The Writing Teacher's Activity-a-Day 180 Reproducible Prompts and Quick-Writes for the Secondary Classroom

Writing Mini-Lessons That Won't Mean More Grading!

The Writing Teacher's Activity-a-Day is filled with writing prompts and sample passages written in student-friendly language that connect abstract literary concepts to students' own lives. In addition, the engaging examples serve as models to encourage students to create their own Quick Writes.

Praise for The Writing Teacher's Activity-a-Day

"The most difficult area to teach in language arts is writing, and this text now makes it easier—it will become a teacher's best friend! The book is the perfect marriage to the writer's workshop lesson plan model, giving specific examples of writing for each necessary skill to be taught, and will surely enhance and support your mini-lessons. Implementing these activities will help both the student and teacher grow as writers. In 33 years of teaching language arts, I've never seen anything like it!"—Donna Kortvelesy, MS, NBCT, professional development specialist, Millville Public Schools, Millville, New Jersey

"Anytime I see a book by Mary Ellen Ledbetter, I grab hold of several copies for use in my classrooms and trainings. Teachers beg for them! In The Writing Teacher's Activity-a-Day, she has taken the objectives that are so hard for students to grasp and for educators to teach and has put together an easy-to-read, easy-to-teach book of amazing activities for everyday use."—Janet Coleman, Ed. D., educational consultant and trainer, Fort Worth, Texas

"The Writing Teacher's Activity-a-Day is incredibly versatile, with self-contained writing exercises clear enough to hand to a substitute yet complex enough to be the building blocks of a unit. It covers everything I've seen on the state-mandated tests, too."—Erin Jones, secondary English teacher and teaching assistant, University of Arkansas

The Writing Teacher's Activity-a-Day offers teachers, homeschoolers, and parents 180 ready-to-use, reproducible activities that enhance writing skills in secondary students. Based on Ledbetter's extensive experience consulting to language arts teachers and school districts across the country, the classroom-tested activities included in this book teach students key literary and writing terms like allegory, elaboration, irony, personification, propaganda, voice, and more.

-Contains writing prompts and sample passages in student-friendly language that connects abstract literary concepts to students' own lives

-Written by popular workshop presenter and veteran educator Mary Ellen Ledbetter

-Offers a user-friendly, value-packed resource for teaching writing skills

Designed for English language arts teachers in grades 6-12, tutors, parents, learning specialists, homeschoolers, and consultants.

About the Author.

Acknowledgments.

Action Verbs as a Method of Elaboration.

Adages.

Adjectives as a Method of Elaboration.

Adverbs as a Method of Elaboration: Practice #1.

Adverbs as a Method of Elaboration: Practice #2.

Allegory.

Alliteration.

Allusion.

Analogy.

Anecdote.

Antagonist.

Application and Synthesis.

Assessing Prompts: Determining Mode of Writing.

Assonance.

Autobiographical Collage.

Biography.

Brainstorming.

Brainstorming: Web.

Brainstorming: Web Subpoints.

Business Letter.

Character Sketch.

Characterization: Actions.

Characterization: Contrasting Actions.

Characterization: Appearance.

Characterization: Environment.

Characterization: Inner Thoughts and Feelings (First Person).

Characterization: Inner Thoughts and Feelings (Third Person Omniscient).

Characterization: Speech.

Characterization: What Others Say.

Cliches.

Climax.

Choppy Style.

Commas (Individualized Practice #1).

Commas (Individualized Practice #2).

Comparison/Contrast Essay (Introduction).

Comparison/Contrast Essay (First Body: First Part of Contrast/Comparison of Actions).

Comparison/Contrast Essay (First Body: Second Part of Contrast/Comparison of Actions).

Comparison/Contrast (Second Body).

Comparison/Contrast Essay (Third Body).

Comparison/Contrast Essay (Conclusion).

Conflict: External.

Conflict: Internal.

Connectives.

Connotation or Denotation.

Definition as a Method of Elaboration.

Definitions: Specialized.

Denouement.

Description as a Method of Elaboration.

Descriptive Essay (Introduction).

Descriptive Essay (First Body).

Descriptive Essay (Second Body).

Descriptive Essay (Third Body).

Descriptive Essay (Conclusion).

Dialect.

Dialogue as a Method of Elaboration.

Editing for Grammar Mistakes.

Elaboration.

Elaboration: Examples and Explanation as a Method.

Elaboration: Researchable Fact as a Method.

Euphemisms.

Expanded Moment.

Expository Writing (Introduction).

Expository Writing (First Body).

