Higher Education Writing Activities (by date, oldest first)

• Do you need help getting your students to understand how text is structured and how authors craft their writing?
• Do you want them to practice aligning ideas and writing their own?

Help your students master paragraph structure with this comprehensive resource designed for middle and high school learners. "Building Strong Paragraphs" focuses on key writing skills such as identifying topic sentences, supporting details, and crafting thesis statements. This ready-to-use packet includes practice worksheets, engaging exercises, and thesis sentence-building activities that will enhance your students' writing abilities.

Ideal for both informational and argumentative writing, this resource walks students through the entire process of constructing well-organized, coherent paragraphs. Whether you're teaching how to develop supporting sentences, transition between ideas, or conclude effectively, this resource covers it all!

What's Included:

• Graphic Organizer for understanding structure
• Identification exercise
• Two Unique Passages per skill: topic sentences, thesis statements, supporting sentences & concluding sentences
• 9 Passages
• 20 Pages
• Available as a PDF and a Word Document

Perfect for:

• Grades 6-10
• English Language Arts (ELA) Teachers
• Writing Workshops
• STAAR Writing Prep
• Argumentative and Informational Essay Practice

Benefits of this Resource:

• Aligned with Common Core Standards and TEKS for writing.
• Great for differentiated learning in classrooms with ELLs and students needing extra practice.
• Supports critical thinking and writing clarity.

Who is this for?

• Middle and High School Teachers: Perfect for educators looking to strengthen their students’ paragraph-writing skills with structured, step-by-step activities.
• ELA Teachers: Aligned with TEKS and Common Core standards, this resource is ideal for anyone teaching informational and argumentative writing.
• Students Preparing for Standardized Tests: Great for test prep, including STAAR writing, helping students improve clarity, coherence, and overall writing structure.
• Special Education & ELL Support: Easily adaptable for differentiated instruction, making it an excellent tool for classrooms with diverse learners, including English Language Learners and students with varying writing levels.
• Homeschool Educators: A valuable resource for guiding students through the fundamentals of paragraph writing at home.

Everything you need to make your instruction more effective for R4R Unit 4 Week 4!

Weekly Focus Wall, Writing Activities, and Independent Practice Pages that align with National Geographic Reach for Reading for First Grade!

Includes (see preview):

*End of Unit Writing Project Pages

"Week at a Glance" planning page

Focus Wall "I Can" statements with standards

Cards for spelling words, phonograms/letters, vocabulary words, and high-frequency words

Writing Activities- Power Writing and other Writing pages for the week.

Independent Practice for the Week- Includes practice for phonics, spelling words, and high-frequency words. (Great for Independent work during small groups!)

Sight Word SNAP Game, Brag Tags and Check-off List

Spelling Practice and Test Pages

Check out my Small Groups Made Easy "Long u and Long e" resource for your guided reading small groups!

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Guided-Reading-Small-Groups-made-EaSY-Long-u-Long-e-Word-Family-Unit-5171021

Save by purchasing these resources for the year!

Everything you need to enrich your Reach for Reading instruction!

Weekly Focus Wall, Writing Activities, and Independent Practice Pages that align with National Geographic Reach for Reading for First Grade.

Includes (see preview):

"Week at a Glance" planning page

Focus Wall "I Can" statements with standards

Cards for spelling words, phonograms/letters, vocabulary words, and high-frequency words

Writing Activities- Power Writing and other Writing pages for the week.

Independent Practice for the Week- Includes practice for phonics, spelling words, and high-frequency words. (Great for Independent work during small groups!)

Sight Word SNAP Game, Brag Tags and Check-off List

Spelling Practice and Test Pages

Unit enrichment activities

Check out my Small Groups Made Easy Resource! Great for independent or small group reading practice!

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Small-Groups-made-EASY-Resources-for-the-YEAR-5813750

Unit resources to enrich R4R Unit 4!

Weekly Focus Wall, Writing Activities, and Independent Practice Pages that align with National Geographic Reach for Reading for First Grade!

Includes (see preview):

Focus Wall "I Can" statements with standards

Cards for spelling words, phonograms/letters, vocabulary words, and high frequency words

Writing Activities- Power Writing and other Writing pages for the week as well as the enrichment writing activities and class books.

Vocabulary Templates

Independent Practice for the Week- Includes practice for phonics, spelling words, high frequency words and grammar. (Great for Independent work during small groups!)

