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Mrs. Beers Language Arts Classroom

A middle school ELA teacher blog featuring language arts activities, classroom ideas, and teacher resources for grades 4-8.

Task Cards (Made Easy!) for The Middle School Classroom

ELA task cards for middle school students

Task cards are a fantastic teaching tool with dozens of different ways to incorporate them into your middle school classroom. I have used task cards with my ELA students for everything from icebreaker activities to context clues and character analysis work. Here are a few of my favorite teaching ideas and task card activities to try with your middle school students.

What are Task Cards?

A task card features a single question, challenge, or conversation topic for students or small groups to complete. By drawing focus to a short assignment, students can analyze and practice concepts more purposefully. Because task cards are portable and convenient, they provide teachers with a multi-purpose tool to differentiate instruction.

How to use task cards

There are dozens of creative ways to use task cards depending on your teaching goals. As a language arts teacher, I typically use one of the following formats…

  • Design a whole class scoot activity. Divide a full set of task cards into smaller groups and rotate them among students or tables. Allow enough time between scoots for students to read their card and complete the answer document.
  • Incorporate task cards into a literacy center for students to work on when they are scheduled, or when they have completed their work and are ready to move on to a new activity.
  • Use task cards as an independent activity, in pairs, or directly with the teacher. You can use them as a formative assessment, or reference them during a reading conference.
  • Task cards can also be used to lead a whole class discussion. One way I’ve done this is to break into small groups first, which gives students time to review the discussion topics. From there, we meet back as a whole class to compare our ideas and analysis.
  • In addition to whole class discussion, I’ve had a lot of success with a variation of task cards that I call CHIT CHAT CARDS. Instead of having students write down responses, I create conversation cards that keep them on topic, yet able to listen, speak, and discuss.

Task cards activity list for middle school language arts

5 Task Card Ideas for Language Arts

Almost every core subject or learning concept can be reinforced through task cards. A quick search on Pinterest will give you hundreds of ideas for math cards , science , reading and more ! Here are 5 engaging ideas from my most popular task card resources…

Icebreaker Chit Chat Cards

Back to school ice breaker task cards

Icebreaker discussion cards are the perfect “first day” activity. Not only does it help students feel connected to their new classroom, but teachers can observe the groups for an initial assessment of fluency skills. The example above comes from my Getting to Know You! Editable Back to School Chit Chat Cards .

Vocabulary Task Cards

Context clue task cards for middle school

Identifying the meaning of unknown words using context clues is something my students always need to practice. Recognizing context clues is an example of an ideal task card activity. The concept is relatively simple to understand, but it can get tricky when you add new vocabulary terms to the equation. This is where practice makes all the difference. The example above comes from my Context Clue Task Cards for Middle School resource.

Character Analysis Task Cards

Character analysis task card example

Teaching character analysis is another concept I’ve found works well with task cards. By presenting students with multiple short passages to analyze, you expose them to different writing styles and points of view. The task card pictured above is from my Character Analysis Task Cards resource.

Reading Task Cards

Example of reading literature task cards for middle school

Task cards are great for end of novel analysis, especially if you have students reading different books at the same time. While comprehension and reader response questions are good assessments of understanding, reading task cards offer a deeper opportunity for students to reflect on the writing techniques used within a story. The task card pictured above is from my Reading Literature Task Cards resource.

Display and Discuss Task Cards

display and discuss cards for classroom expectation and growth mindset

Do you display reference charts or classroom expectations on the walls of your class? If so, try using task cards as a complimentary activity to highlight their importance. I have a word wall in my classroom, and every year there are students who never notice many of the terms until I point to them during a lesson. Pair discussion cards with your classroom displays to help students recognize and think more about the learning resources within your classroom. The image above is from my Growth Mindset Chit Chat Cards resource.

How to make your own task cards

Creating your own task cards is easy if you only need a simple layout. I use PowerPoint to design all of mine, using digital border templates I purchase from TPT. PowerPoint offers a plethora of free themes and border frames as well. I listed steps to get started below and included a free task card template you can use as a planner.

Free task card template download

Step 1: Start with a blank PowerPoint slide. You can fit 4 task cards on each slide, but first you need to divide the slide into 4 sections. Add 4 rectangles from the drawing > shapes selector within the ribbon toolbar.

Step 2: Move and adjust your rectangles to split the slide into four parts. You can also edit the colors and borders using the shape fill and shape border options in the ribbon toolbar.

Step 3: Insert a text box into each quadrant and adjust the font and size as needed. I add two text boxes to each quadrant when I’m making multiple choice cards. This allows me to have a different font size for the question and answer sections.

Step 4: Save your first slide as a template! You will save yourself hours of design time down the road by keeping a master task card template in your files. You can always change your colors and fonts on the next project, but it helps to have a working draft ready at all times.

Step 5: Within your presentation file, duplicate your first slide as many times as needed to build your full set of task cards. You can also add a student answer document, but I prefer to use Word or Excel to design those.

ela task cards

The most time consuming part of creating task cards is of course adding all of the content. You can easily spend a few hours of planning time writing out questions, aligning them with an answer key, and creating a document for students to record their answers. On the bright side, task cards are often evergreen resources that can be used many times.

I have created several printable task card resources during my teaching career. If you are interested in trying task cards (and preserving your planning time) take a look at some of my print and go pdf task cards below.

ELA Task Card BUNDLE for Grades 4-8

Chit Chat Cards Bundle for Grades 4-8

Editable Back to School Chit Chat Cards for Grades 4-8

Classroom Expectations Display and Discuss

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Every set of my ELA Task Cards and Chit Chat Cards are designed to cover one or more of the Common Core standards below.

TASK CARDS: CCCS RL4.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Related standards: RL5.1 RL6.1 RL7.1 RL8.1

CCCS RL4.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. Related standards: RL5.2 RL6.2 RL7.2 RL8.2

CCCS RL4.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. Related standards: RL5.3 RL6.3 RL7.3 RL8.3

CCCS RL4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. Related standards: RL5.4 RL6.4 RL7.4 RL8.4

CCCS RL4.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot. Related standards: RL5.5 RL6.5 RL7.5 RL8.5

CCCS RL4.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. Related standards: RL5.6 RL6.6 RL7.6 RL8.6

CCCS RL4.7 Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch. Related standards: RL5.7 RL6.7 RL7.7 RL8.7

CCCS L4.4 Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. Related standards: L5.4 L6.4 L7.4 L8.4

CHIT CHAT CARDS: CCSS SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. Related standards: SL5.1 SL6.1 SL7.1 SL8.1

CCSS SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. Related standards: SL5.4 SL6.4 SL7.4 SL8.4

Add Task Cards To Your Teacher’s Toolbox!

The importance of differentiated instruction has been well documented, and task cards are one of the easiest ways to incorporate different content, processes, and products. The best part for teachers is they are easy to create and you can repurpose them in many different ways. If you are a new teacher, or perhaps new to the concept of task cards, I encourage you to add them to your teacher toolbox !

