“How to Build a Sandcastle” Procedural Writing Craft

When it comes to introducing young students to procedural writing, hands-on activities are a must! They allow students to physically complete a task before writing about it, which can help students to better remember and understand the sequence of steps (a fundamental feature of procedure writing)!

This resource combines a practical, hands-on craft activity with a scaffolded procedural writing task. Students will enjoy the hands-on experience of cutting and pasting pieces together to create a unique sandcastle. Afterwards, they’ll get to put their writing skills to the test by composing a procedure text that explains the steps they followed to make their sandcastle craft.

The resource download includes everything you’ll need to complete this “How to Make a Sandcastle” activity with your class of eager learners:

1. Title page containing visual representation of the craftivity
2. Teacher instructions
3. 5 x differentiated writing templates
4. Sandcastle craftivity cut-outs

Comprehensive instructions explaining how you might like to use this resource in your classroom are included to help you make the most of this procedural writing activity.

This resource would make a great addition to your summer-themed lessons!

Multiple Benefits to This Sandcastle Craft and Writing Activity

This sandcastle craft and accompanying procedural writing activity have benefits for your students. Here a just a handful of them:

1. Encourages Creativity – Students have the freedom to choose which components to use in their sandcastle and can compile them in any way they choose.
2. Promotes Fine Motor Skills – Cutting and pasting pieces together to create their sandcastle craft aids the development of fine motor skills.
3. Provides Differentiated Options – Students can choose from a range of scaffolds to support their procedural writing and maximize their learning outcomes.
4. Integrates Art and Literacy – Art is combined with literacy for an integrated and holistic learning experience.

 Download This Sandcastle Craft Today!

Use the dropdown menu on the Download button above to access the PDF or editable Google Slides file. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template before accessing it).

As this worksheet pack contains multiple versions of the writing templates, we recommend printing one copy of the entire file. You may then wish to remove the pages you wish to use before copying them for your students.

This resource was created by Samantha Rose, a teacher in Florida and a Teach Starter collaborator.

Procedural Writing Resources at Your Fingertips

If you’re looking for more teacher-made, curriculum-aligned procedural writing resources to use with your students, you’ve come to the right place! Click below to access some of our team’s favorites.

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How to Make a Pizza Interactive Activity

Use this “How to Make a Pizza” procedural writing interactive activity to model the purpose, structural elements and language features of procedure texts.

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Build a Procedure Text – Cut and Paste Worksheets

Use these different examples of procedure writing to teach your students about the structural features of procedure texts.

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Procedural Writing Prompt Task Cards

Need some procedural writing ideas? Download these task cards to use as a writing center activity during your procedure writing unit.