Writing about a Holiday: Expository Essay, Research Project, 6th 7th 8th Grade

This middle school holiday resource combines expository writing and research. It works for any holiday, including Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and others. The student packet has 19 pages that walk students through each step of the 5-paragraph essay, helping them brainstorm content for each paragraph and sentence. Graphic organizers let students organize their thoughts, helping them write their essays when they finish their packets. The packet also includes space for students to record their sources. In addition to the packet, this resource includes guidelines for citing sources according to MLA and APA format.

What’s included in this resource:

• Student packet with cover page
• 19 pages of instructions, graphic organizers, and guidelines to help students write their 5-paragraph essays
• Space to record sources
• MLA and APA guidelines for citing sources, including in-text citations

Benefits:

• Fun writing prompt sparks student interest
• Gives students practice conducting research and writing expository text
• Gives students practice citing research sources
• Graphic organizers help students brainstorm content and organize their thoughts, helping them write their essays
• MLA and APA guidelines included to help students cite sources properly

Instructions/tips for implementation:

• Assign a holiday for students to write about or let them choose one.
• Go over the packet with your students.
• Let students know how and when to conduct their research, including what types of sources you want them to use.
• If students have more than five sources, you can print extra copies of page 21 in the student packet to give them more space to record their sources.
• If you use either APA or MLA guidelines, you can print the guidelines and attach them to student packets or give to them separately.
• Assign a due date, giving students adequate time to gather their information and write their essays.
• Remind students to use the checklist on page 23 to check their rough drafts.

This resource is licensed for single classroom use only, including homeschool use. It is also licensed for single classroom use online, provided that it is available on password-protected sites only.

Great for 6th, 7th and 8th grade!

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