ELA Sub Plans Bundle $19.00

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

June 28, 2023 | 2 Comments | Filed Under: Reading

Free Resource to Review Story Elements: Passages, Task Cards, and More!

Story elements are taught beginning as early as kindergarten, but it always seems like I need to spend a little time reviewing them with my 4th and 5th graders each year. If you find yourself in the same situation and want a rigorous, engaging, and grade-level way to review basic story elements, I have a free resource to share with you that is perfect for the first weeks of school.

Begin your 4th and 5th grade reading instruction with these free story elements resources that includes posters, graphic organizers, passages, & more!

Reasons to Start Instruction with Basic Story Elements

Basic story elements are taught as early as kindergarten, but I still spend the first week reviewing them with 4th and 5th graders. Here’s why:

  • It allows me to pre-assess my students and see where they are with their ability to identify and describe story elements with more complex texts. I use texts that are approaching grade-level but this will vary by student.
  • Beginning with an “easier” review reading skill, allows me to focus on teaching my students expectations and procedures for our reading time (and expectations for their written responses).
  • It’s a great way to ease students (and myself) into reading instruction and more complex skills.

About the Free Story Elements Resource

Here is what is included in this story elements resource:

  • Graphic Organizer
  • Story Elements Practice with Passages (Two Sets of Practice Passages)

Small Group Activities

  • Digital Versions

Let’s take a look at each resource and how it can be used.

Story Elements Posters

The posters can be displayed while you are reviewing story elements. They can also be used to enhance your anchor charts (or use the content from the posters to help you create your anchor charts). The black and white posters can be printed at a reduced size for interactive notebooks or reading journals.

For each story element, there are two posters: one that defines the story element and one that gives more details about how to describe the story element or examples of the story element.

FREE posters for teaching and reviewing story elements in 4th and 5th grade!

Graphic Organizers

There are two simple graphic organizers included that can be used with any read aloud, passage (like the ones included in this free resource), or independent reading book.

They could even be used as a collaborative activity. Here’s how:

  • Group your students in groups of 4 students each.
  • Assign a passage and a graphic organizer to the group.
  • Have the students read the passage together and discuss.
  • Each student will write details about their assigned story element on a sticky note. The sticky notes can then be placed on the graphic organizer.

If you assigned each group a different passage, they could even use the graphic organizer to “present” or share their stories with other groups.

Begin your 4th and 5th grade reading instruction with these free story elements resources that includes posters, graphic organizers, passages, & more!

Story Elements Passages

There are two sets of passages included:

Passage Set 1:

This set includes four passages for identifying and describing story elements. Each passage includes questions that relate to the focus story element skill.

The skills included in these passages are:

  • Characters (including character traits and feelings)
  • Setting (including the impact of the setting on the plot and characters)
  • Plot – Problem & Solution
  • Plot – Sequence of Events (Beginning, Middle, and End)

Free story elements worksheets and passages for reviewing the main story elements at the beginning of the year

Passage Set 2:

This set includes four passages. Each passage includes basic questions that ask students to describe the basic story elements (characters, setting, plot, and problem and solution) of the story.

The passages in this set are good to use to review all of the story elements at once and then for after reviewing each story element as a culminating practice. These allow the students to identify and describe all of the story elements within a story.

Review story elements with your 4th and 5th graders with these free resources!

Story Elements Activity #1

This activity is a low-risk, interactive way to review story elements and to practice identifying them. To complete the activity, the students read excerpts of stories. They determine which story element each excerpt is describing, and sort it to the correct heading.

Free story elements small group activity or reading center

Story Elements Activity #2

This activity helps students practice describing the story elements. To complete the activity, the students read excerpts about given story elements. They highlight or underline the most important details about that story element and then summarize those details.

Begin your 4th and 5th grade reading instruction with these free story elements resources that includes posters, graphic organizers, passages, & more!

Story Elements Activity #3

This activity is a set of 12 task cards to practice a variety of story elements skills.

For task cards #1-#4, students will read a text and determine which story element is being described. These are multiple choice.

For task cards #5-#8, students will read a text and then determine which statement from four is true about a specific story element. These are multiple choice.

For task cards #9-#12, students will read a text and answer an open-ended story elements question.

These are perfect for reading centers and even small group instruction.

Begin your 4th and 5th grade reading instruction with these free story elements resources that includes posters, graphic organizers, passages, & more!

Digital Story Elements Activities

All of the resources are also included in a digital version for Google Slides (with a Google Forms version of #1-8 task cards).

You can assign the digital versions as independent or a reading center or station. You could also use the digital activities for your whole group instruction by projecting the slides for students to see.

Begin your 4th and 5th grade reading instruction with these free story elements resources that includes posters, graphic organizers, passages, & more! Digital activities included!

Get Free Story Elements Resource Here

To get the free story elements reading resource sent straight to your inbox, click the button below and enter your email in the form that pops up. Using a personal email address is better for deliverability reasons.

Click here to get the free resource

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This post shares 10 reading center ideas for upper elementary students that are rigorous and engaging. Several freebies on this post.

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July 21, 2023 at 5:30 pm

I love how theses resources break down the prep work that goes into writing a story. It can be very overwhelming for students a first, but using this would make the process a lot easier!

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July 30, 2023 at 9:25 am

Wow! Sounds great ! Thanks

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narrative task cards

Welcome friends! I’m Jennifer Findley: a teacher, mother, and avid reader. I believe that with the right resources, mindset, and strategies, all students can achieve at high levels and learn to love learning. My goal is to provide resources and strategies to inspire you and help make this belief a reality for your students. Learn more about me.

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Novels & Picture Books

narrative task cards

Anchor Charts

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  • Literacy Anchor Charts
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Teaching Story Elements & A WONDER Freebie!

By Mary Montero

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narrative task cards

Hi there!  I hope the beginning of your year has been a smashing success and that you are getting into the groove of things.  Today I’m sharing some of my favorite activities for teaching story elements, particularly in grades 3+!  It’s one of the first concepts we cover in reading since it’s key that they understand story elements in order to move on to more complex topics like main idea and theme!

teaching story elements ideas upper elementary

Every year, we start by watching movie trailers on Youtube.  I pick movie trailers that I know 99% of the kids will be familiar with (Shrek, Finding Nemo, Little Mermaid, etc.) since the trailers don’t show the solution and we will need to know it to talk about it!  We talk about each of the story elements in the movies.  They LOVE this!

Story Elements Anchor Chart and Notebook Page

Then, we move on to our anchor chart and interactive notebook entry so that we have some good notes to reference and we can anchor our learning. I decided to use a puzzle comparison to talk about story elements.  Every story has just about every single one of these elements, so it’s important to remember every piece of the puzzle!

teaching story elements anchor chart

Like always, they create a similar journal entry.  On the FREE templates, I have included one without definitions so that you can make them your own or if you prefer to have kids write the definitions, they can do that.

