Less than $5 8th Grade Writing-Expository Handouts (by date, latest first)

Do students need help understanding cause and effect? These cause and effect activities offer reinforcement and practice to produce great student essays.Step-by-step and easy-to-follow cause and effect activities include: Relationship Word Chart Fill-in-the-Blank Pearl Harbor Essay Activity 2 Fill-in-the Blank Organizers for Pearl Harbor 2 Cause and Effect Graphic Organizers for Generic History Writing 1 Pearl Harbor Cause & Effect Essay Assignments with Pre-writing 1 Generic History Cause & Effect Essay Assignment/Pre-writing Meets state and federal guidelines for ELA; meets state history guidelines. Help students easily understand cause and effect with this Pearl Harbor/generic history packet with visual graphic organizers. Use for test preparation and standardized test practice.

Ready for a road trip? My Road Trip to the Top Ten National U.S. Parks lets you think about and plan to visit the top ten U.S. national parks:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Yosemite National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park

Olympic National Park

Zion Canyon National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Acadia National Park

Glacier National Park

35 pages of fact-based fun and interesting facts, such as how many visitors pass through parks and scenic and wildlife information, along with where each park is located. Note park spellings are based on National Park Service website for student research purposes.

Includes:

Directions with Ideas for Implementation and for Assessment

Includes writing prompts, diorama, research ideas, and more...

Research and Writing Components

Math and Science Skills Connections

Info Sheet Handout with Junior Ranger Motto and core values of the

National Park Service

My Road Trip U.S. Map to plot itineraries

My Road Trip Mileage Chart for incorporating math skills

Location of Parks

Established Dates of Parks

Sizes of Parks

Scenic Beauty coloring sheet for each park

Scenic Beauty facts

Fact Boxes to add visitor/researched info

Fun Sheet to List the Top 5 places to visit in each park

Record Yearly Temperatures and Averages (Science)

Best Time to Visit

Best Features

Excellent across curriculum lesson plan that encourages critical thinking and planning skills for a fun U.S. national parks road trip! Students who have visited listed parks can be class experts as the lesson plan progresses.

Meets CCSS.

Need a great accompanying packet?

Try "Dialects of the U.S." at Educator Helper storefront.

Prepare students for informational, on-demand assessment writing with fourteen factual prompts that address everyday issues. Includes: Prompts: Driving Economy Fashion Global Warming Health Technology School Science Space Sports Lined extra handout paper for writing Themed graphics Help students overcome writer's block and fear of testing with these informational, on-demand prompts. Meets CCSS.

Can you persuade your group members to let you have the serum to survive the plague? Students use higher level critical thinking skills to convince, debate, persuade, and outwit others to save their lives! 35 pages that includes: Directions Differentiated Project Ideas 24 male avatars 24 female avators Character traits Character flaws Character Reflection Sheet Extra Resources Students choose their avatars, fill out character sheets traits and flaws, and use their bargaining skills to try to survive the deadly plague! Includes whole group option, as well, and other activities for expository writings, oral presentations, and more... Excellent for use in ELA, SS/History,Science, and Life Skills classes. Helpful with units covering character studies, life skills, the Middle Ages, epidemics, major events in history, and more. Meets CCSS.

The first Friday in June is National Doughnut Day! Celebrate the day with this across-curriculum packet of fun-filled, critical thinking activities. Includes: Advertisement writing and designing Business Planning Handout and Rationale Crossword Puzzle with answers (quick assessment) Doughnut Designing Contest History Timeline Making Donuts Presentation with Research Survey with Chart/Graph and Explanation Vocabulary/Spelling Activity Writing Prompts (Expository) Great way to incorporate CCSS history, economics, home ec, and English skills.

Based on Ray Salazaar's Article, "If You Teach the 5-Paragraph Essay--Stop It", uses College Board and Common Core Standards to guide students through building a well-written persuasive essay. Whether 5-paragraphs or 50-pages,the format works for fact or research based papers. Includes Chart Checklist Definitions Writing Guides Examples Peer workshopping component Extra Resources: Links to Sample Essays... 16 interactive slides to guide students through the research writing process: thesis writing, working with and using background information, evidence supported facts/research, writing an effective conclusion. Helps build critical thinking and writing skills. Can be used with G/T, Pre-AP, AP, developmental/entry college level courses. Everything needed to produce a well-written, researched essay.

High interest, critical thinking, on-demand writing prompts that include research based facts and references for citations. Great for college and career rigor standards with fact-based, textual evidence writings. Use as individual handouts or for whole group prompts. Includes: Aliens Bigfoot Chupacabra Ghosts Lochness Monster Mermaids Mothman Vampires Werewolves Zombies Fun, on-demand expository, informational, or persuasive prompts that stimulate creative, critical thinking writings! Great for discussions and debates, too. Meets CCSS.

New standardized tests, such as ACT and SAT, ask students to define the problem, sort through solutions, find the best solution, and explain why they chose their answers. This free graphic organizer will help students with working through the process!

