Don't Forget to Write for the Elementary Grades

If you believe that teaching creative writing should be done creatively, you've picked up the right book. Don't Forget to Write for the Elementary Grades offers elementary teachers 50 creative writing lesson plans developed by the imaginative and highly acclaimed 826 National writing centers. The book is designed to be a handy teacher's aide that can help reach and inspire all students ages 5 to 12 (even those most resistant to creative writing). The lessons range from silly ("Brains! or, Writing with Zombies") to practical ("How to Write a How To"), from sports to science, music to mysteries, and everything in between (yes, there is an academic purpose to having Harry Potter and Spiderman battle some evil ninjas). Each lesson is written by educators, 826 volunteers, celebrated authors, actors, and writers, and all are linked to rigorous writing standards.

Don't Forget to Write for the Elementary Grades contains:

• A treasure trove of proven, field-tested lessons

• Lessons that are adaptable for all grade levels

• Tips to keep supplies and prep to a minimum

• Lesson plans that include an outline, handouts, and examples

• Evaluation rubrics to guide grading

• Maps to the Common Core Standards

The book's activities are based on proven pedagogy that can help students develop the skills to organize their ideas, craft their arguments, revise their work, state their points of view, and peer-edit, all while having a blast and learning an awful lot about the joy and hard work of writing.

Praise for Don't Forget to Write

"There is a revolutionary movement afoot. We strike soon. Our goal is to take over the world and make it much more interesting. These are the plans right here. Take them and spread the word."
--Lemony Snicket, author of A Series Of Unfortunate Events and other dreadful books

"I'm excited to see yet another unconventionally brilliant development from 826 on the craft of teaching creative writing. 826 has proved, over and over, that a sense of humor and the ability to laugh while writing will produce astonishing results."
--Judd Apatow, film producer, screenwriter, and director

826 National is a nonprofit tutoring, writing, and publishing organization with locations in eight cities across the country. Our goal is to assist students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills, and to help teachers get their classes excited about writing. Our work is based on the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

Jennifer Traig is the author of the memoirs Devil in the Details and Well Enough Alone, and the editor of The Autobiographer's Handbook.