Mentor Sentence STATIONS - Group Writing Activities ELA - Print and DIGITAL

Mentor Sentence STATIONS with 120 Mentor Sentences provide your students with motivating activities that improve writing skills! Now includes a DIGITAL version. EIGHT stations focus in on specific skills and techniques where students gain practice using sentences from young adult novels as models.

With 120 mentor sentences, grouped by three levels of challenge, you’ll have lots of variety and easy differentiation. You’ll be able to use these stations over and over again throughout the year with different mentor sentences!

A PowerPoint Mini-lesson is included as a perfect way to introduce students to mentor sentences and the station work.

Detailed task cards and inviting student handouts make the activities both challenging and fun. Students enjoy movement and group work!

Clear and specific teacher guidelines are provided to make set up and grading super quick and easy. Each station will engage students for approximately 20-25 minutes, so with 8 stations, you’ll have several days of planning covered, with students actively discussing, learning, and stretching their writing skills to imitate mentor sentences.

The DIGITAL version offers colorful, nicely-designed slides that allow students to type their responses into text boxes.

With both print-and-go AND digital versions, you'll be equipped for all teaching situations! Plus, you'll be able to differentiate according to your students' needs.

To access the DIGITAL version of this resource, you will find:
---a PDF containing digital links to access the mentor sentences, task cards, station handout-slides, and rubric
---directions for uploading the resources and using them with students

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The EIGHT MENTOR SENTENCE STATION TOPICS are

1. Parts of Speech

2. Word Choice

3. Types of Sentences

4. Figurative Language

5. Description

6. Punctuation

7. Author’s Style

8. Synonyms

Contents of the Resource:

1. A POWERPOINT MINI-LESSON – A colorful and engaging 8-slide presentation introduces students to the use of mentor sentences. Specific written directions for teaching the mini-lesson are included.

2. 120 MENTOR SENTENCES – Excerpted from popular young adult novels, each mentor sentence is attractively displayed with title and author listed below–-and color-coded by three levels of challenge. Students work with one mentor sentence at each station.

3. SKILLS CHART- A 6-page chart illustrates the specific skills and literary characteristics contained in each of the 120 mentor sentences. The chart will help you in deciding which mentor sentences to choose for the station work, especially if you’d like to reinforce certain skills.

4. TASK CARDS – Eight colorful task cards, each with a section entitled “Here’s What You’ll Do.” Completion steps are outlined in a checklist. Students read the task card together when they assemble at the station.

5. STUDENT HANDOUTS (16 pages) – The 2-sided handouts are creatively designed and align with the station task cards so students can get right into their activity and begin discussing and delving into the topics.

6. SIGNS FOR EACH STATION – Eight colorful folding stand-up signs that match the task cards - can be set on the table or group of desks for each station to guide students to their areas.

7. GRADING RUBRIC – A 4-point optional Grading Rubric is included for your convenience. The rubric describes qualities of student work on four levels with space for you to assign you own grade or number of points.

8. AMENDED TASK CARDS – A set of task cards is included without mention of a group grading system, a quick and easy grading system that is explained in the Teacher Guidelines. These cards can be used in place of the original task cards by teachers who prefer to grade each student’s work individually.

9. TEACHER GUIDELINES – Specific guidelines for implementing and grading the station work offer suggestions and tips for getting the most out of this resource and using it with ease. Common Core standards that align with this resource are noted.

If you are looking for engaging writing activities that provide rigor and motivate your students, look no further! These stations offer meaningful practice for improved writing skills. As you circulate the classroom, your students will be discussing, analyzing, and creating higher level sentences together.

NOTE: If you plan to use the print version, one station (Synonyms) would benefit from student devices for access to online thesaurus.

Please open the PREVIEW for a closer look!

Thanks --Joy

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