classroom.	FLOW & FLUENCY: The interconnectedness of the ideas in a piece of writing. Ideas should flow logically from one to the next, and the reader should follow the presentation without difficulty.
ORGANIZING: This is the activity of thinking about what they have brainstormed and developing a plan for writing.	PERSONAL LIFE EXPERIENCE: This is the students' voice in the writing, a sentence where students incorporate a real life experience or a related concept which directly connects to the writing topic	FORM & FORMAT: This is the basic 'skeleton' or structure of the paragraph or essay.
PREWRITING: The work and thinking that occurs before the students actually start their writing. This consists of two parts, Brainstorming & Organizing	SUPPORTS: These are sentences which support the Topic Sentence, and include several details that back opinions or answers stated by the writer	HOOK: A sentence at the beginning of a paragraph or essay that grabs the reader's attention. Common hooks will pose questions, give a startling statement, provide unusual facts, or tell a story (a Lead)
PROOFREADING: Checking over your work for mistakes in spelling, grammar, mechanics, and usage, and then fixing them.	THEME: A life lesson, moral, or message that the reader should learn from reading the paper.	PARAGRAPH: A group of related sentences that work together to present a response to a writing topic. At a basic level, Paragraphs must include a Topic Sentence, Supports, and a Clincher.
PUBLISHING: A final copy of your work, free from errors and ready for a real audience to view it.	TOPIC SENTENCE: This sentence introduces the topic of your writing. It tells the reader what you are going to tell them. At advanced levels, this sentence will Hook the reader's attention and provide the focus for writing.	RUBRIC: A guarantee of getting an 'A' on the assignment. This is the set of criteria used to grade a piece of writing. Students and teachers both know the rubric ahead of time so both understand the expectations.
REVISION: Students working with a piece of writing or text to		VOICE: Sound, tone, and individuality in a piece of writing. Voice includes personal experience and creative writing. It should be as if the student was reading the work aloud.

http://www.scholastic.com/scopemagazine/PDFs/SCOPE-Library-GreatTransitionsHandout.pdf - Transition Words to Use in Writing

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson782/Rubric.pdf - Writing Rubric

http://www.holmdel.k12.nj.us/schools/satz/eng_dept/NJASK/Rubrics/NJASK%206%20pt%20rubric.htm - NJ ASK 6 Point Writing Rubric

http://www.holmdelschools.org/schools/satz/eng_dept/NJASK/compositional_risk_matrix.htm - Compositional Risk

http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/resources/6_9ela/6WebResources/6WritingWebResources.htm - Writing Resources

http://writingfix.com/left_brain.htm - Left Brain Writing Activities

http://www.ttms.org/PDFs/03%20Writing%20Samples%20v001%20(Full).pdf - Student Writing Samples

http://languagearts.pppst.com/writing.html - Writing - All Genres PPTs

http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Interactive.aspx?cat=49 - Interactive Writing - Activities

http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/games/ - Writing Games for Kids - Scholastic

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rayser3/writing.htm - Writing Lessons

http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit/42092 - Writing Lessons - All Genres

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/links_grades_kindergarten_12/writing_prompts_language_arts_writing_elem.htm?sl=newsletter_nov_2011 - Internet4Classrooms Writing Page

http://www.sabine.k12.la.us/vrschool/read_write_elem_mid.htm - Reading & Writing

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/flip/ - Flip A Chip - Write a Story

http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/3rd/homework/write/3_writ.htm - Elementary Writing Lessons

Don't Use Said

http://www.adrianbruce.com/web_design/writing/said/said.htm - Words to Use Instead of Said

Writer's Notebook

http://denaharrison.com/ - Writing in the Middle

http://corbettharrison.com/documents/Writers_Notebooks/Writers_Notebook_Bingo_Sept_Only.pdf - Writer's Notebook Month by Month

http://writingfix.com/PDFs/6_Traits/test/Trait_classroom_at_a_glance.pdf - 6 Trait Writing Graphic

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/essay-30063.html - Essay Map - Scholastic

FICTION WRITING

http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/english/contents_writingfiction.htm - Fiction Writing

http://www.abcteach.com/free/d/dnfont_alphabet_arrows_cursive.pdf - Cursive Writing Chart

http://abcteach.com/directory/basics/handwriting/dn_style_font/cursive/ - Cursive Writing Practice

http://www.adrianbruce.com/web_design/writing/startn/startn.html - Ways to Start a Narrative

http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/paragrap/index.htm - Paragraph Writing

http://www.pdfarticles.com/topic/s+story+worksheet.html# - Story Planning Pages - University of Colorado

http://www.ncnonprofits.org/conference/handouts/2010/Structure_Worksheet.pdf - Story Structure Worksheet

http://www.essaystart.com/Step_by_Step_Guide/topic_Selection.htm - How to Write the Perfect Essay

http://www.writing.ku.edu/guides/prewriting.shtml - Pre-Writing

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rayser3/writing.htm - Outa Ray's Head - Writing

http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/modes/activities.html - Modes of Writing

http://pages.uoregon.edu/leslieob/pizzaz.html - Pizzazz Writing - Prompts, Activities, Poems

