WritingFix: Mentor Text Lessons...inspired by Chapter Book Excerpts

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Mentor Text Lessons: Chapter Book Excerpts
inspiring students to write like their favorite chapter book authors

How did this page of free lessons come about? In 2006, WritingFix and the Northern Nevada Writing Project received a generous grant that helped begin the very popular lesson collection you will find on this page. The generous $25,000 AT & T Grant, acquired with the help of the Washoe Education Foundation, allowed us to create and host a very different kind of inservice class for 100 Northern Nevada teachers, and that inservice made possible this page.

Members of the Northern Nevada Writing Project's Technology Team showcased seven favorite chapter book lessons to the lucky 100 teachers who signed up, then gave away 100 copies of each of the chapter books so that participants could teach the lessons back in their classrooms. At the inservice's end, each of the 100 participants brought in a different chapter book excerpt to share, and wrote a brief proposal for a 6-trait lesson inspired by their books. The best of those proposals became the lessons you can fin on this page.

Our Chapter Books Inservice continues in Northern Nevada. Each year under the instruction of Amie Newberry, the Northern Nevada Writing Project offers a variation of the original 2006 Chapter Book Inservice. Instead of giving away chapter books (since the grant is exhausted), we give all class participants a copy of the NNWP's awesome print resource--The Going Deep with 6 Trait Language Guide (pictured at right). Our chapter book inservice remains highly popular, and each year we try to add up to five new lessons here from the most recent class's participants.

"I have now taken this [chapter book] inservice class twice, and I can't tell you what a delight it is to learn from presenters who show such a passion talking about well-written young adult literature. You've taught me to think about my favorite read-alouds with a writing teacher's eye. It's a wonderful gift!"

--Kelli Carver, Nevada teacher

Please enjoy these free lessons from WritingFix. If you notice we're missing a student sample of a certain grade level, contact us. We might be able to arrange sending you a new book in exchange for your help in getting one of your students published on-line.

Propose your own Chapter Book Lesson! Join our WritingFix Family!

Propose your own chapter book-inspired lesson to be posted at WritingFix! Here is our template for chapter book lessons. If we end up using your lesson at WritingFix, we will send you any two of the NNWP's Print Resources as our way of saying thank-you for sharing your ideas with the thousands of teachers who use this website.

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Join our Writing Lesson of the Month Ning by clicking here, and start enjoying this free feature.

Looking for books that inspire student writing?

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New Chapter Book Lesson

Lesson Title:
The Next Thing on My List

For Which Trait are you Seeking a Lesson?
Idea Development	Organization	Voice
Word Choice	Sentence Fluency	Conventions

Our 6 Most Popular Chapter Book-inspired Idea Development Lessons

Lesson: You're on a Gigantic Roll...

Mentor Text: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Word Choice

Lesson: Writing About Life's Lessons

Mentor Text: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Organization

Lesson: Actions Speak Louder than Words

Mentor Text: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Word Choice

Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers.

Lesson: Episodic Writing

Mentor Text: Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Organization

Lesson: What Your Room Says About You

Mentor Text: Boy's Life by Robert McGammon

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Organization

Lesson: Borrowing Mr. Fletcher's Skills

Mentor Text: Marshfield Dreams by Ralph Fletcher

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Voice

Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers.

More for Idea Development

Focus on Idea Development!

Visit WritingFix's Idea Development Homepage for dozens more lessons, prompts, and resources that focus on this very important writing trait.

We also have additional chapter book lessons stored at our Poetry Lesson Collection.

More idea development-focused chapter book lessons:

Gotta Go Back in Time (Mentor Text: George Washington's Socks)
The Skin You're In (Mentor Text: The Skin I'm In)
Rules and Things for a "Funner Life" (Mentor Text: Bud, Not Buddy)
Imaginative Home Movies (Mentor Text: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963)
Launch your own Murder Mystery (Mentor Text: The Westing Game)
Creating a Parallel Universe (Mentor Text: The Subtle Knife)
Visualized Writing (Mentor Text: The Sisters Grimm, Book 2: The Usual Suspects)
The Next Thing on my Lis (Mentor Text: Before I Die)

Music as a Mentor Text!

Visit WritingFix's iPods Across the Curriculum Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically inspired by lyrics and podcasts.

