Tall tales with a modern twist: creative writing unit; Common Core aligned

It was so hot, the flowers pulled themselves up by their roots and crawled under the porch looking for shade...Get the creative juices flowing in your writer's workshop and, with the help of this unit, teach your students how to write an outrageously funny modern tall tale in which the enemy is WICKED WEATHER.

The unit consists of:

1. very detailed lesson plans that show you how to guide students through the writing process (prewriting, composing, revising, editing, publishing)

2. worksheets with carefully designed, meaningful activities (NO FLUFF)

3. example of teacher's tall tale (written by me)

4. examples of student work (tall tale written by my previous student)

5. grading rubric

I am the queen of integrating several writing skills in one writing unit.After all, if you were to teach all the Common Core writing standards in isolation, you would need two school years instead of one! Therefore, not only does this unit instruct on how to write a tall tale, but it also teaches students how to:

1. follow a logical sequence of events in a story (CCSS W.4.3.a)

2. write a simile (L.4.5.a)

3. write a hyperbole

4. use a thesaurus to replace dull words with vivid synonyms (CCSS L.4.4.c)

5. replace "then" with other transition words (W.4.3.c)

6. use a distinct voice in their story

7. revise and edit (CCSS W.4.5)

I hope you and your students will have tons of fun with this unit. Not to mention, this unit will be a real life saver if you have to take a few days off from work. Your sub will appreciate the detailed lesson plans!

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* Suggested reading that goes along with this unit:

Any classic tall tale, for instance: "Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind" from the book "American Tall Tales" by Mary Pope Osborne

"The Heat Wave" by Helen Ketten

* Both stories can be obtained from: 1. a library 2. Amazon. com ($0.01 for used copy) 3. Houghton Mifflin textbook: Reading. The first story can be found in Houghton Mifflin Expeditions (grade 5), the second story - in Houghton Mifflin Traditions (grade 4).

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You may also be interested in my other writing units:

Compare and contrast writing: Informative essay writing unit; CCSS aligned

Opinion essay writing using evidence from the text; CC aligned

Informational paragraph writing ~ CCSS aligned

Fables: a comprehensive writing unit; Common Core aligned

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Thank you for looking.

© A Demanding Teacher