Then, we use another story that almost all students are familiar with, The Three Little Pigs, and we brainstorm the story elements and put them into our puzzle.  Most of the time, we don’t even read the story, we just complete the puzzle based off of memory.  They love this, and it’s a great way to get started. They are solidifying the concepts before they have read anything! You can download the Story Elements Puzzle Template for FREE HERE!

teaching story elements notebook page

Practice Activities

Multiple Choice Task Cards: But of course, we are doing all of this with the purpose of preparing them to apply it when they are reading, so we move on to very BRIEF passages to review story elements in texts.  We play a game of SCOOT with my multiple choice Story Elements Task Cards so that they can get in a lot of practice identifying the different story elements in a short amount of time.  Since they are multiple choice, they are perfect for a game of whole-class SCOOT.

story elements task cards

Matching: Next, it’s on to our Story Elements Match Up!  I have two different versions of this, one that includes basic one liners for the problem and solution and the other that is more of a paragraph describing the problem and the solution.  They use fun fairytale and pop culture themes.  You can use both sets to differentiate or you can use both sets with all students to scaffold! You can download the Story Elements Match Up for FREE HERE!

free story elements match up

Extended Task Cards: After all of this work, they usually are starting to cruise!  Once they have a solid grasp of the concept, I give them one of the extended Story Elements Task Cards to do on the left side of their notebook.  There are two versions of this, so for the kids who truly understand it, I give them the version shown below.  For students who need a bit of extra help, I give them a simpler version with basic identifying questions about each story element. I usually have them complete several more of these cards as homework, in centers, as morning work, etc.  They are great for review throughout the year as well. You can throw one on the document camera and complete it as a whole class, too!

story elements task card journal activity

Thinking Map: At any given time during our units, we are always working on a novel.  During our story elements unit, one of the culminating assignments I have them complete is a story elements tree map from Thinking Maps.  Here’s an example of one of the tree maps my students made.

story elements thinking map

Reading Response Task Cards: The last activity we do is the culmination of all of our learning and helps the students apply what they have learned to actual literature!  This is my favorite way to encourage thinking about texts, and it requires students to really think critically about story elements, much like the task cards above do, BUT they use their own books!  Most years, I make the kids their own individual reading response task cards (You can read more about that HERE ) so that they have a set with them all the time, but you can use these cards in a variety of ways.  Each card focuses on different story elements and asks students to think critically about it and how it relates to their book.  This is a GREAT time to get huge stacks of picture books and have students start reading and writing about what they are reading!  I highly recommend it, and these task cards provide excellent summative assessments, too. 🙂 You can purchase the Story Elements Reading Response Task Cards HERE !

Book Project: Here’s a FREE book project for Wonder by R.J. Palacio.  I fell in love with this book, and I absolutely can’t WAIT to have my students read it and complete this yearbook project!  I’d love to hear feedback about it and see final pictures.  I’ll post pictures of ours soon, but I know a lot of teachers teach this as one of their first books, so I wanted to offer it up now if it might help others! Wonder is a fantastic book to use to story map the story elements since there is a pretty clear overarching problem and solution as well as several main events.  This project also lends itself well to identifying the story elements within the writing that the kids will do. You can download the WONDER Book Project for FREE HERE!

free Wonder story elements book project

Flip Book: This story elements flip book provides students with a cohesive review of story elements to help them see that each of the five parts/chapters of the story has its own individual story elements, but when put together, the story has its own overarching sets of story elements that make up the story . It’s great for differentiation too. I typically complete it with 3rd graders, scaffolded for 4th graders, and most 5th graders complete this task independently. You can purchase the Story Elements Flip Book here .

story elements flip book

Paired Passages: These story elements paired passages have been thoughtfully created to teach students how to integrate information from two different  fiction  stories and apply their story elements reading skills to reading. This resource is perfect for review, test prep, and teaching paired passages. It is recommended for grades 4+, though it can be completed with many 3rd graders when given assistance. Y ou can purchase Story Elements Paired Passages here .

story elements paired passages

More Teaching Story Elements Ideas

And now, here are even MORE awesome activities for teaching story elements! Click each image to read more.

LOVE this Story Elements Box!  What a great idea.

Story Elements

Story Sticks are the best!  You could use regular popsicle sticks to make it a game, where students have to figure out if each stick is a problem, solution, setting, etc.

sticks1

Here is a fantastic lesson for when you are ready to dig a little bit deeper into plot structure!

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How fun is this Follow the Yellow Brick Road Story Telling Map?  Excellent to get kids up and moving!

wizardretell1 1 thumb255B3255D

What a FABULOUS idea for an anchor chart to keep up and keep reusing all year long!  You can use sticky notes to change it for each story.

IMG 1044

Here’s another stellar Story Elements Anchor Chart that shows connections between settings and characters.  Her entire blog post about story elements is great, too!

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Mary Montero

I’m so glad you are here. I’m a current gifted and talented teacher in a small town in Colorado, and I’ve been in education since 2009. My passion (other than my family and cookies) is for making teachers’ lives easier and classrooms more engaging.

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NARRATIVE STORY WRITING TASK CARDS

NARRATIVE STORY WRITING TASK CARDS

Subject: English

Age range: 7 - 16

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

JOHN'S EDU-MARKET

Last updated

31 March 2019

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narrative task cards

A package of 9 task cards on narrative story writing.

This resource includes exercises on:

Narrating a story Identifying story elements Reading, listening, and watching story to narrate Demonstrating narrative story knowledge in writing Writing narrative stories using prompts

Teachers can use these task cards to enhance the writing skills of the learners.

Here are some other possible uses for these in your classroom:

To challenge early finishers For effective tutoring As ESL stations and sub tubs As holiday work and homework For small group collaborations For an end of unit assessments For reinforcement and enrichment

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 50%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

STORY WRITING TASK CARDS BUNDLE

A bundle of task cards on story writing. This download includes task cards on: * Alternate Ending Story * Digital Story Telling * Fictional Story * Narrative Story * Picture Perception Story * Tall Tales * Suspense Story * An Action Thriller Here are some other possible uses for these in your classroom: * To challenge early finishers * For effective tutoring * As ESL stations and sub tubs * As holiday work and homework * For small group collaborations * For an end of unit assessments * For reinforcement and enrichment

NARRATIVE STORY WRITING BUNDLE

A bundle of 4 resources on narrative story writing. This bundle includes: Handouts: Vocabulary, Narrative Story Elements, Rubrics Worksheets, Exercises, and Task Cards Lesson Plan with Resources Ready to use PowerPoint Presentation Teachers can use these ready-made resources to enhance the vocabulary, language, grammar, and writing skills of the learners. Here are some other possible uses for these in your classroom: To challenge early finishers For effective tutoring As ESL stations and sub tubs As holiday work and homework For small group collaborations For an end of unit assessments For reinforcement and enrichment

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Terrific Teaching Tactics

Make Learning Fun

Third Grade Writing – Personal Narratives

Are you struggling to teach writing to your 3rd graders? Perhaps you just don’t know where to start. You’re constantly googling, ‘how do you teach writing to 3rd graders?’ or ‘how can I help my 3rd graders with writing?’ You’re tearing your hair out with frustration.