Spelling Practice and Test Pages

Sight Word Brag Tags and Check-off List

Check out my Small Groups Made Easy Word Work Resources that are aligned with this unit here:

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Guided-Reading-Small-Groups-made-EaSY-Long-a-Word-Unit-a\_e-5055618

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Guided-Reading-Small-Groups-made-EaSY-Long-i-Word-Unit-i\_e-5077711

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Guided-Reading-Small-Groups-made-EaSY-Long-o-Word-Family-Unit-5152248

https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Guided-Reading-Small-Groups-made-EaSY-Long-u-Long-e-Word-Family-Unit-5171021

Delve into over 60 diverse themes, from emotions to furniture and musical instruments, offering a stimulating array of over 700 words to unravel. Whether you're a casual puzzler or a seasoned word aficionado, this 8.2x11 inches book promises hours of entertainment and mental exercise. Discover the satisfaction of unscrambling each word and reveal the answers conveniently located at the end. Embrace the joy of wordplay and embark on a delightful journey of linguistic exploration today!

Here are some benefits of engaging in word scramble activities:

1. Mental Stimulation: Word scrambles provide a mental workout, helping to keep the brain sharp and active.
2. Vocabulary Expansion: By encountering a variety of words in different contexts, word scrambles can introduce new vocabulary and reinforce existing knowledge.
3. Problem-Solving Skills: Figuring out the correct arrangement of letters challenges your problem-solving abilities and encourages creative thinking.
4. Improves Concentration: Focusing on unscrambling words requires concentration and attention to detail, which can enhance overall concentration skills.
5. Enhances Memory: Engaging with words in a scrambled format can improve memory retention as you try to remember and rearrange the letters to form meaningful words.
6. Relaxation and Stress Relief: Solving word scrambles can be a relaxing activity, offering a break from daily stressors while still providing mental stimulation.
7. Language Skills Development: Word scrambles can improve spelling, grammar, and language comprehension skills, making them beneficial for language learners and enthusiasts.
8. Entertainment and Enjoyment: Word scrambles offer a fun and entertaining way to pass the time, whether alone or with friends and family.
9. Self-Esteem Boost: Successfully unscrambling words and completing puzzles can provide a sense of accomplishment and boost self-esteem.
10. Accessible Anywhere: Word scramble activities can be enjoyed almost anywhere, making them a convenient option for on-the-go entertainment or relaxation.

An interactive introduction to writing beginnings/endings and conclusions/introductions. The presentation uses a peer workshopping approach to writing beginnings and endings. Includes: Techniques to "hook" readers: Action Description Dialog Emotion Quotation Setting Examples of each Techniques to write successful conclusions. Ambiguous Circular Humor Moral Quote Restate thesis: Examples of all techniques Word Search that includes all terminologies (project and solve as a group or use as individual handouts) Uses peer workshopping and group read-arounds to complete the activites. Easy for students to follow and easy to implement in the classroom.

Have fun teaching Hyperboles with this twelve pdfs that defines, illustrates, and explains the concept. Includes: Individual/whole group activities (students illustrate or make videos) Definition Examples Media links with fun Youtubes Images for use with inferencing skills and more... Easy to follow and understand. Engaging and fun way to learn and use hyperboles.

Eerie story starters to get your students in the mood for writing scary stories! Great visuals with one liner story starters. Colorful and imaginative prompts for creative writing practice and peer workshopping. Includes: Perhaps we could become friends... Two eyes peered back at me... I've had a very interesting life! Come closer... Let me tell you how I ended up here... C'mon out...there's nothing to be afraid of! Meet my new friend The eerie glow of the pumpkin... I know what you did! Have a seat and let me tell you my story! The howl of the wolf scared me. Something went bump in the night I started up the winding road... The blaze lit up the night's sky... Let me show you my castle! "Help!" screamed the principal. We found the shipwrecked boat... Great Halloween writing prompts for practicing creative writing, storytelling, and peer workshopping skills!

10 days of writing prompts to address goal setting, time/anger/stress management,interpersonal skills. Wonderful visuals will stimulate response from students. Excellent for group discussions and journal sharing.

A great way to get students journaling is to combine visuals with words to stimulate the mind. The eleven-slide PowerPoint addresses study skills, time management, stress management, interpersonal relationships and goal setting. Great for group discussions and story starters, as well.

Explains and defines three kinds of irony: dramatic, situation, verbal. Includes examples with worksheet activities for application. Students choose the correct answer for the examles given. Can be complete individually or in groups. Excellent Irony assessment tool!

Do your students have trouble determining when to use "I" or "Me"? This easy-to-follow PowerPoint includes: Simplified Rules for Using"I" and "Me" Easy to follow Examples Peer Workshopping Activity This to-the-point presentation is for individual, small, or whole group introduction and review.. Make learning to use "I' or "Me" easy!

Fun and interactive activity for students to relate real life writing to the use of comma rules. Have plenty of magazines, brochures, or newspapers on hand for students/small groups to cut out comma examples and paste them under the correct comma rule headings. Group or individual activity is enjoyable to students, who will discuss rules as they work! (Reminder: review the 3 Kinds of Writing PowerPoint and Using Commas in Writing to help students understand the different guidelines for academic, creative, and journalism writing, along with comma rules).

