Exploring Issues and Informational Text: Anxiety and Stress

Invite your students to explore and discuss current issues through non-fiction, informational texts. This product provides you with several options that will engage your students as they read, view, think, discuss and write. (This is included in my growing Exploring Issues and Informational Text Bundle - buy now and save!)

Option One: This is the quickest option. Introduce the topic of stress with a writing prompt, some reading, and a class discussion. After the initial prompt, students will read a magazine-style article (available in handout or digital versions). They will follow this with some discussion and further written reflection.

Option Two: After completing the tasks for option one, you can extend the exercise by viewing a series of videos that deal with strategies for dealing with everyday stress. Students will brainstorm strategies that they can use in school and will add more ideas to their initial response.

Option Three: Use stand-up stations so students can consider the viewpoints of other writers on the topic of stress and anxiety. I have provided passages that are focused on different aspects of the topic, and that illustrate some of the common elements of strong writing . These passages are meant to serve two purposes: each one explores ideas that students can consider, and they provide models for students to emulate in the writing they will do later. Students conclude this activity by choosing one of the points in the passages to agree with or refute. Their response will allow them to demonstrate their ability to choose and embed a quotation to support their own point of view. An editable rubric is included.

Option Four: Extend the exercise further with a writing assignment based on the topic. There are instructions and an assessment checklist for a piece of expository or opinion writing. All of these are editable.

Included:

• A slideshow to guide your discussion and instruction
• A magazine-style article that introduces the topic in teen-friendly language
• Mentor passages
• Links to relevant articles and videos that the students can use if you choose to give them the writing assignment
• Answer keys
• Editable assignments and checklists

You might also like:

Exploring Issues and Informational Text: Plastics in the Ocean

Exploring Issues and Informational Text: Cyberbullying

Exploring Issues and Informational Text: Screen Time

Exploring Issues and Informational Text: Juuling

Informational Mentor Texts: Healthy Lifestyles

Lessons and Activities for Teaching Expository Writing