Writing Prompts

http://my.hrw.com/support/hos/hostpdf/hostmsprompts.pdf - Writing Prompts - All Genres

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/writing-prompts-for-kids-in-elementary-and-middle-school.html - Prompts - All Genres

http://writingfix.com/traits_primary.htm#forkids - Interactive Writing - Prompts/Games

http://www.brucehale.com/howto.htm - Writing Stories

Letters

http://www.letterwritingguide.com/friendlyletterformat.htm - Friendly Letter Format Template

Sensory Words

http://slohs.slcusd.org/pages/teachers/jowhite/Sensory%20Words.pdf - Sensory Words

http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/assess/feelings.html - Emotion Words

Narrowing The Topic

http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/WebLessons/InformationElimination/default.htm -Information Elimination Story Interactive

Writing a Scary Story

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Scary-Story - Tips to remember when writing a Scary Story

Personification

A Day in the Life of Your Shoes

http://writingfix.com/left_brain/Mini_Workshop_Day_as_Your_Shoes1.htm - Interactive Brainstorm

"I want you to dedicate a page in your notebooks to a pretty fun idea today, then I want you to illustrate some of your best ideas, and I hope many of you will be inspired to turn your ideas into a full piece of writing. I want you to create a page that personifies one of your favorite shoes; to personify, you need to give your shoe human qualities. Here are some human quality prompts that I'd like you to consider exploring on your notebook page:

What is your shoe's personality like? Does he/she get along with the other shoe in its pair? With your socks?
What does your shoe dream about at night? What would be the subject of a nightmare for your shoe?
What does your shoe aspire to be?
What are a few of your shoe's pet peeves?
What is your shoe's favorite song, book, movie, or TV show?
What qualifications does your shoe have, if it was applying for a job?
Other personification ideas?"

Four Funny Ideas about my Shoes

comic/caption #1

comic/caption #2

comic/caption #3

comic/caption #4

Create your own comic strip

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/wackystories/the-glasses/ - Complete Daniel's Story

DIALOGUE

A quotation shows the exact words that a person said. When writing a quotation, capitalize the first word. The entire quotation, including the end mark, should go inside the quotation marks.

"I have to leave now," she said."Where are you going?" he asked.

If the quotation ends a sentence, then add a comma before it.

She said, "I have to leave now."He asked, "Where are you going?"If the quotation starts a sentence and would normally end in a period, then change the period to a comma. (If the quotation ends with an exclamation mark or a question mark, don’t change it to a comma.)

"I have to leave now," she said.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

Quotations can be used to show dialogue, which is a conversation between two or more people. -

See more at: http://www.ixl.com/ela/grade-4/punctuating-dialogue#sthash.eNb5gf4Q.dpuf

http://www.funenglishgames.com/writinggames.html - Dialogue Game

Strong, Vivid Verbs

http://swandawritingresources.wikispaces.com/Strong+Verbs+to+Persuade - Strong, Vivid, Workhorse Verbs

Transition Words

http://scope.scholastic.com/resource/uploads_scope/issues/library/pdfs/SCOPE-Library-GreatTransitionsHandout.pdf - Great Transition Words

http://www.worksheetplace.com/mf_pdf/Transitional-Words-Worksheet.pdf - Transition Words

Story Cube

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/

Transition Words

Great Transitions

Transitions are like bridges between your ideas—they help your readers move from one idea to the next.

Here are some transition words and phrases you may wish to use in your essay. Keep in mind that they

can be used at the beginning of a sentence or within a sentence.

If you are adding information or showing similarity between ideas:

• additionally • besides • so too • first of all/secondly/thirdly

• in addition • also • likewise • to begin with

• as well as • another • furthermore • finally

If you are showing that one idea is different from another:

• however • even though • in contrast • on the one hand/on the other hand

• yet • despite • still • some people say/other people say

• but • although • in spite of • regardless

If you are showing that something is an example of what you just stated:

• for example • to illustrate • this can be seen

• for instance • namely • specifically

If you want to show cause and effect:

• as a result • consequently • so

• it follows that • therefore • eventually

If you want to add emphasis:

• in fact • of course • truly • even • indeed

Uses: Copy machine, opaque projector, or transparency master for overhead projector. Scholastic Inc. grants subscribers of Scholastic Scope permission to reproduce this page for use in their classrooms. ©2012 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.

Writing - Page 2

Show, Don’t Tell: An Overview of the Craft Element