Get students thinking about presidential elections and political campaign promises with 16 handouts that generate higher level learning.The journal-like prompts include historical facts that will have students wondering, "What if.I was president..?" Social issues to write about include:

family issues

government growth

importing goods

internet issues

laws and rules

leadership style

national debt

national security

social security

space exploration

succession

transportation problems

war

world peace

There are sixteen famous presidents, with their greatest accomplishments. Included are: Adams, Bush, Clinton, Cleveland, Coolidge, Eisenhower, Jackson, Johnson, Kennedy, Lincoln, Nixon, Reagan, Roosevelt,Washington

Includes Extra Resources (videos, web-links) and Ideas for Use in the classroom.

Can be used with English, Government, History classes.

Complete set of 7 graphic organizers for cause and effect writings. Easy to use and follow, and comes with: Cause and Effect Relationship Word Chart Cause and Effect Topics Sheet Categories: Arts, Humanities, Music, Education, STEM 7 different Graphic Organizers to Xerox Writing Tips Writing Challenges Reinforces fact based writing, cause and effect relationship words, planning stage, working with writing process, and peer workshopping. Critical thinking skills needed! Great for ELA and STEM connections, AP, charter, ESL, GT, dual credit, and homeschool students.

Students can chart Earth's changes from the beginning of time through the future with this 35 page, interactive timeline for students to make and share. Uses fact-based writing, inferencing skills, interpreting information, research skills, application of knowledge, and writing skills.

Includes handouts/printables of:

Directions

Extra Handout/Video Resources

5 Title pages

5 The End pages

My Earth Timeline page to fill in

Covers time periods:

Beginning of Earth

Compare/Contrast over how Earth was formed

Cambrian Period

Permian Period

Mesozoic Period

Forming of 7 Continents

Stone Age

Ice Age

Neolithic Period

Bronze Age and hieroglyphics

Pyramids/Stonehenge

Iron Age

Hellenistic Period

Roman Period

Byzantine Period

Middle Ages: Classic, Middle, Modern

Renaissance and Reformation

Enlightenment and Age of Reason

Industrial Revolution

20th and 21st Century

What about Earth's future?

A brief overview of Earth's time periods for students to learn about, and review then apply knowledge to complete their books. Can be used for assessment, journaling activities, history/social studies, for celebrating Earth Day, or as overview of unit on how Earth was formed and changed. Requires critical thinking skills for completion.

20 Non-fiction writing prompts to help students with assessment writing. Comes with 20 handouts with graphics and writing space. Includes:

In my future I see...

People say I'm a dreamer...

My life is like a song...

Home represents...

Gossip spreads like wildfire...

plus 15 more non-fiction writing prompts that relate to students' lives!

Excellent for assessment prep, journal prompts, non-fiction connections to readings. Use the prompts as introduction into research then use the writing process and peer workshop essays for Common Core requirements.

40 prompts to help students with on-demand writing. Each handout has a black and white image to color that is non-fiction, real life related. Factual, lined page, story starters for critical thinking, assessment-style, standardized writing practice. Topics include: In my future, I see... Some people say I'm a dreamer... The road of life has many obstacles... The root system of a tree is as complicated as... Home represents... If I could soar like a bird... To walk a mile in another's shoes... The world's future is.... One of the biggest exaggerations I've heard or told was... I have a place in my heart for... Gossip spreads like wildfire. An example of this is... My friends are as unique as leaves on a tree... plus so many more fact-based prompts... Full page lined writing handout for 2 sided copying Copy and handout to students for on-demand, non-fiction writing practice, diagnostic testing, assessment practice, peer workshopping practice, and more. Meets Common Core and State ELA Standards for writing.

Need help with organizing cause and effect essays? These 7 charts will guide students through planning and pre-writing cause and effect essays. Step-by-Step graphic organizers with note about cause and effect definitions, paragraph writing tip, and writing challenge to reorganize the essay on each handout.

Excellent for assessment practice, college test prep, standardized test prep, and expository writing. Helps build critical thinking skills. Meets state and federal ELA guidelines.

14 non-fiction and 1 fiction scenarios with speech and thought bubbles for students to make inferences, practice point of view, and practice writing dialogue. Non-Fiction Scenes Include: Skiers Musicians Basketball Player Hiking Art Babysitting Mechanics Friends Salesman Accident Garden Skateboarding Science Parking Lot and Aliens (fiction) Can be used individually or with whole groups for journal writing, writing text evidence based on visual clues, on-demand writing prompts, writing reader's theater/plays, practice grammar skills, spelling, vocabulary, and more.