Expository Writing (Second Body).

Expository Writing (Third Body).

Expository Writing (Conclusion).

Extended Metaphor (Part #1).

Extended Metaphor (Part #2).

Famous Quotations Blending into Author's Own Words.

Famous Quotations as Methods of Elaboration.

Famous Quotations (Top Ten).

Fantasy.

Figurative Language Fill-Ins.

Flashback.

Foreshadowing.

Fragments.

Friendly Letter (Heading, Salutation, Introduction).

Friendly Letter (Body, Part #1).

Friendly Letter (Body, Part #2).

Full-Circle Ending in Narratives and Quick Writes.

Full-Circle Ending in Free Verse Poems.

Hooks (Part #1).

Hooks (Part #2).

Hooks (Part #3).

Hooks (Part #4).

How-To Vignette.

How-To or Process Writing (Introduction).

How-To or Process Writing (First Body).

How-To or Process Writing (Second Body).

How-To or Process Writing (Third Body).

How-To or Process Writing (Conclusion).

Humor.

Hyperbole.

Hyphenated Modifier.

Idioms.

Inference.

Irony of Situation.

Interview Questions (Get-Acquainted Exercise).

Literary Analysis (Introduction).

Literary Analysis (First Body).

Literary Analysis (Second Body).

Literary Analysis (Third Body).

Literary Analysis (Conclusion).

Magic Three as a Method of Elaboration and Voice.

Metaphor.

Metaphor Quick Write.

Mood (Part #1).

Mood Prediction (Part #2).

Motif.

Motivation.

Name.

Narrative (Setting, Characters, Conflict).

Narrative (Furthering Conflict in Rising Action).

Narrative (Introduction of Second Conflict and More Insight into Characters).

Narrative (Characters’ Reaction to Conflict).

Narrative (Introduction of Minor Character and Continued Conflict).

Narrative (Climax and Falling Action).

Onomatopoeia.

Open-Ended Questions.

Open-Ended Question ("The Physicians of Trinidad").

Paradox.

Pathetic Fallacy (Part #1).

Pathetic Fallacy (Part #2).

Peer Editing.

Personalizing Current Events: Turning Nonfiction into Fiction.

Personification.

Persuasive Writing (Introduction).

Persuasive Writing (First Body).

Persuasive Writing (Second Body).

Persuasive Writing (Third Body).

Persuasive Writing (Conclusion).

Picture Prompt Writing.

Picture Prompt Rubric: Student-Interactive (Beginning).

Picture Prompt Rubric: Student-Interactive (Details).

Picture Prompt Rubric: Student-Interactive (Editing).

Play-Doh Writing Game.

Poem Cut-Ups.

Poignancy.

Point of View: Omniscient.

Prediction (Part #1).

Prediction (Part #2).

Redundancy.

Repetition for Effect: One Trick for Voice (From Excerpt of Short Story).

Repetition for Effect (Sentence Practice).

Run-On Sentences.

Science Fiction (Setting and Characters).

Science Fiction (Unfolding of Plot: Rising Action #2).

Science Fiction (Establishing Conflict: Rising Action Introducing Conflict).

Science Fiction (Establishing Connection Between Characters).

Science Fiction (Plan Purposed: Plan of Action Revealed).

Science Fiction (Rising Action Leading to Climax).

Science Fiction (Climax and Falling Action).

Sensory Images as a Method of Elaboration (Sight).

Sensory Images (Sound).

Sensory Images (Touch).

Sensory Images (Taste).

Sensory Images (Smell).

Sentence Variety: Sentence Combining (Noun Absolutes).

Sentence Variety: Noun Absolutes Practice.

Sentence Variety: Sentence Combining (Participial Phrase).

Sentence Variety: Participial Phrase Practice.

Sentence Variety: Sentence Combining (Adverb Clause).

Sentence Variety: Adverb Clause Practice.

Sentence Variety: Sentence Combining (Adjective Clause).

Sentence Variety: Adjective Clause Practice.

Similes as Methods of Voice in a Paragraph.

Similes as Practice in Developing Voice.

Snapshot Poem.

Structure Rubric for One-Paragraph Essay.

Subjunctive Mood of Verbs.

Summary.

Symbol.

Thank-You Note.

Theme: Building Themes into Essays.

Themes: Works Built Around a Theme.

Transitions: More Sophisticated Methods (Persuasive Essay).

Transitions: More Sophisticated Methods (Expository Essay).

Verb Tense Shift.

Vocabulary: I Don't Think So.

Vocabulary: Which Word?

Vocabulary: What If?

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