Sample writing units and lesson plans for specific skills

You can combine NoRedInk's assignments in a variety of ways to meet different learning objectives! The sample plans below illustrate some of the most high-leverage ways to sequence NoRedInk's writing assignments and printable resources.

These plans are just examples—adapt any plan to meet your and your students’ needs!

Plans link directly to assignments in NoRedInk and resources that you can print or project. Simply click on any assignment to review, customize, and assign it to your students.

Plans for Grades 3–5

These plans are designed for using our upper elementary curriculum.

• Grades 3-5 Year-by-Year Plan: Shows how to use NoRedInk to support writing goals from year to year
  
• Plans that show how to use NoRedInk to support specific skills:
  • Grades 3-5 Skill Focus Plan: Using Evidence in Opinion Writing
  • Grades 3-5 Skill Focus Plan: Using Evidence in Informational Writing
  • Grades 3-5 Skill Focus Plan: Showing, Not Telling

Plans for Grades 6–12

You can download a PDF with all sample plans here: All NoRedInk Sample Plans

Skill Focus Plans

These plans are designed to build a specific writing skill within 1–2 class periods.

• Skill Focus: Developing a Thesis*
  
• Skill Focus: Formatting Dialogue*
  
• Skill Focus: Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning
  
• Skill Focus: Topic Sentences Support the Thesis (Best used while planning an essay, after students have a thesis and evidence.)

For more info on building units to support grammar skills, check out this article.

Essay Unit Plans

These plans are designed to guide students through the full process of writing a formal essay from scratch over 3–8 class periods.

• Argumentative Essay Units
  • Argumentative Essay Unit: The Basics*
  • Argumentative Essay Unit: Claims and Evidence
  • Argumentative Essay Unit: Structure and Flow
    
• Persuasive Essay Unit
  
• Literary Analysis Essay Unit
  
• Expository/Informational Essay Unit
  
• Narrative Essay Unit*
• Guided Draft Essay Unit Plans
  

SAT® and ACT® Unit Plans

These plans are designed to build a specific writing and grammar skills targeted for the SAT and ACT within 3-5 class periods.

• ACT Practice: Grammar
• SAT Practice: Grammar
• SAT Practice: Essay

* These sample plans include only free content. The other plans include both free and Premium content—these can be adapted to use free content or serve as examples!