Here are some ideas and a few templates for a writing project that you can do with your class. They are meant to take a few classes to complete where each section might take up one class. There are usually four parts consisting of brainstorming, a structured layout, vocabulary and sentence practice, a first draft and a final draft.

Depending on how much time you have, you can print these double sided so you can tackle two parts in one lesson. I have attached the pdf version after each part for ease of printing.

You can also pair students with the same topics and that makes it even faster as they work together to complete each step.

First Idea: Real World Problems

Part 1: Brainstorming

Here is an empty template for Brainstorming. You could show it to the students and have them draw it themselves on a blank piece of paper. That would save you some printing.

Here is what my students and I came up with. We brainstormed a bunch of different problems they think are important and I wrote them all down on the board. They also filled out their version with everybody’s idea. In the end, they picked one and I wrote down which students chose which topics.

Here is the pdf version:

Part 2: Layout and Planning

I then get the students to plan out what they are going to write about. I provide them with guidelines for what will be most important for their writing project.

For this story I had them write about what the problem was and how it would affect people. This is important so students focus on the message and what it is that they are trying to convey.

Here is an example of how to complete it:

For this example I chose “Student Mental Health” and I asked for the students’ help when completing it. This was good because it also gave them ideas and the structure to complete their own.

Here is the pdf version:

Part 3: Vocabulary and Sentence Practice

There are many ways to go about the third part. In this writing project, I chose to get the students to practice their vocabulary and their sentence making. I printed this worksheet double-sided and had the students come up with words and sentences that they will want to use in their writing first and then come up with sentences.

I told the students that these words and sentences will not necessarily be part of the story but that it will serve as inspiration when they start writing and keep them from getting writer’s block.

Here is an example of how to complete these worksheets. It is based on the same topic I mentioned earlier, “Student Mental Health” and the sentences are just ones that we came up together and I wrote down. They then needed to complete their own, individually or in pairs.

Here is the pdf version:

Part 4: First Draft and Final Draft

The final stage of this writing project is students putting all of their ideas together and writing their essay. For their essay I highlight the importance of following a set structure.

• Introduction: Start with a hook and clearly state the problem.
• Body Paragraph 1: Introduce one reason then provide examples.
• Body Paragraph 2: Introduce another reason and provide more examples.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points, reinforce your opinion and end with a strong statement!

Here is an example of how the first draft or final draft page could look like:

Here is the pdf version:

There you go! By the end, every student should have completed every step, handed you a decent first draft which you can check, offer suggestions and then at the very hand, have them write their final draft.

I hope you find this useful and can apply it in your lessons!

If you want more fun ways to practice your writing, check this post out!