3rd grade personal narratives writing unit - third grade writing curriculum

Maybe it’s because your school doesn’t provide you with a writing curriculum. So, you’re spending your precious evenings and weekends looking on Pinterest for lesson ideas. Or worse, a curriculum is provided…but it’s just downright terrible. You can’t make sense of it and your students hate it.

Perhaps your students just hate writing in general and roll their eyes at the thought of it.

Well, here’s the thing. Teaching writing ‘aint easy. In fact, it can be straight up tricky, I get it!

But don’t worry friend, I’ve got you covered.

THIRD GRADE WRITING - PERSONAL NARRATIVES

Introducing Terrific Writing

Terrific Writing is a comprehensive writing curriculum for Third Grade. This curriculum is standards based (to the common core) and genre based. But best of all, it’s actually easy to teach and engaging for students!

In this curriculum, your students will develop a love of writing. The graphic organizers, interactive notebooks, and final craft will engage students much more than a blank piece of paper. The final writing piece asks students to write about a special day that they have chosen! After all, students love to write about things that they are interested in.

Writing doesn’t have to be dull and students definitely shouldn’t hate writing!

In Unit 1 ‘Personal Narratives’, students learn how to write engaging personal narratives about their lives.

Are you short on time?

This  5 week  unit has EVERYTHING you need, because let’s be honest, teachers are time poor.

So, let’s get your evenings and weekends back, my friend! Take a break from lesson planning and searching for engaging materials. It’s all right here.

Are you ready? I’m going to share some of the awesome things about it!

What’s included in this third grade writing – personal narratives unit?

First up, there are a bunch of teacher docs. Unit contents, common core standards, and teacher directions? Check.

To begin, there’s some suggested mentor texts (with links to Amazon and YouTube). Also, a scope is included which shows the 25 lessons that feature in this unit and the third grade common core standards that are relevant.

mentor text unit scope for third grade writing unit

Also, there is a unit at-a-glance calendar, as well as a table which tells you what materials you will need for each lesson. Basically, I’ve tried to make this unit super easy to implement. It has everything you need!

unit at a glance calendar, lesson materials for 3rd grade writing unit

Next, there’s some suggested lesson times. To clarify, it doesn’t matter how long your writing block is, this unit can be adapted to suit it!

A lot of teachers struggle with finding the time to teach writing. If this is you, you’re not alone!

lesson plans for 3rd grade writing curriculum

Then, there’s the 25 scripted (and step-by-step) lesson plans. The lessons follow a simple format of mini lesson, think and share, and independent writing time. There’s a lesson focus to guide you and all of the required materials are listed with numbers. For example, you’ll know exactly which posters and printables you need.

lesson plans for third grade writing curriculum

Subsequently, there’s a video that comes with this unit. This will help you organize and implement everything.

Wondering how to assess your student’s writing? Don’t sweat it!

There’s an assessment document for this unit too. It includes a rubric to help you grade your student’s writing.

However, I’m not just throwing you to the sharks here! Rubrics can sometimes be generic or difficult to decipher. That’s why I’ve made a comprehensive document with teacher directions, as well as elaborations and examples. Moreover, there’s a video to help you understand the rubric.

assessment rubric for 3rd grade writing curriculum

Personal narrative mentor texts

I do give a list of suggested mentor texts that you can source, but in addition, I provide two original mentor texts for this unit! These come in PDF and PowerPoint versions (as well as color and black and white). You can print them in any size or just display them on an interactive whiteboard.

The great thing about these original mentor texts is that they include all of the features of a personal narrative that are taught in the unit. For example, students will see examples of dialogue, paragraphing, and hooks.

mentor texts for 3rd grade writing curriculum

Personal Narrative Posters

This unit comes with 25 posters that you can reference to! Each lesson corresponds to them. Most importantly, they are great for giving writing ideas and reinforcing the narrative structure.

personal narrative writing posters anchor charts

You can print them in color and laminate them. They are great for displaying in the classroom. However, you can also display these posters digitally (if you have limited printing options).

personal narrative writing curriculum

Already interested in this third grade writing personal narratives unit? Grab it here !

Personal narrative printables

There are student workbook covers that you can print. There are three options, ‘My Writing Folder’, ‘My Writing Notebook’, and ‘My Writing Journal’. Your students can glue these covers onto their folders or books. The covers come in color and black and white (there are also boy and girl versions).

3rd grade writing folder

Let’s now take a look at the writing prompts, worksheets, interactive notebooks and graphic organizers!

Small Moments

In the first few lessons, students complete a pre-assessment and then an interactive notebook where they brainstorm narrative ideas based off things they love.

Students then learn about zooming in on a small moment. They are introduced to the concept of ‘big idea, smaller topic, and small moment’.

Next, they think about happy and sad moments in their lives.

narrative task cards

The Elements of a narrative

They then learn about the importance of characters, setting, problems, and solutions in narrative writing.

narrative task cards

The Structure of a narrative

Later, students learn about how narratives have a beginning, middle and end. After that, they start planning their final narrative.

interactive notebook beginning middle end narrative

Writing a strong lead

Students learn about the importance of writing a hook and a strong introduction. This aligns well with the common core standard –

W.3.3.A – Establish a situation and introduce characters.

introduction and writing a hook narrative worksheets

Features of a good narrative

There are a few lessons about concepts such as dialogue and paragraphing. Likewise, students learn about making their writing more descriptive by stretching their sentences and doing ‘show, don’t tell’.

This aligns well with the common core standard –

W.3.3.B – Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.

narrative task cards

The conclusion to a narrative

Later, there’s a lesson about adding transition words. Students also learn about how to write a strong ending to their narrative. These lessons align well with the following common core standards –

W.3.3.C – Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.

W.3.3.D – Provide a sense of closure.

conclusion and transition words worksheets

narrative Checklists

After students have written their first draft, they use two checklists to proofread their work. One checklist grades narrative structure and the other is a more generic checklist for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

The students do a self check, peer check, and adult check.

narrative task cards

narrative Writing craft

Finally, students create a cute flipbook craft for their final writing piece. They write about their special day. For instance, a birthday, holiday, celebration, or fun day out.

It’s a flipbook, so they can add as many pages underneath as they need! This craft is great for a bulletin baord display.

writing craft flipbook craftivity for bulletin board

Personal narrative Task Cards

I think it’s super imortant to have purposeful early finisher tasks and extension activities during writing lessons. Above all, we should be challenging our advanced writers. That’s why this unit also includes task cards for writing personal narratives.

narrative task cards

Here’s an overview, with some more information about the unit –

What’s included in this unit?

