WritingFix: Mentor Text Lessons...inspired by Picture Books

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Mentor Text Writing Lessons: Picture Book-Inspired Writing Lessons
sharing resources from a popular Northern Nevada teacher workshop

In Nevada, our Northern Nevada Writing Project sponsors annual workshops where teachers design new writing lessons inspired by different types of mentor texts from their classroom bookshelves. At WritingFix, we freely share many of the resources from this inservice course here on this page so that we might inspire teachers who are unable to attend the NNWP's workshops. The Picture Books as Mentor Texts Workshop is one of the NNWP's most popular offerings.

What is a mentor text? A mentor text is--this is the definition we share during our picture book inservice classes--a published piece of writing whose idea, whose structure, or whose written craft can be used to inspire a student to write something original. We share these three mentor text categories with the teachers we work with, and we ask them to think of mentor texts they already use that fit these three categories. Most teachers can easily think of idea and structure mentor texts they use, but their craft mentor text list is often quite short. We work with teachers to help them design mentor text lessons in all three categories. WritingFix keeps a bibliography of all the mentor texts cited at this website, which you can access by clicking here.

How did this collection of free-to-use lessons come about? In 2005, 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 $25,000 SBC Grant, acquired with the help of the Washoe Education Foundation, allowed us to create and host a very different kind of inservice class for one-hundred Northern Nevada teachers, and that inservice created this page.

Members of the Northern Nevada Writing Project's Technology Team showcased seven favorite picture book lessons to the lucky 100 teachers who signed up first, then gave away 100 copies of each of the picture 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 picture book to share, and wrote a brief proposal for a 6-trait lesson inspired by their books. The best of those proposal`s became the lessons you can find on this page.

Our Picture Books In-services continue in Northern Nevada. Each year under the instruction of Kim Polson, the Northern Nevada Writing Project offers a variation of its original 2005 Picture Book Inservice. Instead of giving away picture 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 picture 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.

"Your [Picture Books] inservice is--by far--the most valuable class I have ever taken as a teacher. Thank you for making me re-examine the way I talk about picture books with my students!"

--Stacy, Nevada elementary teacher

"All of the presenters were wonderful. The lessons and books they shared were awesome, and I will be using their ideas in my classroom. Thanks for a wonderful experience!"

--Nancy, Nevada middle school 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 Picture Book Lesson! Join our WritingFix Family!

Propose your own picture book-inspired lesson to be posted at WritingFix! Below are our two templates for picture book-inspired lessons. Here is our template for K-3rd grade teachers' lessons. Here is our template for 4th-12th grade teachers' 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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New Picture Book Lesson
(Click on the image to access a newly posted lesson)

Lesson Title:
"Oh, That's Good!" "No, That's Bad!"

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

Our 6 Most Popular Picture Book-inspired Idea Development Lessons

Lesson: Using 90th Street's Advice

Mentor Text: Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street by Roni Schotter

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Word Choice

Lesson: Silly Animal Problems

Mentor Text: Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Organization

Lesson: Unique Imaginary Friends

Mentor Text: Ted by Tony DiTerlizzi

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: Rolling with the Animals

Mentor Text: Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Organization

Lesson: What Got Stolen?

Mentor Text: Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Organization

Lesson: Top Secret Rule Reasons

Mentor Text: The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups by David Wisniewski

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 have even more picture book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.

More idea development-focused picture book lessons:

The Important Thing about Good Writing: Details! (Mentor Text: The Important Book)
Unlikely Diary Keepers (Mentor Text: Diary of a Worm)
Scheming Against an Adversary (Mentor Text: Enemy Pie)
Fairy Tales in New Settings (Mentor Text: Bubba, the Cowboy Prince)
Scary Somethings (Mentor Text: Harry and the Terrible Whatzit )
Other Bad Cases to Write About (Mentor Text: A Bad Case of Stripes)
Show How You Deal with Anger (Mentor Text: When Sophie Gets Angry...Really Angry)

Lessons for K-2nd Grade!

Visit WritingFix's The Six Traits and Primary Writers Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically for the primary grades.

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Our 6 Most Popular Picture Book-inspired Organization Lessons
Lesson: A Scientific Mishap Mentor Text: Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Floating Down a River Mentor Text: Daisy Comes Home by Jan Brett Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Three-Meal Weather Mentor Text: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi & Ron Barrett Focus Trait: Organization 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: Between Repeated Catch Phrases Mentor Text: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Sentence Fluency	Lesson: Weird Animal Adventures Mentor Text: Tuesday by David Wiesner Focus Trait: Organization Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Powerful First Paragraphs Mentor Text: Brave Margaret by Robert De San Souci 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 have even more picture book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.	More organization-focused picture book lessons: The Sibling Report (Mentor Text: Tub-boo-boo) Pros, Cons, and Hooks (Mentor Text: How I Became A Pirate) Overcoming a Personified Fear (Mentor Text: There's a Nightmare in my Closet) Who's to Blame Stories (Mentor Text: Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo!) Fracturing Tales Through Titles (Mentor Text: The Wolf Who Cried Boy) "Oh, That's Good!" "No, That's Bad!" (Mentor Text: That's Good, That's Bad) *"Beyond Happily Ever Afters... "* (Mentor Text: Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude)	Lessons for K-2nd Grade! Visit WritingFix's The Six Traits and Primary Writers Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically for the primary grades.