Are your students ready to write novels? Then this is the interactive (with activities) PowerPoint to guide them. Seventeen slides tackle plot development, setting, characterization, and publishing. Includes plot line, characteristics chart, visualizing setting, and resources for publishing, as well as how to write query letters and tackle rejections. Samples and extra resources included.

Journal writing prompts that reflect winter activities(no religious holidays/symbols). 24 Great story starters for journal writes, essay writings, or on-demand practices. Wonderful, engaging visuals with easy-to-understand sentences.

Students produce personal narratives from memories with this 21 page guide that used the writing process. Includes: Attributes/Characteristics of Narrative Essay Overview of Writing Process Creating life maps (with student examples) Narrowing topics--prewriting stage with examples Narrative writing examples Online Reading: Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge Peer workshopping with guided questions: Revision and Editing Final Essay Stage Publishing/Sharing Scoring Rubric Extra Resources The 21 page guide is self-explanatory. It includes interactive writing activities along with using the writing process and peer workshopping strategies to teach narrative writing. Weblink to the online narrative book Gordon Wilfred McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox (by Screen Actors Guild) is excellent! Engaging and fun lesson that meets CCSS.

15 famous plagiarism cases and students get to "be the judge"! Fact based handouts with real life cases and research component to build critical thinking, plagiarism, and research skills. includes: 15 Famous People: MLK, Jr. Barack Obama Joe Biden Ray Parker Michael Bolton John Fogerty George Harrison T.S. Eliot Melania Trump Vanilla Ice J.K. Rowling Robin Thicke Jane Goodall Johnny Cash Helen Keller Handouts include: 15 black and white famous people images (optional: color these) Backgrounds of person Plagiarism charges Debates over charges Research component Verdicts of cases Guilty or Innocent boxes Guilty or Innocent evidence t-charts 3 Narrative and Rhetorical Discussion/Writing Prompts on each handout = 45 prompts (each with a "You be the judge..." prompt) Note: Does NOT include copies of lyrics, novels, or speeches due to copyright infringement laws. These are used to enhance students' research skills. Fun, engaging, and educational way to learn about plagiarism and explore real life connections to the topic while using research skills. Excellent for introduction to plagiarism, follow-up to unit, assessment of skills, character building, homeschool, AP/Pre-AP, dual credit, adult learners, ELL/ESL upper level learners, flipped classes, literature centers, building research skills, and real life connections to writing. Provides basic history of famous people. Use with: Having Fun with Plagiarism at: https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Having-Fun-with-Plagiarism-155008 Plagiarism Quiz at: https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Plagiarism-Quiz-167314 Follow Educator Helper Blogspot for weekly free products and tips at: http://bethhammett.blogspot.com/

Need two weeks worth of writing prompts to get students writing and reflecting on emotional intelligence skills?

Try the ten slide PowerPoint which addresses learning styles and emotional intelligence skills such as:

goal setting

time management

anger management

stress management

study skills

and more...

Just put up the slide, play some brain music, and let students write then share (if desired). You'll be amazed at the reflective responses!

Visit www.bethhammett.blogspot.com for FREE weekly activities.

All writers have it, but do you know what style is and how to recognize it? This 18 page presentation for upper level learners will help students understand and analyze their own writing styles, as well as other authors' styles. Easy to follow format will have students analyzing style in no time! Includes: Checklist for Authors Handout Definitions for Author's Style . Examples of Famous Novels and Poems to Analyze Quotes Extra Style Analysis Activities Author's Style Workshopping Handout Terminologies and definitions include: Audience—listeners, readers, viewers of work Author’s voice—sets writing apart from others; uniqueness of writing Genre—category/organization pattern of writing Purpose—intent of writing Mood—reader’s emotion to the writing Tone—author’s attitude about subject matter Sentence fluency—cadence, flow, transitions used Sentence variety—lengths/mixture of sentences Word choices—descriptions, figurative language, repetitions, synonyms… Excellent for introducing style, writing concepts, standardized testing reviews, class assessments, college readiness, CCSS, literacy centers, and grammar/editing revisions, Students will be able to identify their authors' styles after working through this presentation.

Students are headed to college, but do they understand what college level writing is and how it is different from middle/high school writing? This 20 page presentation is just what is needed to reinforce what teachers have been explaining to college bound students--that expectations for college level writing are high! Includes: Activities for interactive learning throughout the presentation List of college level writing expectations Chart of middle/high school writing vs. college level writing Example of thesis from middle to high school to college level Compare/contrast of middle/high school vs. college writing Fill-in-the-blank format for analysis college level writing Tips from professors and students on how to be successful Where to find help with college level writing on campus Activities include: Individual/group define college level writing Compare/contrast middle/high school writing vs. college level writing Writing thesis for different levels of writers Fill-in-the-blank analysis template Give a writer's tip