From Unit Plan: Journal Writing from a Graphic Timeline

These books were chosen to teach or inspire journal writing.

Teacher’s Resources:

25 Prewriting Graphic Organizers & Planning Sheets by Jane Roberts
These great tools for organization are accompanied with standards-based lessons.

Classroom Tip: Story mapping and timeline organizers are perfect tools for first draft writing.

350 Fabulous Writing Prompts by Jacqueline Sweeney
Thought provoking beginnings for meaningful journal writing

Classroom Tip: Reflective prompts that deal with real-life feelings and issues.

Graphic Organizers by Karen Bromley, Marcia Modlo, Linda Irwin-DeVitis
An essential classroom resource and timesaver.

Classroom Tip: This book is full of easy to use graphic organizers, like the Timeline organizer used in Lesson Two.

Teaching Memoir Writing by Perdita Finn
Mini-lessons to inspire writing.

Classroom Tip: Use the guidelines to “Starting a Writer’s Notebook” when introducing journal writing. Also, there are some interesting variations on the “Who Am I?” worksheet and the Graphic Timeline.

Workshops That Work! by Kirsten Widmer and Sarah Buxton
Mini-lessons to establish a positive writers workshop

Classroom Tip: For more variations on collecting information for journal writing, this book offers great ideas for creating life maps.

Books for the Classroom:

Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech
The heroine of the book keeps a summer journal as a class assignment. 

Max’s Mystical Logbook by Marissa Moss
An entertaining read aloud book about Max’s journal; perfect for the first week of school.

Classroom Tip: A fun book to share in the introduction to journal writing. Other great books by Moss to introduce journal writing include: Rachel’s Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl and Amelia’s Notebook.

Dear America, My America, My Name Is America, and the Royal Diaries Series
View a checklist of all the available books.

Classroom Tip: These books teach our history in the journal style writing of young American heroes. The books can be used to examine different styles of memoir writing.