Authentic Writing Project: Creating Teen Magazines (Standards-Aligned)

Your students will love creating teen magazines with this authentic writing project that directly aligns with ELA standards! In groups, students engage in Research, Persuasive, and Informative writing as they write, edit, assemble, and publish their own teen magazines.

Working in groups of 4, 5, or 6, each student contributes 4 articles and 1 full-page advertisement as follows:

-- one Research-based Feature Article

-- one Persuasive Article

-- two Choice Articles from a list of 14 "Open Topics" (sports, music, restaurant review, original poetry, etc.)

-- one full-page, Original Advertisement for a real or "invented" product.

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In this resource, you will receive:

1. Attractive and clearly-expressed student handouts (directions and requirements, choices and topic suggestions, instructional, organizer/notes sheets, and record-keeping for individual and group)

2. Easy Grading Sheets with comment codes to apply to the articles (these 3 pages are editable so you can can apply your desired number of points for each writing task)

3. Clear Teacher Directions to guide all aspects of the project

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This project allows you to cover a full research piece (a 2-page typed Feature Article) directly aligned with ELA writing standards, and students actually enjoy the work because their articles become published in their teen magazines!

The persuasive article is equally motivating. Suggested topics for all the writing tasks are provided and every part of the project allows for choice (and thus differentiation). Students are motivated by being in groups, yet the student writing is actually individual, with groups meeting to proofread and peer-edit, and later to create the cover, table of contents, and assemble the magazine.

*For MATERIALS, you will need sheet protectors and 3-prong clear plastic report covers to assemble the magazines. You could also use 1/2" binders with a clear-view cover.

To house the ongoing articles, you will need a large 10" X 13" manila envelope for each group.

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This authentic activity is a clear favorite with students, and the magazines make great reading material for the classroom!

You can take 4-5 weeks and have students engage writing-workshop style to complete the magazines, or the assignment can be spread out over a longer amount of time while you do other things as well. The group large manila envelopes protect all works in progress! The project is a great way to teach many writing skills (you can interject mini-lessons as needed) while students stay excited about creating their own magazines. I presented this writing project at the NCTE National Convention in NYC in a session entitled Writing For Real: Energizing the English Classroom with Authentic Literacy Projects. Once you try this (I suggest you start with one class), you'll use it year after year!

Please open my PREVIEW.

Thank you--Joy

You might also like:

PERSUASIVE WRITING PROJECT - Creating a Business (Standards-Aligned)

Mentor Sentence STATIONS - Group Writing Activities ELA w/120 Mentor Sentences

Research Q & A: Short Inquiry-Based Research Project – Informative Writing 6 - 9

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