Here is a set (updated in 2011)of fifteen, or so, handouts and project-able documents that will be very useful in teaching essay writing. The package includes the following:

1. A two-page guide to essays. Hand this out the first week or so of the school year. Tell students to keep it and to always refer to it.
2. Three worksheets on the three parts of an essay. These are done in-class or as homework (then discussed) early in the year—often as a kind of structural review.
3. More than twenty rubrics for grading essays—change the point values, weighting, and comments to meet your needs. These are word documents, so they will be easy to customize.
4. An overhead/project-able document to help students differentiate strong thesis statements from weak thesis statements.
5. Peer editing forms for students to use.
6. An overhead that explains how to use parenthetical quotations.
7. A writing reflection sheet for students.
8. A couple of overheads to explain and demonstrate strong commentary and conclusions.

There are no prompts in this package because the materials here are for use with any book or unit.

If you are a new English teacher, these materials will save you countless hours of writing and lesson creation.

If you like this package, I also have an Advanced Essay Package available. The advanced package has, as you might expect, more advanced essay writing lessons and handouts.