How to Write a Journal Entry Lesson Plan

How to Write a Journal Entry Lesson Plan— Journaling plays an important role in the life of a student. Teachers across all grade levels and all subject areas are apt to include journaling as a part of their curriculum, so elementary students must practice journaling as soon as possible.

Now…

Sometimes, students’ understanding of the concept of journaling can be difficult or it can be challenging for them to come up with their own journaling ideas or perspectives.

This is why we have created a lesson plan that focuses on the concept of journaling and the fundamentals of this art form.

Table of Contents

A Brief Overview of Our Prompts and Lesson Plan
How to Write a Journal Entry Lesson Plan
How to Write a Journal Entry
Free Printable Journal Pages Compliments of JournalBuddies.com
More Free Writing Resources for You and Your Writers

Best of all…

Our lesson plan relies on a list of prompts that were created specifically for elementary school students.

A Brief Overview of Our Prompts and Lesson Plan

These writing prompts are adaptable to any classroom, from the kindergarten classroom where students are just beginning to learn the basics of writing and reading to the fifth-grade classroom where students are discovering how to flesh out their ideas and create complete pieces using proper grammar and punctuation.

So…

Whether you are a teacher who is working with the youngest learners or a teacher who is hoping to prepare your students for the next step in their educational journey, you can use this lesson plan to introduce journal writing in your classroom.

Our complete lesson plan includes a list of writing prompts as well as a journaling worksheet that you can pass out to all of your students.

Yes! It’s an all-in-one resource that makes it easy for you to make journaling a part of your classroom experience.

How to Write a Journal Entry Lesson Plan

>>> Access the Printable Lesson Plan <<<

Journals are a common supplement to many subject areas and curriculums, but some students don’t know how to approach this assignment. Help your students learn to express themselves creatively and to begin to enjoy the writing process. Encourage them to write in first person and use descriptive details!

Learning Objectives

Students will explore writing prompts and make selections for their own journal entries. They will learn the fundamentals of crafting an effective journal entry.

Materials Needed:

List of writing prompts that are appropriate for the grade level.
Pens or pencils.
Coloring supplies, such as markers, crayons, or colored pencils.
A notebook.

Key Terms:

Journaling
Elementary Journal Prompts

How to Write a Journal Entry

Introduction (10 Minutes)

Ask the students to gather in the classroom meeting space.

Show them an example of a journal and read a journal entry.

Introduce the list of writing prompts to the students and encourage them to read over the prompts so that they can identify a favorite selection.

Teacher Modeling and Instructional Time (10 Minutes)

Discuss the concept of journaling with students. Ask them if they have ever written a journal entry before. Talk about their favorite writing topics.

Have the students make suggestions for their own journal topics and ideas.

Journal Entry Writing Lesson Plan for Teachers

Write a quick journal entry on the board and show them how an illustration can accompany a journal entry.

Guided Practice (10 Minutes)

Pass out the journal writing worksheets to the students.

Pass out the list of prompts.

Remind students to choose their favorite prompt and to draw an illustration to accompany the journal entry.

Independent Working Time (10 Minutes)

As students begin writing their journal entries, walk around the room and monitor their progress. Talk with students about which entry they chose and how they are going to write about that particular prompt. Answer questions as needed.

Consider playing quiet classical music in the background to help students feel both calm and focused as they write.

Remind students as you circulate that they should be incorporating detail into both their writing and their drawings.

Differentiation

To adapt this lesson plan to meet the needs of your own classroom, consider encouraging students to read their journal entries aloud after they have finished writing them. This allows students to receive instant feedback and to experience the peer review process.

For older students, eliminate the illustration process and instead focus on having them write longer, more detailed journal entries.

Review and Assessment (5 Minutes)

Encourage students to share snippets of their journal entries with the class. They may prefer to read what they wrote or they may want to describe the picture that they drew.

Ask questions about the entries and engage in discussion regarding their journal topics. Offer constructive feedback to those who share their work.

Closing (5 Minutes)

In conclusion, provide the students with several extra journal sheets that they can take home. Encourage them to complete at least 2-3 journal entries at home using the list of prompts provided. They should return those completed journal entries back to school within a week in order to receive full credit for the assignment.

Journal Entry Text for Worksheet

Write out the prompt that you wish to use for this journal entry:

Don’t forget to illustrate your journal entry. Draw your illustration here:

Now, it’s time to start writing. Here’s where your journal entry should begin!