Over the last few weeks, we've been chatting all about how we can bridge high quality reading instruction to strengthen our students' writing. Today I want to share this throwback episode to give you some project ideas your students can actually apply all these lessons to.

I hope this juicy past episode gives you some ideas on how to motivate and engage your young writers, and provides a frame of reference as we start to get into some higher order thinking strategies over the next few weeks.

Episode 31 Links and Resources:

💻 Looking for more ways to take learning from ROTE to REAL? Grab the free video training here, plus a print-and-go planning template you can use tomorrow!

📍 The Navigator: Use this to find what you need most!

• (3:00) How I layered 4 disciplines in one skatepark project to maximize our class time
• (7:50) What are authentic audiences, and why are they helpful?
• (9:12) Engagement and motivation…are those the same?
• (12:30) Why this strategy is ideal for natural differentiation and instructional support for every learner
• (14:10) Gifted teacher pet peeve soapbox: our gifted and advanced learners need and deserve to have true opportunities to stretch their learning muscles as their peers, and more of the same work AIN'T IT!!
• (15:28) Higher order thinking skills are not often accessed in our teacher manuals, but here's how to fix it
• (21:05) Critical thinking vs. creative thinking
• (22:11) Let's jump into over a dozen actual PROJECT IDEAS FROM REAL UPPER ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS! These are based on the 5 levels of authentic audiences in this Edutopia article.
• (37:07) My friend Mandy's epic 6th grade kindness crew that's been running for over 5 years!
• (38:40) Amy @theuniqueclassroom's 3rd grade persuasive paragraph activity for their local animal shelter
• (40:00) My friend Kayla's awesome marketing pitch project - Shark Tank style
• (41:45) Why this is also a great approach for embedded SEL lessons & life skills
• (43:50) Rachel's 5th grade March Madness letters to university teams that actually got replies!!

🔗 Links and resources from this episode:

• Free sample pages from Wendy Conklin's Strategies for Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Grades 3-5
• The Write Thing: Kwame Alexander engages students in Writing Workshop, and you can too!
• Open House Reel 2022 - interdisciplinary project ideas (plus a 5th grade throwback in my highlights)
• Caption cards: an easy way to add in regular informational writing
• Padilla Periodical Student-created newsletter
• Shark News upper grade news crew
• Getting started with a school news crew on Edutopia
• We Are Teachers & USPS Pen Pal Project
• @Kellys_Classroom "SEAKers" Program
• @theuniqueclassroom Animal Shelter persuasive paragraphs
• Reedsy list of children's writing contests
• Get on the waitlist for the FREE virtual training on how to take your upper elementary lessons from rote to "REAL" - leave with 5 "purposeful project" planning templates and the tools you need to increase student engagement, boost motivation, and create lasting learning!
• Read my Edutopia article about the 5 authentic audiences that will motivate your upper grade writers.

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