Planning and Drafting Writing Pieces
Learning to plan narratives, informative reports, and opinion pieces before drafting.
Key Questions
- Explain why planning is an important step before writing.
- Design a graphic organizer to plan a narrative story.
- Compare different planning strategies for various types of writing.
Common Core State Standards
Suggested Methodologies
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Planning templates for English Language Arts
ELA
An English Language Arts template structured around reading, writing, speaking, and language skills, with sections for text selection, close reading, discussion, and written response.
unit plannerThematic Unit
Organize a multi-week unit around a central theme or essential question that cuts across topics, texts, and disciplines, helping students see connections and build deeper understanding.
rubricSingle-Point Rubric
Build a single-point rubric that defines only the "meets standard" level, leaving space for teachers to document what exceeded and what fell short. Simple to create, easy for students to understand.
More in The Craft of Writing and Expression
Stating Opinions and Providing Reasons
Learning to state an opinion and provide reasons supported by linking words.
2 methodologies
Crafting Concluding Statements for Opinions
Developing strong concluding statements that summarize the opinion and reasons.
2 methodologies
Organizing Informative Reports
Writing factual pieces that introduce a topic, use facts to develop points, and provide a conclusion.
2 methodologies
Using Facts and Definitions in Informative Writing
Incorporating facts and definitions to develop points in informative reports.
2 methodologies
Sequencing Events in Narrative Writing
Writing stories that include a short sequence of events and clear temporal words.
2 methodologies