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Resources for Teaching Writing

Develop your middle and high school students’ writing skills with this collection of free resources for teachers, parents, and homeschoolers, including activity ideas, full lesson plans, mentor texts and more. Most resources are ideal or adaptable for grades 8-12.
 
The teaching writing resources on this page are provided for free from Write the World and our partners as part of our mission to empower educators as they build students’ literacy, preparing learners for success in school, career, and life.
This free calendar resource provides all the start and end dates for our upcoming competitions! View and download it here.
 

Write the World Competitions Calendar 2024-2025

 

A compilation of information and resources on incorporating AI into writing, geared toward students and educators.
 

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Download a pdf of character study questions writers can use to dig deeper into developing their characters. Read more on the blog.
 

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A handout with AI chatbot prompt examples students can use to gain feedback and information on how to improve their writing - without asking chatgpt to write it!
 

AI Prompt Examples Handout-1

 

Our monthly writing competitions are open to all students aged 13-19.
 
Download a flyer for our 2024-2025 lineup of competitions to share digitally with students, or print and put up in your classroom.
 
Write the World Writing Competitions - 2024-2025
 
Compiled examples that show what an explainer does in the science writing genre.
 

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5 ways you can support students in publishing their written works.
 

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How incorporating peer review in your classroom can provide social emotional learning benefits for your students.
 

SEL benefits wtw

 

These noteworthy flash fiction examples come in under 100 words and were all written by Write the World young writers!
 

flash fiction examples

 

Applicable ways to work towards culturally responsive and community responsive learning spaces.
 

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A guide to the terminology, and examples of how to lay out a news story like a journalist.
 

how-to-write-like-a-journalist

A large glossary of poetry terms and examples for students to use, including techniques, forms and parts of a poem.
 

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Here’s how to reframe the traditional step-by-step writing approach in a cyclical framework.
 

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How to use daily writing prompts to build a culture of writing in the classroom.
 

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Short Story Writing Resources
Short Story Competition
Resources for incorporating short story writing activities into the classroom. 
 

short-story-resources

Sci-Fi Writing Resources
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Resources for incorporating science fiction and fantasy writing activities into the classroom. 
 

sci-fi-fantasy-resources

Climate Poetry Lesson Plan
Environmental Competition
Flexible lesson plan to guide students through climate poetry writing. 
 

climate-poetry-lesson-plan

Flash Fiction Resources
Flash Fiction
Resources for incorporating Flash Fiction writing activities into the classroom.
 

flash-fiction-resources

Songwriting Resources
Songwriting Competition
Resources for incorporating songwriting activities into the classroom.
 

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Climate Advocacy Writing Lesson Plan
Environmental Competition
90-120 minute flexible lesson plan for climate advocacy letter writing.
 

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Climate Flash Fiction Lesson Plan
Environmental Competition
45-90 minute flexible lesson plan for flash fiction writing on climate topics.
 

climate-flash-fiction-lesson-plan

Food Writing Resources
Food Writing Competition
Resources for incorporating food writing activities into the classroom. 
 

food-writing-resources

Mentor texts from students on environmental writing topics.
 

environmental-writing-samples

 
Do some of your students need extra support with writing their college application essays?
 
Share our College Essay Program offerings with them and their parents!
 
 
Know any students who would be interested in a week-long online writing camp this summer?
 
Share our Summer Camp offerings with them and their parents!
 

Write the World Online

girls-library-laughing-laptop-inside-books-1Our free online writing community is designed to support student writers ages 13-19 and their teachers, guardians, and/or homeschool parents.
 
Students can write, read, peer review, and enter monthly writing competitions...all for free! Educators can create private groups for their classroom's activities.
 
Join the Community
Attention teachers, parents, and homeschoolers!
 
Create a private classroom group on the Write the World website to house your writing instruction in one central space.
 
Upload writing curricula, access our library of prompts, resources, peer review rubrics, and teacher rubrics, and facilitate the drafting, publication, and peer review process with your students, inviting them to share their work in the global community if and when they are ready.
 
 Request Your Group
Our monthly competitions, each dedicated to a different genre and judged by a professional author, are accompanied by classroom activities; provide opportunities for students to receive free feedback from an Expert Reviewer prior to submission; and can serve as engaging test-prep tools, supporting students persuasive writing through Op-Eds, for example, or informative writing through journalism, environmental writing, and more.
 
Look for the latest and previous resources in the matrix above.

The Art of Teaching Writing

Teaching writing is challenging but rewarding. Helping teenagers become effective writers means developing communication skills that will serve them long beyond their time in the classroom. Research shows that:
 
  • Adolescents who can effectively express their thoughts and ideas through writing are more likely to excel in their studies and future careers.
  • Writing can be a therapeutic outlet for teens to explore their emotions and develop self-awareness. 
  • Writing encourages critical thinking and the ability to articulate complex ideas. 
By teaching teens how to write persuasively and coherently, we empower them to become informed and engaged global citizens capable of making a positive impact on the world around them
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Partner with us!

Interested in testing new features and/or piloting new programs in your classroom or at your site? Let us know here!
 
We can also keep you on our list for scholarship funding as it becomes available for our College Essay Program and/or Summer Workshops.
 
Please note: we are currently looking for pilot sites in the United States serving youth ages 12-19, including schools, afterschool programs, and community organizations.
 

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