Common Core Writing Q & A Session

I Have Common Core Writing Bundles!
Hello friends! After many requests, I have bundled my Common Core Monthly Writing Activities to save you some money!  However, because the files were large in file size, I had to create two separate bundles for them to fit onto the TPT servers.  You can see them below.

If you've never seen my Common Core Writing Packs or are just finding my blog, please skip down below the two bundle pictures and read the Q&A about why I believe these writing units help to develop strong, young writers.

Common Core Writing Activities Bundle #1 {August - December}

Cover Page Graphics by Ashley Hughes, Krista Wallden, and The Enlightened Elephant.  Fonts by KG Fonts.

Common Core Writing Activities Bundle #2 {January - July}

Cover Page Graphics by Ashley Hughes, Krista Wallden, and The Enlightened Elephant.  Fonts by KG Fonts.

Why Purchase the Bundle?
While bundling the units and making it easy to download the files all at once, I am also offering them at a discounted price.  When purchasing the bundle, you are saving 20% on all 11 writing units.  Not in school in August?  No problem!  The August Writing Activities are basically Back to School Writing Activities that can be done at any time when you start a new school year.  Not in school in June/July?  That's okay too because the writing activities in the June/July unit can be used for end of year writing activities also, no matter the month.  You could even send them home with students to promote writing over summer break!  PLUS, if you really calculate the cost carefully like I did, the June/July Writing is actually free in the bundled price - just FYI.  :)

Why Monthly Common Core Writing Activities?
I believe that writing is something that must be modeled, modeled, modeled by the teacher and then practiced, practiced, practiced by our students.  Each of the Writing Units offer practice with all 3 types of Common Core Writing: Opinion, Informative/Explanatory, Narrative, PLUS Shared Research Writing (also in the Common Core Writing Standards and often overlooked).  Your students can write one piece per week OR you can pick and choose writing pieces based on your students' needs or, even better, let the students choose!

These activities will not "teach" the types of writing, but will merely give the students practice with each type of writing each month with a themed approach and real-life writing activities, many of which are cross-curricular integrating science and social studies concepts.  The Common Core Standards focus on preparing our kids for the real world and these authentic writing pieces will do just that!  They are aligned to Common Core Writing Standards for Grades 1-4.

I have included primary writing lines, as well as intermediate for differentiation purposes and various grade levels.  With each activity, there is a writing task page (in color). This can be displayed on a projector screen, document camera, placed in a writing center, or put in a writing portfolio, binder, or notebook.  Next, you will usually find some sort of graphic organizer or brainstorming/note sheet followed by the publishing pages and an extra page for the writers that get pretty lengthy with their pieces.

It's really exciting to revamp your writing curriculum in this way and it's also handy to show evidence of growth or lack thereof for evidence-based assessments or data tracking with your students.  For example, keep a Narrative writing piece from September and compare it to a Narrative writing piece in May and note the growth in their writing.  The best part: These writing activities can complement ANY writing curriculum or ELA program.

What Will My Students Be Writing About?
These are just a few of the authentic writing activities included in the entire bundle:

• Students will publish a brochure for new students at their school to explain the playground rules (informative/explanatory).
• Students will research and plan a field trip and write a letter to parents about it (shared research).
• Students will write a letter to the city stating their opinion on whether children should be allowed to trick-or-treat after dark (opinion).
• Students will write about a time when they were thankful for someone or something (narrative).
• Students will write a how-to article on how to wrap the perfect Christmas present (informative/explanatory).
• Students will write a letter to the superintendent stating their opinion on whether schools should be closed due to snow/hazardous weather conditions (opinion).
• Students will write a personal narrative about a time when they have felt loved by a friend or family member (narrative).
• Students will research and write an article about how rainbows are formed to give to another student in the school (shared research).
• Students will write an article about the life cycle of a butterfly (informative/explanatory).
• Students will write a letter to the school board, superintendent, or principal stating their opinion on whether or not students "need" a summer break (opinion).
• Students will research and carefully plan a summer vacation to the beach and write a letter to their parents explaining the information they have found (shared research).

ALL these writing pieces and 33 more are included in this bundle!

Can I Get a Preview?
So you can see what's offered in the bundles, I am giving you a preview of each file included in the bundle (see below).  Click the Preview Pictures below to enlarge the picture so you can see the contents more clearly.  The link above each Preview Picture will link to the actual product in my TPT store, so feel free to click on over and check them out even further.  You might want to check out the Ratings & Comments tab for each Writing Unit to see feedback left from other teachers who have purchased these units.  I think you will find that many teachers are finding great success using these products in their classrooms.

August/Back to School Common Core Writing Activities

September Common Core Writing Activities

October Common Core Writing Activities

November Common Core Writing Activities

December Common Core Writing Activities

January Common Core Writing Activities

February Common Core Writing Activities

March Common Core Writing Activities

April Common Core Writing Activities

May Common Core Writing Activities

June/July Common Core Writing Activities

I hope you have enjoyed checking out these writing units or enjoy using them in the future.  They were so much fun to create all year long and now I'm able to offer them at a discounted, bundled price which is even better!  See the links up at the top of this post to check out the two bundles.  Thanks, as always, for your continued support, awesome feedback, and sweet comments.  Let me know what you think by leaving a blog comment below!