"I Am" Poem outline (template available on the blog link) - This has been a WONDERFUL writing activity to do with my students over the years. It is successful with first graders (the first paragraph works best) and fourth graders!
It's one thing to teach concepts like characters, setting, and plot. Most kids get these without too much trouble, but it's another thing to teach your kids to find the theme of a piece of literature. This higher level thinking, much more abstract re