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Our 6 Most Popular Chapter Book-inspired Organization Lessons
Lesson: Build an Adventure Mentor Text: Any of the Choose Your Own Adventure Series by R. A. Montgomery Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Sentence Fluency	Lesson: Show What Your Mind Sees Mentor Text: The Twits by Roald Dahl Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Sentence Fluency	Lesson: Adventurous Magic Mentor Text: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Idea Development
Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers.
Lesson: *Leads for a Most Embarrassing* Moment Mentor Text: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait:** Idea Development	Lesson: A Magical Animal Encounter Mentor Text: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Counting Up/Down Stories Mentor Text: Wringer by Jerry Spinelli Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Idea Development
Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers.
More for Organization
Focus on Organization! Visit WritingFix's Organization Homepage for dozens more lessons, prompts, and resources that focus on this very important writing trait. We also have more chapter book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.	More organization-focused chapter book lessons: The Ultimate Survivor (Mentor Text: Hatchet) *What's Your Fifth Element?* (Mentor Text: The Snow Walker) Writing to your Favorite Author (Mentor Text: Dear Mr. Henshaw) *Beyond Once Upon a Time...* (Mentor Text: Crispin: The Cross of Lead) Launching a Fantastic Voyage (Mentor Text: A Wrinkle in Time)*	Music as a Mentor Text! Visit WritingFix's iPods Across the Curriculum Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically inspired by lyrics and podcasts.

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Our 6 Most Popular Chapter Book-inspired Voice Lessons
Lesson: "Knot" the Whole Truth Mentor Text: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Word Choice	Lesson: A Character's Decalogue Mentor Text: Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Organization	Lesson: Creating a School Survival Guide Lesson's Mentor Text: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Idea Development
Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers.
Lesson: The Sum of Its Parts Mentor Text: Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Historical Journal Entries Mentor Text: Pedro's Journal: A Journey with Christopher Columbus by Pam Conrad Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: *Giving Credit Where Credit Might Be* Due Mentor Text: Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin as Told by his Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait:** Organization
Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers.
More for Voice
Focus on Voice! Visit WritingFix's Voice Homepage for dozens more lessons, prompts, and resources that focus on this very important writing trait. We also have more chapter book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.	More voice-focused chapter book lessons: "Voicing" a Believable Account (Mentor Text: The Glory Field) Down on the Farm (Mentor Text: Harris and Me) Native American Oral Storytelling (Mentor Text: Waterlily) Death Personified (Mentor Text: The Book Thief) Nature Poetry (Mentor Text: Woodsong) So Much Depends Upon... (Mentor Text: Love That Dog)	Music as a Mentor Text! Visit WritingFix's iPods Across the Curriculum Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically inspired by lyrics and podcasts.

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Our 6 Most Popular Chapter Book-inspired Word Choice Lessons
Lesson: *Let Me Show* You Nature Mentor Text: Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait:** Sentence Fluency	Lesson: A Moment Like This Memoir Mentor Text: Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Prose Poetry Mentor Text: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Voice
Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers.
Lesson: Make 'em Laugh or Cry or... Mentor Text: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Voice	Lesson: Your Own Faraway Place Mentor Text: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Voice	Lesson: Writing Like an Artist Paints Lesson's Mentor Text: Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Idea Development
Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers.
More for Word Choice
Focus on Word Choice! Visit WritingFix's Word Choice Homepage for dozens more lessons, prompts, and resources that focus on this very important writing trait. We also have more chapter book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.	More word choice-focused chapter book lessons: Unique Metaphor Collections (Mentor Text: Girl with a Pearl Earring) Writing a Backwards Poem (Mentor Text: Holes) Paulsen-inspired Nature Poems (Mentor Text: Woodsong)	Music as a Mentor Text! Visit WritingFix's iPods Across the Curriculum Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically inspired by lyrics and podcasts.

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Our 2 Most Popular Chapter Book-inspired Sentence Fluency Lessons
Lesson: A Hurricane Blowing In Mentor Text: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Focus Trait: Sentence Fluency Support Trait: Word Choice	Lesson: Moving through the Machine Mentor Text: Homer Price by Robert McCloskey Focus Trait: Sentence Fluency Support Trait: Organization	Focus on Sentence Fluency! Visit WritingFix's Sentence Fluency Homepage for dozens more lessons, prompts, and resources that focus on this very important writing trait. We also have more chapter book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.
Click on the lesson's title or the book thumbnail to read an overview and to access the entire lesson and its resources, including student samples and graphic organizers. Back to the top of the page

Our 3 Most Popular Chapter Book-inspired Conventions Lessons
Lesson: Inventing a New Word Mentor Text: Frindle by Andrew Clements Focus Trait: Conventions Support Trait: Word Choice	Lesson: Puns an Punctuation Mentor Text: Any of the Tom Swift Adventure Series by Victor Appleton Focus Trait: Conventions Support Trait: Word Choice	Lesson: "Lawd! Lawd! Lawd!" Mentor Text: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Focus Trait: Conventions Support Trait: Idea Development

More for Conventions
Focus on Conventions! Visit WritingFix's Conventions Homepage for more lessons, prompts, and resources that focus on this very important writing trait. We also have more chapter book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.		Music as a Mentor Text! Visit WritingFix's iPods Across the Curriculum Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically inspired by lyrics and podcasts.

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