Planets Research Report: Multi-Draft Informative Writing for Grades 3-5 (CCSS)

“I have done planet research writing for several years. This was a helpful resource to have everything ready to go.”

“This made research so much easier for my students! Everything was scaffolded and easy to follow. Their reports came out great!”

“I used this with ELL students as a research project. It was well laid out and I could adapt it easily to my students' needs. It did a good job walking students through the writing process.”

Instead of doing several Informative Essays, I like to focus on just one and help students make it better and better through multiple drafts that add new skills each time. This makes research writing easier to manage for you and your students.

These "Ready To Print" student pages meet EIGHT of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts (ELA) for Grades 3-5 Writing & Language and support students through the entire Writing Process! This Expository Writing Project also incorporates Reading Informational Text CCSS and Standards for Earth-Space Science although those are not specifically assessed.

Students will use the included Step-by-Step Companion Packet to guide them through the entire research and writing process. Students focus on just three “Must-Have’s” for each draft—not tackling everything all at once. This allows them to be successful a little bit at a time while constructing an essay that is top-notch by the end of Draft Three. Each new draft has Preparation Pages that prepare the students to focus on the new Must-Have’s.

Students will also use draft-by-draft color-coding of text for at-a-glance teacher grading. Three easy circles on the included check-in forms will allow you to give feedback following each draft without making all of the corrections yourself! {Note: Students will need access to yellow, pink, and green highlighters for this!}

In addition to the five post-draft check-in sheets, I have included a student self-evaluation and teacher rubric for formal assessment.

Your students will love learning all about Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune!

Thank you for your interest & I hope you enjoy this product from Project Hallway!

:-) Bethany

With your purchase, you will receive:

*Teacher Notes

*Student Essay Cover Page with Writing Goals

*Student Writing Pages covering:

--Writing Process Instructions

--Brainstorming Ideas

--Nonfiction Text Features

--Research Notebook Covering:

----Planet Discovery

----Meaning of Planet's Name

----Planetary Position

----Number of Moons

----Physical Features

----Length of Revolution & Rotation

----Size

----Temperature

----Composition

----Surface Features

----Missions

----Recent Discoveries

----Future Colonization Possibilities

----Fun Facts

----Drawing

----Sources Used (Bibliography/Works Cited)

--Draft One "Must-Have's" with Color Codes (Paragraph Two)

--Draft One "Must-Have's" with Color Codes (Paragraph Three)

--Draft One "Must-Have's" with Color Codes (Paragraph Four)

--Introduction/Hooking the Reader (Paragraph One)

--Defining Words the Reader Might Not Know

--Transition Words

--Draft Two "Must-Have's" with Color Codes

--Conclusion (Paragraph Five)

--Grammar

--Writing Conventions

--Spelling

--Draft Three "Must-Have's" with Color Codes

--Publishing Preparations

--Title and Headings

*Draft One Check-In Sheet (Paragraph Two)

*Draft One Check-In Sheet (Paragraph Three)

*Draft One Check-In Sheet (Paragraph Four)

*Draft Two Check-In Sheet

*Draft Three Check-In Sheet

*Student Self-Evaluation

*Teacher Assessment Rubric

If you're still not sure, check out what other teachers have said about my top-selling Biography Research Report !

Special Note for Ohio Science Teachers:

This resource supports Ohio Science Standards for Grade 5 Earth and Space Science: Cycles and Patterns in the Solar System - Each planet in the solar system has unique characteristics. Eight major planets in the solar system orbit the sun.

Additional CCSS Writing Resources That May Interest You:

Opinion Writing: Multi-Draft Opinion Essay for Grade 3 (CCSS)

Opinion Writing: Multi-Draft Opinion Essay for Grade 4 (CCSS)

Opinion Writing: Multi-Draft Opinion Essay for Grade 5 (CCSS)

How-To Essay: Multi-Draft Explanatory Writing for Grade 3 (CCSS)

How-To Essay: Multi-Draft Explanatory Writing for Grade 4 (CCSS)

How-To Essay: Multi-Draft Explanatory Writing for Grade 5 (CCSS)

Animal Research Report: Multi-Draft Informative Writing for Grade 3 (CCSS)

Animal Research Report: Multi-Draft Informative Writing for Grade 4 (CCSS)

Animal Research Report: Multi-Draft Informative Writing for Grade 5 (CCSS)

Personal Narrative: Multi-Draft First-Person Writing for Grade 3 (CCSS)

Personal Narrative: Multi-Draft First-Person Writing for Grade 4 (CCSS)

Personal Narrative: Multi-Draft First-Person Writing for Grade 5 (CCSS)