  • 25 step-by-step scripted lesson plans
  • 20 graphic organizers / worksheets
  • 2 interactive notebooks and 1 writing craft
  • 2 original mentor texts (PowerPoint versions and PDF in color and b&w)
  • 24 tasks cards extension activities (2 versions – b&w, color)
  • 1 assessment rubric

Here’s everything else that’s included in this unit –

  • Video overview to help organize and implement the unit
  • List of common core standards that align with this unit
  • Teacher directions for the lesson plans
  • Suggestions for differentiation and lesson times
  • List of recommended mentor texts (with links)
  • Unit scope and at-a-glance calendar
  • Lesson materials list
  • Student book/folder cover (3 versions – journal, notebook, or folder)
  • 1 writing prompt pre-assessment
  • 4 lined pages (for first drafts and crafts)
  • 2 checklists
  • 1 set of compliment notes (2 versions – b&w, color)
  • 1 certificate (2 versions – b&w, color)
  • Teacher directions, examples, and elaborations for the rubric
  • Video with tips for using the rubric

third grade personal narratives writing curriculum

Here’s a breakdown of the lessons –

In the first 11 lessons, students develop an understanding of what a personal narrative is. They also learn about small moments and choosing a writing topic. Then, they start learning about the structure of a narrative.

  • Lesson 1 – What is a personal narrative?
  • What can I write about?
  • What is a small moment?
  • My small moment
  • Positive memorable moments
  • Negative memorable moments
  • What is the structure of a narrative?
  • Personal narratives need characters
  • Personal narratives need a setting
  • Narratives have problems
  • Narratives have solutions

For the next part of the unit, students begin planning and writing their final writing piece.

  • What will my narrative be about?
  • Let’s plan a narrative
  • Start with a hook
  • Writing an introduction
  • Show, don’t tell
  • Stretching sentences
  • Using dialogue
  • Powerful paragraphs
  • Transition words
  • Writing an ending
  • Putting it all together
  • Revise and edit
  • Final draft and illustrations
  • Publishing party

Click here to see a video that shows everything in the unit.

Want to try a free sample?

Yep, you can try one of the lessons, graphic organizers, and posters for free! Click here to grab the free sample.

free personal narratives writing lesson plan, graphic organizer, and poster

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about this third grade writing personal narratives unit!

Click here to grab the full unit!

narrative task cards

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Not So Wimpy Teacher

The Not So WImpy Teacher creates resources for busy teachers in grades 2-5 who are looking to deliver engaging and meaningful lessons without overwhelm and chaos.

narrative task cards

Fiction Narrative Writing Unit THIRD GRADE

Grade Level: 3rd Grade

My third grade fiction writing unit includes 8 weeks of done-for-you writing lessons about how to write an engaging fiction essay, with strong characters, an interesting problem and solution, and rich dialogue . This unit contains detailed lesson plans, mentor texts, anchor charts, student writing tasks, and rubrics –everything you need to be a capable, confident writing teacher with students who love to write.

Also available in the following bundles

narrative task cards

More about this resource

If teaching writing has ever made you cry, weep, tear out your hair, question your existence, or binge-watch reality television—because it’s just that frustrating and overwhelming—this writing unit is perfect for you. 

If your students dread writing time more than meatloaf in the school cafeteria…this writing bundle is perfect for them, too. 

Teaching writing can be tough. Teachers tell me that their district-provided writing curriculum is:

  • too complicated

Or worse, they don’t have any curriculum at all. Yikes! 

But my third grade fiction writing unit makes teaching writing easy . It takes all the guesswork out of teaching writing and gives you the tools you need to teach engaging and effective writing lessons without breaking a sweat.

This resource is part of a money-saving writing writing bundle! Click HERE to see the bundle!

The ready-to-use lessons and activities in this fiction writing unit will teach your students h ow to use supporting facts, reasons, and examples, consider opposing viewpoints, write topic and concluding sentences, and structure paragraphs . And all you have to do is print and teach . The lesson plans are that simple. Seriously.

Student-friendly mentor texts make it easy to provide illustrative examples of new writing skills. You don’t have to waste your time and money hunting down just the right book.  Focused mini lessons and daily writing tasks simplify the writing process helping ALL students, even reluctant writers, experience success. Preprinted anchor charts make it easy to model new skills and engage in shared writing without wasting valuable time. 

And best of all, my fiction writing unit makes writing fun for your students. Short, focused lessons keep students engaged. Simple, direct writing tasks help kids develop confidence.

Choice empowers students to write about things they care about and makes them more invested in their writing. And that’s a big deal because students who enjoy writing and get lots of practice perform better on standardized testing. 

What’s Included:

  • Detailed teacher directions and suggestions for simple implementation
  • Unit-at-a-glance calendar for each unit
  • 7 exclusive videos walking you through how to get the most out of these writing units
  • 40 days of lesson plans that include guiding questions, materials, mini lessons, student work tasks, student share tasks, intervention, and several extension activities
  • 14 original mentor text passages
  • 24 fiction task cards (identifying whether a topic is a fiction narrative)
  • 24 fiction writing prompt task cards
  • 12 teacher anchor charts (blank and filled in versions)
  • Student anchor charts and printable for writing notebooks
  • Conference and goal tracking forms
  • Writing grades tracking forms
  • List of 10 additional mentor text books (Remember, using them is optional, because I’ve included all the mentor texts you need) 
  • 6 different writing publishing papers
  • Student writing notebook cover and dividers
  • Teacher notebook covers and binder spines
  • Multiple ideas for author share celebration
  • DIGITAL writing notebooks on Google Slides

Skills Covered:

Students learn h ow to create strong characters, craft a problem and solution, and write dialogue, paragraphs and transitions to create an entertaining story. Lessons include:

  • Setting goals
  • What is a fiction narrative?
  • Developing Characters
  • Developing Setting (Show- Don’t Tell)
  • Problem & Solution
  • Author Point of View
  • Writing a lead
  • Creating Suspense
  • Adding and Punctuating Dialogue
  • Word Choice (Strong Verbs)
  • Transitions
  • Writing an ending

How to Use it in the Classroom: 

A typical day of writing:.

I recommend you set aside 30-45 minutes for writing each day (or more if you have it). Check out the sample schedules below. Each day follows the same plan:

  • Mini-Lesson (10-15 minutes): The day kicks off with a mini-lesson to teach a particular skill. The mini-lesson uses mentor text (remember, it’s included in the unit) and anchor charts. For the teacher version of the anchor charts, you can project and fill them out with the class, or print and display them in your classroom. The student versions are smaller so they can fill them out and keep them in their writing notebooks for reference.
  • Work Time (20-25 minutes) : Students will apply the skill they just learned into their writing each day. The included writing tasks make it crystal-clear what to do during independent writing time–for you and your students. By the end of the unit, they will have completed two full masterpieces and many other independent writings. 
  • Share Time (2-5 minutes) : Students are encouraged to share a piece of their writing with a partner or with the entire class. This makes writing more meaningful to kids and holds them accountable.

