Ways to Use Writing To Teach - PVS by Mrs. McClure

Story Elements

mrsmcclure — 2025-10-15 00:17:56 UTC

After reading a story together, have students choose one story element to change in a retelling. Make sure they keep the purpose or meaning the same and it's a great comprehension check!

Caption Your Models

mrsmcclure — 2025-10-15 00:17:56 UTC

When students have to draw models to show understanding, have them add complete sentence captions to explain their work. (I added 10 to 3 in to make 13.)

Science Journals!

mrsmcclure — 2025-10-15 00:17:56 UTC

Have your students keep a journal just for science observations or notes on what you are learning. Allowing them to write what they experience will help them feel more confident when it is time to free write during writing time.

Puppet Show

mrsmcclure — 2025-10-15 00:17:56 UTC

After learning about a historical event or other social studies concept, have students write a play to act out with a friend. They can create simple puppets and take turns teaching each other the concept. (Learning about communities, you can have students choose a figure in the community to act out what they do on a daily basis - A firefighter cleaning the truck and putting out fires to help others.)

Brochure

alysullivan — 2025-10-22 19:38:55 UTC

Making a community brochure

Social Skills

2025-10-22 19:39:12 UTC

I have my students ask and answer questions of one another in LiveLessons. As the majority of my kids refuse to use their mics, they have to practice writing to ask and answer questions.

Google Form Short Answers

tholloway24 — 2025-10-22 19:39:33 UTC

I like to use google forms for fifth grade to answer short responses. I use AI to generate fun topics and then copy/paste into the form. Sometimes I'll use it for extra credit, and other times I'll use it as an assignment.

Exit Tickets

2025-10-22 19:39:35 UTC

I have students write a one-sentence summary, a lingering question, or a metaphor for what they learned.

HS Writing Practice

jensayers1 — 2025-10-22 19:39:48 UTC

In both Nearpod and Classkick, students write reflections on works we are reading in our course, answer prompts, and engage with speculative writing (What happens next?).

Conclusions

alysullivan — 2025-10-22 19:39:50 UTC

Drawing conclusions about their experiments

lholderfield — 2025-10-22 19:39:55 UTC

I have students write paint chip poetry on a Nearpod in English. They love it because they can write anonymously.

Write About Careers

hhorn9 — 2025-10-22 19:40:00 UTC

My 1st graders write a classbook and each of them get to choose what they want to be when they grow up. So, they research the career, write about what they want to be with a reason why, and they add an illustration or a photograph of them dressed up. We also go through the writing process with this project, so it's great for them to see each step of that.

Discussion Questions

ahibbard9 — 2025-10-22 19:40:01 UTC

I have students answer discussion questions about a story we are reading.

Study Skills

2025-10-22 19:40:06 UTC

We are constantly practicing note-taking skills, and I ask them to write 2-3 sentence summaries of their notes.

Art

conlutz — 2025-10-22 19:40:29 UTC

Illustrate and write their own definitions of art terms.

ELA/Art

2025-10-22 19:40:42 UTC

Write a narrative to fit the art and tell a story!

Reflection on Primary Sources

msborson — 2025-10-22 19:40:48 UTC

I have them write reflections on primary sources and we have done "translations" of older documents into modern English.

I teach High School English, so we already do a lot of writing, but I like to start all of our LiveLessons with a Warm Up. I try to ask questions that are fun to answer and relevant to our lesson. For example, I asked them to tell me the theme from one of their favorite books or movies.

2025-10-22 19:40:51 UTC

Different Ways to Solve

alysullivan — 2025-10-22 19:40:57 UTC

Explaining different ways to solve problems

Using complete sentences

2025-10-22 19:41:14 UTC

I have students use complete sentences to answer their questions regardless of which subject they are in. I also have them use complete sentences when they're asking questions verbally.

Key Predictions

2025-10-22 19:41:30 UTC

Since students are reading at different times, practicing academic predictions based on themes, characters they've seen so far.

Book Review

alysullivan — 2025-10-22 19:41:44 UTC

Writing a book review to share with classmates

kristenrozitis1 — 2025-10-22 19:41:52 UTC

Have students write word problems for other students to solve.

High School: Cross Curriculum Lessons

2025-10-22 19:41:58 UTC

I enjoy cross-curriculum lessons in my ELA courses for my high school students.

Math: I have used math in a persuasive unit where students researched buying a vehicle and calculated costs (interest, insurance, maintenance, etc) and had to write to persuade their parent to let them buy the car.

Interview

chkousiry — 2025-10-22 19:45:57 UTC

Create an interview with a historical figure.

Frayer Model

chkousiry — 2025-10-22 19:49:57 UTC

Put a math problem or shape or even a math vocabulary word in the middle, and students will draw examples, and use words to explain examples/non-examples, define and describe the image or term.