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Our 6 Most Popular Picture Book-inspired Voice Lessons
Lesson: Start with What Isn't There Mentor Text: Caves by Stephen Kramer Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Word Choice	Lesson: Interjected Emotions! Mentor Text: No David! by David Shannon Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Conventions	Lesson: I Wanna [Something] Mentor Text: I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufmann Orloff Focus Trait: Voice 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: Giving Voice to Opposites Mentor Text: I Am the Dog I Am the Cat by Donald Hall Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: "Just the Facts, Ma'am." Mentor Text: The Web Files by Margie Palatini Focus Trait: Voice Support Trait: Conventions	Lesson: Unusual Friendly Letters Mentor Text: Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague Focus Trait: Voice 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.
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 have even more picture book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.	More voice-focused picture book lessons: A Pet's Adventure Story (Mentor Text: Good Boy, Fergus!) Serendipitous Fairy Tale Tabloids (Mentor Text: Fairytale News) Voicing an Original Fairy Tale Narrator (Mentor Text: The True Stories of the Three Little Pigs) Put 'em on Oprah! (Mentor Text: Cindy-Eleen: A Wild Western Cinderella) Persuasive and Emotional Monologues (Mentor Text: My Brother Dan's Delicious) Creative Convincing (Mentor Text: Click-Clack-Moo)	Lessons for K-2nd Grade! Visit WritingFix's The Six Traits and Primary Writers Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically for the primary grades.

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Our 6 Most Popular Picture Book-inspired Word Choice Lessons
Lesson: An Onomatopoetic Field Trip! Mentor Text: Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Perspective Paragraphs Mentor Text: Tough Boris by Mem Fox Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Voice	Lesson: Hoot and Howl... Mentor Text: Halloween Hoots and Howls by Joan Horton Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Conventions
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: Details and Vocabulary... Mentor Text: Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: The Color of Love Mentor Text: I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Organization	Lesson: Haiku Riddles Mentor Text: If Not for the Cat by Jack Prelutsky 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 have even more picture book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.	More word choice-focused picture book lessons: What If... Poems (Mentor Text: What If... ) Poems to Bug Your Reader (Mentor Text: insectlopedia) Special Place Poems (Mentor Text: A Quiet Place) Listen to the Word Choice of Authors (Mentor Text: Listen to the Rain) Noun-Inspired Animal Reports (Mentor Text: We Are Bears) Alliterative Insects (Mentor Text: Clara Caterpillar )	Lessons for K-2nd Grade! Visit WritingFix's The Six Traits and Primary Writers Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically for the primary grades.

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Our 6 Most Popular Picture Book-inspired Sentence Fluency Lessons
Lesson: Special Days or Places to Love Mentor Text: All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan Focus Trait: Sentence Fluency Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Combining with Participial Phrases Mentor Text: Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen Focus Trait: Sentence Fluency Support Trait: Conventions	Lesson: Counting Sentences' Words Mentor Text: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen Focus Trait: Sentence Fluency 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.
Lesson: School Song Parodies Mentor Text: Take Me Out of the Bathtub and other Silly Dilly Songs by Alan Katz Focus Trait: Sentence Fluency Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Impersonating Great Poets Mentor Text: Science Verse by Jon Scieszka Focus Trait: Sentence Fluency Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Ain't Gonna Rain No More Mentor Text: I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont Focus Trait: Sentence Fluency 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.
More for Sentence Fluency
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 have even more picture book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.	More sentence fluency-focused picture book lessons: Animals Not to [Verb] with... (Mentor Text: Don't Take Your Snake for a Stroll) Ballads about Family (Mentor Text: Family Reunion)	Lessons for K-2nd Grade! Visit WritingFix's The Six Traits and Primary Writers Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically for the primary grades.

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Our Featured Conventions Lessons inspired by Picture Books
Lesson: A Conventional Family Mentor Text: Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver Focus Trait: Conventions Support Trait: Idea Development	Lesson: Interjections and Questions Mentor Text: Yo! Yes! by Chris Raschka Focus Trait: Conventions Support Trait: Voice This lesson is undergoing revisions! Check back soon.	Lesson: Instead of Said Dialogue Adventures Mentor Text: Good Dog, Carl by Alexander Day Focus Trait: Conventions 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 Conventions
Focus on Conventions! Visit WritingFix's Conventions Homepage for more lessons, prompts, and resources that focus on this very important writing trait. We have even more picture book lessons at our Poetry Lesson Collection.		Lessons for K-2nd Grade! Visit WritingFix's The Six Traits and Primary Writers Homepage for trait-inspired lessons specifically for the primary grades.

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For Which Trait are you Seeking a Lesson?

Idea Development

Organization

Voice

Word Choice

Sentence Fluency

Conventions