Writing can be challenging and frustrating for students, but there are ways we teachers can make the process more palatable for them. One of my favorite ways to do this is by using a famous building from history for a topic. This has several advantages.
1. Buildings are neat and interesting, and the students will hopefully be genuinely interested in writing about them.
2. They are learning about history and writing at the same time.
3. The outline is pretty straight forward, and this really helps students as they get used to making outlines and writing.
I. How, when, where and why it was constructed
II. How it was used
III. What happened to it or how it is used today
This is a great way to gently initiate students into the world of report writing. The link to the Youtube slideshow is below. If you would like a pdf file of the slideshow instead, please request one using the "Contact Us" form to the right in the sidebar.
Here is the link to the slideshow.
Also, if you choose to have your students make a 3D project of their building to get them interested in their topic before they write, here are some links of ideas and photos of completed student projects:
Ships, Vikings, and Catacombs:
https://theplainprofessors.blogspot.com/2020/03/history-projects-2020-vikings-catacombs.html
Statues, Pagodas, and Pyramids:
https://theplainprofessors.blogspot.com/2018/12/three-dimensional-world-history-projects.html
Cabins, Molasses Explosions, and Hobo Post Markings:
https://theplainprofessors.blogspot.com/2019/02/3-d-history-projects-and-hobo-post.html
The Black Death House, Rope Bridges, and the Wailing Wall
https://theplainprofessors.blogspot.com/2020/03/2020-world-history-projects-and-winners.html
Henry Box Brown, a Colonial Dress, and Shackleton's Ship
https://theplainprofessors.blogspot.com/2017/04/not-in-box-not-with-fox.html