Create a Critter: Fun Free Explanatory Writing Activity (Grades 4-8 ELA)

What in the World???!!! These are some crazy critters! 

Students will have fun inventing more.

FUN EXPLANATORY WRITING ACTIVITY: Whether it's the end of the school year and you will do anything to hold onto their attention, or it's the beginning of the school year and you want your kids to like your class (a little trick I learned), this fun writing activity puts kids' explanatory (aka expository or informative) writing skills to the test. Students get to be creative and draw, yet they must also use their best writing skills. The purpose for their writing becomes so clear during this lesson -- which is to have their partners draw exactly what they've described.  This FREE LESSON INCLUDES SO MUCH: directions for both in-classroom and distance learning options, a link to free Google Slides, a sample description and drawing, and cool pictures of hybrid animals to give them inspiration.

The basic jist is that students will "invent" a critter that is a mixture of two or more animals. They write an explanatory text that very clearly, using specific details, describes their critter. They have someone draw it. Then, they compare the person's drawing with their own. It usually results in some laughter. But, seriously, it requires them to try to write really well! It aligns to standard W.2 Check out the free lesson. It comes with more sample pictures, a sample description, and a sample drawing. Plus all the directions for student and teacher that you need in both in-classroom and distance learning versions!

This is great for the end of the year or for back-to-school, and everything in between!

Here is a sample critter a student came up with:

In the FREE lesson in my store, it comes with a description of that critter called "The Jacoon."

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These are HIGH-INTEREST TEXTS & TASKS aligned to ALL 10 Reading Informational Text Standards. Kids keep reporting how much they love the 1-page texts with questions on the back (for easy print and go), so you should get both volumes!