This 3-page form asks students to specifically rate their performance on the 6 components of effective effort on a given essay: TIME, FOCUS, RESOURCEFULNESS, USE OF STRATEGIES, USE OF FEEDBACK, and COMMITMENT. This product is modeled after teachings from The Skillful Teacher by Jon Saphier, Mary Ann Haley-Speca, and Robert Gower and encourages a growth mindset in students. I provide this form to my students every single time I assign a paper and am always pleasantly surprised at how honest they are in their responses, especially as the incentive for guessing their grade is 2 bonus points! ____________________________________________________________________________ Also, check out this great lesson plan for teaching Effective Effort by Language Arts Excellence: ⭐Effective Effort Lesson Plan ____________________________________________________________________________ ⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This 3-page form asks students to specifically rate their performance on the 6 components of effective effort on a given essay: TIME, FOCUS, RESOURCEFULNESS, USE OF STRATEGIES, USE OF FEEDBACK, and COMMITMENT. This product is modeled after teachings from The Skillful Teacher by Jon Saphier, Mary Ann Haley-Speca, and Robert Gower and encourages a growth mindset in students. I provide this form to my students every single time I assign a paper and am always pleasantly surprised at how honest they are in their responses, especially as the incentive for guessing their grade is 2 bonus points! ____________________________________________________________________________ Also, check out this great lesson plan for teaching Effective Effort by Language Arts Excellence: ⭐Effective Effort Lesson Plan ____________________________________________________________________________ ⭐Click to Follow Language Arts Excellence⭐

This handout provides a thorough and clear explanation of how to properly embed quotations within a paper. The handout will introduce students to the three methods they should be using to introduce textual evidence. It offers a lucid account of how to properly punctuate quotations, how to properly alter quotations, and how to properly cite evidence from different literary genres (novel, plays, poems, etc).

Tired of reading papers in which students repeat the exact same phrases to introduce a series of quotations? Tired of reading papers in which students contextualize evidence by writing, On page 34, it says, "blah blah" ?? Look no further! I developed this resource after listening to my talented English colleagues chat about their shared frustrations over how students frame quotations in their papers. If the teachers at your school are facing similar frustrations, then you might find this handout to be helpful.

As it turns out, there are only three strategies that writers employ when embedding quotations in a paper. This handout explains when and how students should use each of the three strategies:

1. Block Quotations: The best technique for framing a long quotation is to use a block quotation. The examples in this handout will model not only how to punctuate a block quotation but also how to follow up with analysis by picking out key words from the quotation and unpacking their significance.

2. Clause-and-Colon Method: The best technique for framing a mid-sized quotation is to introduce the quotation with an independent clause followed by a colon (:). The examples in this handout will model the grammatically correct way to use a colon to set up a quotation.

3. Integration-of-Keywords Method: The best technique for framing shorter quotations is to integrate the quotations into the writer's own sentences. The examples in this handout demonstrate how to integrate quotations seamlessly into the flow of one's sentences.

Here's my suggestion for how to use this handout. What I'd recommend is that you distribute this handout to your students before you distribute your next writing assignment. After reading and discussing each of the three methods, you might announce that all students will be required to utilize both the "clause-and-colon method" and the "integration-of-keywords method" at least once in their next papers. Should you do that, I promise their papers will improve!

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the materials prioritize rigorous content over decorative graphics. While there are plenty of sellers whose lessons feature beautiful design elements, my resources promise to improve students' writing by equipping them with practical skills used by published academic writers.

The previews for my resources provide direct access to several pages of exemplary materials. Hit the green “Preview” button to see exactly what you’ll get. . . .

This 3-page document will come to you in two separate formats: a Word doc *and* a PDF. Because the Word doc is editable, you'll be able to costumize the resource to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the resource as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print.

If there's anything I can do to support your amazing work in the classroom, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these other resources on writing:

How to Write a College Application Essay

How to Write an Analytical Essay

How to Write an Poem Analysis Essay (AP Lit FRQ 1)

Figurative Language Stations

NEW IN 2021: Rigorous! Thought-provoking! Discussion-Based! This 45-page EDITABLE poetry curriculum promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The literary devices quizzes, discussion prompts, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this 45-page curriculum:

• 10 Poems by Langston Hughes: The 10 poems in this mini-unit feature Langston Hughe's BEST works of poetry: "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "Mother to Son," "I, Too," "Theme for English B," "Let America Be America Again," "Harlem," and more. The poems are split between two homework packets, each of which features 5 poems. Each homework packet is followed by a classroom packet with discussion questions and quizzes related to the poems. (12 pages)

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for the first poem in each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive note. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (12 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (3 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Answer keys included. (4 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (3 pages)

The entire 45-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word doc *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to modify the resource to suit your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as a PDF file, which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

Because I believe that teachers should be able to see exactly what they'll be getting before they purchase, the preview for this resource allows viewing accesses to 30 pages. Click on the green "preview" button to see exactly what you’ll get. . . .

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

This is an informational handout to help students who have problems writing effective introduction paragraphs. ***** Check out my other Writing Resources***** Writing Thesis Statements Counterclaim and Rebuttal Writing Graphic Organizers Interactive Essay Writing Flipbook Argumentative Essay Essay prompt and articles :Narcissism Essay prompt and articles: Hurricanes Essay prompt and articles: Colonization in Africa