Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8

Finally, a book of mini-lessons that takes the mystery out of teaching creative writing to students in grades four through eight!

Teaching students the craft of short story writing is a great way to challenge them and channel their creative energy into a written format. But writing fiction is more than strictly creative it will also help your students prepare for standardized testing and for writing academically. As students move through the process of brainstorming thoughts to writing a cohesive story, they will learn the importance of planning and writing in a logical, sequential manner. In addition, your students will critique their own and their peers writing, so these lessons will develop their critical-thinking skills as they analyze and evaluate.

This edition includes almost twenty new lessons from educational technology consultant Steve Johnson that infuse technology into the writing process and allow for more differentiation and personalization in your classroom. These lessons will inspire even the most reluctant writers by directly connecting writing to their lives through the technology and tools that matter to them wikis, digital media, virtual worlds, and more.

Flexibility remains the foundation of Baldwin s approach, allowing you to spend as much or as little time as you want on this unit. Support is included for students who want to write a sports, science fiction/ fantasy, mystery, or historical story. More than seventy transparency masters and reproducibles are included on the Resource CD which accompanies the book.