Organization Made Easy:

  • The fiction writing unit is organized into multiple folders and files so it’s easy for you to find what you need.
  • A 40-day daily schedule so you know exactly what to teach each day.
  • Detailed daily lesson plans make teaching writing easy.

Differentiation:

There are many ways to differentiate writing assignments:

  • These daily writing prompts are intentionally short and sweet so that all students, even those below grade level, can feel successful. Most tasks can be completed in 1-2 sentences.
  • More advanced writers can write longer responses, or work on a second masterpiece if they finish early.
  • Students can complete fewer task cards or work with a partner; you can also provide support to students as they work on task cards.
  • The process for teaching writing includes group conferencing time. These groups should be based on ability so that you can individualize your instruction to meet the specific needs of the group.

Why you’ll love this writing unit: 

  • You’ll save hours of prepping and planning time. The daily lesson plans are easy to implement. All you have to do is print and teach. 
  • Mentor texts are included. You do not need to hunt down or purchase any additional books! (Unless you want to. Far be it from me to stand between a teacher and new books.) 
  • Digital anchor charts project onto your white board-so you don’t have to be Picasso or Renoir to anchor your kids in the lesson.
  • Pre-printed student anchor charts make it easy for students to follow along without having to write every word and draw complicated diagrams.
  • Digital student notebooks are perfect for 1:1 classrooms and a great way to save paper.
  • These lessons work for all students, even students below grade level.
  • Task cards incorporate movement, reinforce concepts, and make learning fun. Daily share time encourages students to take pride in their writing.
  • Direct writing instruction provides a solid foundation of writing skills that leads to increased test scores

*****************************

More Third Grade Writing Units:

Personal Narrative for Third Grade

Informational Writing for Third Grade

Opinion Writing for Third Grade

Writing Units for Other Grade Levels:

Second Grade Writing Bundle

Fourth Grade Writing Bundle

Fifth Grade Writing Bundle

Additional Resources You Might Like:

3rd Grade Spelling Curriculum Growing Bundle

Frequently Asked

Yes. I also have personal narrative , informational essay , and opinion writing writing units available.

This fiction writing unit is available for grade 3. I also have fiction writing units available for grades two , four , and five .

I prefer composition notebooks because they are sturdy and easy to use and store. But other teachers have used spiral bound notebooks or three-ring binders.

Yes. These writing lessons are based on Common Core standards.

The lessons for consecutive grade levels are very similar because the standards are similar. The biggest difference is that the reading level on the mentor text passages is modified to meet the specific grade level. Other differences include new examples in the lesson plans and anchor charts and new task cards. It is generally fine to use units that are one level above or below grade level. You might want to select the lower grade level to ensure that the mentor texts are easier for students to read.

Each unit includes eight weeks of materials. I recommend spending 30-45 on writing each day. The lesson takes 8-10 minutes and the rest of the time would be used for independent writing.

Students complete two masterpieces in each unit. But they may work on additional pieces if they finish daily assignments early.

My writing units are a standalone curriculum. They are not based on or aligned with any other curriculum. However, they are based on the writing standards. My curriculum is organized into units of study and formatted in the workshop model and hundreds of teachers have successfully used my writing units with their district provided curriculum.

My writing units are a standalone curriculum. They are not based on or aligned with any other curriculum. With that being said, I have hundreds of teachers who have chosen to use my units as a supplement to their Lucy curriculum because it is more manageable and engaging for students.

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Find the Theme Task Cards

Published Feb. 6, 2024

Find the Theme Task Cards

Find the theme task cards offer an exciting approach to help students uncover the central message within a story or passage. Each card presents a short narrative, prompting students to dive deep into the text and extract its underlying theme.

Students can compare the theme to the creamy filling of a donut—theme is the essence that makes the story meaningful and memorable. By immersing themselves in the narrative, students embark on a journey to discover the theme tucked within the tale.

What are task cards

Task cards, small cards or paper pieces, present students with questions, problems, or activities to tackle independently or in a group. They are a great tool for covering almost any subject, and are ideal for centers or stations where students engage in autonomous learning.

Task cards are also an invaluable way to differentiat activities by difficulty. With task cards, you can tailor activities to your students' individual abilities. By categorizing cards based on difficulty levels, you can ensure that each student receives challenges appropriate to their skill level.

Downloadable find the theme task cards

If you're eager to integrate find-the-theme task cards into your teaching repertoire, check out our downloadable find the theme task cards on Etsy . Tailored for 4th and 5th grade reading levels, these printable cards feature engaging passages designed to stimulate critical thinking and literary analysis.

find the theme task cards

To utilize these task cards, simply print them on sturdy cardstock, cut, laminate (if desired), and place them at centers or stations. Each card presents students with a brief reading passage, prompting them to identify and articulate the central theme.

How to do task cards with students

Integrating task cards into your instructional toolkit offers numerous benefits for student learning. Not only do they foster critical thinking and analytical skills, but they also deepen students' comprehension of literature. By engaging with diverse narratives, students develop a nuanced understanding of themes and gain insights into the complexities of the human experience.

Additionally, task cards promote active learning and peer collaboration, encouraging students to articulate their thoughts and engage in meaningful discussions. Through these interactions, students refine their communication skills and build confidence in expressing their interpretations of literary themes.

So why wait? Download some theme task cards and ignite your students' passion for literature today!

British Council

Classroom activities to teach narrative tenses, by mike astbury, 12 may 2017 - 17:50.

'Once you have a set of cards, they can be adapted and reused with counters and pencils.' Image (c) fielperson, licensed under CC0 and adapted from the original.

fielperson, licensed under CC0 and adapted from the original .

Are you looking for new grammar games for the classroom? Multiple winner of the Teaching English blog award Mike Astbury shares some resources to download, print, and use in your class.

What are narrative tenses?

Narrative tenses are verb tenses that are used to talk about the past. You can often find them in stories, textbooks, spoken accounts and in descriptions of past events.

The following are examples of narrative tenses:

Past simple: 'We  left  for the airport on an exceptionally sunny day.'

Past continuous: 'The sun  was shining  and it was really hot by midday.'

Past perfect: 'It  had been  sunny on and off for the previous fortnight.'

Past perfect continuous: 'We  had been waiting  at the airport for what seemed like an eternity.'

Activities to practise narrative tenses 

The following games are designed to help students practise narrative tenses and don’t require teacher supervision. They need at least two players.

The games use 16 cards, which tell a short story when combined together. Each card has an example of a sentence using narrative tenses. Each sentence tells part of the story.

You can  download a PDF template of all the cards, game boards and blank templates needed for all the games, and print them. Or, if you would prefer to make your own, write the following 16 sentences on 16 separate cards (one card per sentence).

