From Unit Plan: Writing Autobiographies

Scholastic publishes so many great resources for teaching writing. Here are some of my favorites that have helped me teach autobiographical/narrative writing. From creating a plot structure, to conducting writer's workshops, these teaching resources have provided me with some great writing activities that have helped my students see improvement in their writing.

Teaching Genre: Explore 9 Types of Literature to Develop Lifelong Readers and Writers by Tara McCarthy
I use the autobiography overview and activities in this book as a way to supplement my autobiographical writing unit. It comes complete with an annotated bibliography of recommended books, which is always a great way to acquire real-world writing samples.

Narrative Writing: Mini-Lessons "Strategies" Activities by Tara McCarthy
This resource has an excellent proofreading practice reproducible. I give my students a copy and require that they make it a permanent part of their writing binder.

Awesome Hands-on Activities for Teaching Literary Elements: 30 Easy, Learning-Rich Activities That Tap Into Students' Multiple Intelligences to Teach Plot, Setting, Character, and Theme by Susan Van Zile
I'm big on activities that incorporate my students' multiple intelligences, and this resource contains ten different activities that you can use to assess various literary elements.

Easy-to-Manage Reading and Writing Conferences by Laura Robb
There is nothing more powerful than the chance to sit, face to face, with a student and discuss their writing. I feel writing is an ever-evolving process and my students appreciate the time I take to evaluate their progress along the way to a finished product. This resource has helped me conduct effective and efficient conferences.