  • It was raining outside when Sam got out of bed and looked out of the window.
  • He picked up his phone and sent a text to his friend James: 'No football today. How about going to the cinema?'
  • While he was waiting for a reply, Sam brushed his teeth, had a shower and got dressed.
  • After he finished getting ready, he checked his phone and saw that James had replied.
  • James said he wanted to play football anyway and he didn't care about the rain.
  • Sam changed his mind and decided he wanted to play too, and left the house to join James in the park.
  • While he was walking to the park, James met two of his other friends and invited them along.
  • When they all arrived, they saw that James had found some other kids to play with, and they had enough people for a full match.
  • While they were playing football, it stopped raining anyway and Sam was really happy he hadn't gone to the cinema.
  • After the game, Sam went home. On the way, he stopped at a shop to buy something for his lunch.
  • He was about to pay when he realised he had forgotten to take his wallet when he had left the house.
  • He apologised and left the shop. Sam felt hungry but he knew that he had plenty of food at home.
  • He was walking home, thinking about the goals he had scored that day, when he saw his mum drive past.
  • She saw him and stopped the car to give him a ride home. She had been working all morning, but she was in a good mood.
  • Sam sat back in his seat and looked forward to having his lunch. He was having a great day.
  • When they arrived, Sam cooked lunch for the whole family.

A. Warm-up activity

The aim of the first activity is to become familiar with the story of Sam and James playing a game of football. This story is used in different ways for all of the games.

  • Print a copy of the first page of cards from the PDF template.
  • Cut up the cards.
  • Shuffle the cards.
  • Work together with another student to put the story in the right order.
  • Check your answer (the correct order is on page two of the template).Then, flip all of the cards face-down and try to retell the story in your own words.

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The next activity is done in pairs to test your understanding of narrative tenses. You need at least two players.

Print one copy each of page two and three of the PDF template for this exercise.

These are card templates. Each card has one of the 16 sentences above, but the narrative tense is missing on the question side.

For example, 'While they... ( play ) football, it stopped raining and Sam was really happy he hadn't gone to the cinema.'

The missing narrative tense of the verb in this instance is 'were playing'.

  • Cut up the cards, but don’t cut along the dotted lines. These are fold lines to make the cards double-sided. I glue them together with card to make them more durable.
  • Take turns to draw a card and hold it, so that the answer side is facing you and the question side is facing the other player.
  • If the player is able to read the sentence with the correct form of the verb, they win the card and keep it to represent their score. If you make a mistake, the card goes to the bottom of the pile of cards.
  • Continue until you’ve used all of the cards. Whoever has the most cards wins.

C. Connect Three

This game is for two players. Use the same cards as before, and also print the game board on page five of the template.

  • Using the same cards as the quiz (pages two and three of the PDF template), take turns to draw a card. Only look at the question side.
  • Try to read the sentence aloud, including the correct form of the verb.
  • Check the other side of the card, which has the correct sentence. If you were correct, choose a square and mark it as yours (using a pencil or counter).
  • The first player to connect three squares in a line is the winner.

D. Narrative tense 'blockbusters'

This game is adapted from the UK television game show  Blockbusters . It is played with two players: one player tries to connect four cards horizontally, and the other player vertically. This activity also uses the game board on page five.

  • Place all of the cards on the board in a random order, with the question side facing up.
  • Take it in turns to read a sentence aloud with the correct form of the verb.
  • Check the other side of the card. If you are correct, mark the square below as yours (using a pencil or counters) and remove the card from the board.
  • If you are wrong, put the card back.
  • The first player to connect along their axis wins. Connections can also be diagonal.

Making your own version

Now that you’ve practised narrative tenses, you should be ready to write your own story. You could use the blank template on page six of the PDF template to make your own version of the game cards.

You can prepare them in PowerPoint or just print the templates and write on them directly.

Game cards are reusable

The cards can be time-consuming to make initially, but once you have a set of cards, they can be adapted and reused with counters and pencils again and again. You could try making card sets with your students, which may be a more motivating reason for students to write a story, as it will be used by other students.

Visit Mike's blog,  Teaching Games , for more great ideas.

Visit our  TeachingEnglish website  for more lesson plans and activities.

Use our collection of  learning resources  about life and culture around the world. 

You might also be interested in

  • How to keep your students motivated
  • Five tips for using authentic video in the classroom
  • Five fun activities to teach prepositions

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narrative task cards

Figurative Language Task Cards--ELA

narrative task cards

Poetry Task Cards - Figurative Language

narrative task cards

Halloween Writing Prompts - Story and Poetry Starter Task Cards

narrative task cards

Find Poetry resources | TPT

Learn more about poetry resources.

Poetry encourages students to engage with language, explore their thoughts and feelings, and connect with the broader human experience. If you’re a teacher or parent looking for printable and digital poetry resources, look no further. TPT has an extensive collection of resources, created by other teachers, that are designed to help with any need across grade levels.

If you want to make poets out of younger students in elementary grades, then acrostic poems or fill in the blank poems are the perfect place to start. (In fact, many poetry resources on TPT include templates so your students can easily get started producing their own poetry, whether it’s a haiku, or limerick.) For older students in middle and high school, you can find an array of resources to teach them about everything from iambic pentameter, figurative language, to famous poets from history. With plenty of TPT resources at your fingertips, you can sharpen your students’ poetry skills in no time.

Fun and engaging poetry activities to try

Teaching students about poetry can be an engaging and creative experience. Here are a few ideas for poetry activities that you can find on TPT to help you introduce and explore the world of poetry with your students:

Poetic Device Scavenger Hunt

Distribute some poems and have students identify and highlight poetic devices like similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and imagery. Discuss what these are and the overall impact on the reader's experience.

Poetry Analysis Jigsaw

Divide students into small groups, assigning each group a different poem. Have each group analyze the assigned poem's themes, tone, and literary devices, and present their findings to the class.

Poetry Slam or Performance

Organize a poetry slam where students can perform poems they’ve written themselves or those written by famous poets. This will help build confidence and strengthen their public speaking skills.

Writing Poetry from Different Perspectives

Ask students to write a poem from the perspective of an inanimate object or an animal to foster empathy and encourage creative, out-of-the-box thinking.

Creating Found Poetry

Provide magazines, newspapers, or online articles. Have students cut out interesting words and phrases, and use them to create their own unique poems.

These (and other!) activities can help deepen your students’ appreciation for poetry and enhance their creative writing skills.

Frequently asked questions about teaching poetry

What types of poetry resources are available on tpt.

There are many different types of poetry resources sold by Sellers on TPT. Some popular poetry lessons include learning how to write haikus, acrostic poems, limericks, and free verse.

How do I find poetry resources on TPT?

Educators can save time preparing poetry lessons with resources created by experienced teachers. Simply start a search for poetry resources on the TPT marketplace, and filter by grade level, price, and/or resource type to find materials that've been proven to work in classrooms like yours. No matter what you’re teaching, there are plenty of poetry lessons and activities sold by Sellers on TPT that are tailored to meet your students' skill levels.

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IMAGES

  1. Narrative Task Card (Standards-Based) Review Activity for Grades 9-12

    narrative task cards

  2. Narrative Writing Picture Prompt TASK CARDS by Markers and Mochas

    narrative task cards

  3. Narrative Writing Task Cards by Bailey Sturdy

    narrative task cards

  4. NARRATIVE STORY WRITING TASK CARDS

    narrative task cards

  5. Narrative Writing Task Cards by Room 213

    narrative task cards

  6. 50 narrative writing task cards or worksheets! Inspire them to write

    narrative task cards

COMMENTS

  1. Narrative Task Cards Teaching Resources

    Task Card Stations for Editing Narrative Writing. by. Stacey Lloyd. 4.9. (186) $3.99. Zip. When writing stories in class, students often need help with the drafting and editing process. Once they have a first rough draft, use these editing task card stations to help guide them with perfecting their writing.

  2. Task Cards (Made Easy!) for The Middle School Classroom

    Step 1: Start with a blank PowerPoint slide. You can fit 4 task cards on each slide, but first you need to divide the slide into 4 sections. Add 4 rectangles from the drawing > shapes selector within the ribbon toolbar. Step 2: Move and adjust your rectangles to split the slide into four parts.

  3. Free Resource to Review Story Elements: Passages, Task Cards, and More!

    Story Elements Activity #3. This activity is a set of 12 task cards to practice a variety of story elements skills. For task cards #1-#4, students will read a text and determine which story element is being described. These are multiple choice. For task cards #5-#8, students will read a text and then determine which statement from four is true ...

  4. Writing A Narrative Task Cards Teaching Resources

    Fall Personal Narrative Writing Task Cards. This collection of 32 writing task cards vocabulary sheets, graphic organizers, and writing sheets will help students write personal narratives on a variety of Fall topics. This includes back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and outdoor activities.

  5. Narrative Writing Task Cards by Bailey Sturdy

    With these 20 task cards, your students will practice answering standardized test-inspired questions about writing. Each card features a short paragraph and question. These cards target the sub-standards for narrative writing: - Establishing a situation and introducing characters. - Using description and dialogue to develop events.

  6. Teaching Story Elements & A WONDER Freebie!

    Practice Activities. Multiple Choice Task Cards: But of course, we are doing all of this with the purpose of preparing them to apply it when they are reading, so we move on to very BRIEF passages to review story elements in texts.We play a game of SCOOT with my multiple choice Story Elements Task Cards so that they can get in a lot of practice identifying the different story elements in a ...

  7. NARRATIVE STORY WRITING TASK CARDS

    A package of 9 task cards on narrative story writing. This resource includes exercises on: Narrating a story. Identifying story elements. Reading, listening, and watching story to narrate. Demonstrating narrative story knowledge in writing. Writing narrative stories using prompts. Teachers can use these task cards to enhance the writing skills ...

  8. Narrative Task Cards

    "Narrative Task Cards" teaching resources for those 'aha' moments

  9. Third Grade Writing

    Personal narrative Task Cards. I think it's super imortant to have purposeful early finisher tasks and extension activities during writing lessons. Above all, we should be challenging our advanced writers. That's why this unit also includes task cards for writing personal narratives.

  10. Narrative Sentence Starter Cards

    Thirty sentence starter cards for narratives. Use the Narrative Sentence Starter Cards to encourage your students to write something imaginative and interesting. These cards can be used in a variety of ways. A few ideas are: Project one of the writing stimulus on your interactive whiteboard and set the timer. Have your students brainstorm ideas ...

  11. Fiction Narrative Writing Unit THIRD GRADE

    Task cards incorporate movement, reinforce concepts, and make learning fun. Daily share time encourages students to take pride in their writing. Direct writing instruction provides a solid foundation of writing skills that leads to increased test scores ***** More Third Grade Writing Units: Personal Narrative for Third Grade

  12. Narrative Writing Task Cards Teaching Resources

    Teach your students to independently check their narrative /story writing using these beautiful checklists and rubrics. this is the free PDF version. If you are looking for an EDI

  13. Narrative Cards

    This Narrative Cards pack is a brilliant way of helping your students create a magical story. Mix and match the cards to create a brand new story plot! This resource contains a brilliantly illustrated set of cards with different prompts for students to use in their writing. It includes cards with ideas for: Characters Settings Emotions ...

  14. Teaching Narrative Writing: 14 Activities to Help Your Students Learn

    Narrative writing is a complex task and so it is important to focus on one thing at a time and to make the success criteria clear. For example, if your lesson focus is narrative structure, don't stress about the spelling. ... Start the round-robin by reading aloud one of the Narrative Sentence Starter Cards. Moving in a clockwise direction ...

  15. Find the Theme Task Cards

    Find the theme task cards offer an exciting approach to help students uncover the central message within a story or passage. Each card presents a short narrative, prompting students to dive deep into the text and extract its underlying theme. Students can compare the theme to the creamy filling of a donut—theme is the essence that makes the ...

  16. 100 Personal Narrative Writing Task Cards

    100 Personal Narrative Writing Task Cards Are Designed To Provide Students With High Interest Writing Topics and Prompt Student Reflection! Personal Writing Tasks Cards Can Be Used For The Following: Personal Narrative Writing Prompts Journal Topics Class Discussions Group Sharing

  17. Narrative Task Cards for Secondary ELA

    These 36 task cards will get your kids thinking critically-and creatively- about narrative text. Each card contains one question that can be used with any narrative or literary text, from short stories to novels. This is a great way to get kids interacting with fiction text in a fun, engaging manner...

  18. Write A Narrative Task Card

    Individual. Subscribe to our curated library of teacher-designed resources and tools for one easy price.

  19. Classroom activities to teach narrative tenses

    The following games are designed to help students practise narrative tenses and don't require teacher supervision. They need at least two players. The games use 16 cards, which tell a short story when combined together. Each card has an example of a sentence using narrative tenses. Each sentence tells part of the story.

  20. PERSONAL NARRATIVE Writing Task Cards with Choice Board / Writing ...

    This set is part of a writing task card and choice board BUNDLE! CLICK HERE to save money and get a bundle of 80 different writing prompts! This set includes 20 different descriptive writing task cards to get your writers going! There are 2 versions of each task card included (With rainbow dot accent, and just B&W for economical printing and copying).

  21. Using Task Cards in the Secondary ELA Classroom

    Using task cards in the classroom has a few benefits. First, task cards offer a break from the standard practice worksheet. So just because it is something new, students will be more engaged. Also, students benefit from the repetition of completing multiple related tasks in a brief amount of time. The increased engagement and repeated practice ...

  22. Write A Narrative Task Card

    "Write A Narrative Task Card" teaching resources for those 'aha' moments

  23. Free poetry task cards

    Upper Elementary or Middle School. Created by. ELA Core Plans. There are 14 poetry task cards included in this set. The cards contain directions and examples for 14 types of poetry, and students can use the cards again and again to create different poems. We use these as one of the literacy centers in our classrooms.