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Writing
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Lesson Objective
In this lesson, you will learn some helpful tips about
blogging. You’ll get a chance to practice blogging on
paper before you blog online. You’ll also learn how to
keep spammers away!
Did you know...
The word “blog” is short for web log. A “log” is a
record of events. Teachers, pilots, and students keep
logs. Bloggers do, too. A blogger is a person who
blogs. The word “blog” can be a noun and a verb.
Writing Warm-Up
Choose one of the following three
topics. Write for five minutes in
your notebook or on the back of
your paper. Do not correct your
writing. Aim for quantity rather
than quality.
1. W
rite about your favorite blog.
What’s it about? Why do you like reading it?
2. Why do you think blogging is a popular form of written expression?
3. How could blogging improve your English skills?
Vocabulary Preview
Match these words to their correct definitions.
1.
blog (noun)
a) the general subject for a series of posts
2.
blog (verb)
b) to write posts for a blog
3.
blogger
c) a person who writes and publishes blog posts
4.
hyperlink
d) a title for a paragraph or section of a post
5.
tag
e) a single blog entry
6.
category
f) short for “web log”, an online journal or series of written posts
7.
heading
g) a keyword that you add to a blog to help online users find useful information
8.
comment
h) text that takes you to a different webpage when you click on it
9.
post (noun)
i) to publish a blog post
10. post (verb)
j) to assess if something is acceptable
11. moderate
k) inappropriate or unwelcome marketing
12. spam
l) a response or opinion
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms.
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How to Write a Blog Post
Writing
Introduction to Blogging
1. Title
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Choose a short title that is keyword rich. This means people might type the same
words into a search engine. Use a capital letter for the first letter of the important
words in your blog post. Make sure there are no spelling mistakes in your title.
Which of the following is a good title? Why aren’t the other titles as good?
I AM GOING TO TELL YOU HOW TO WRITE A BLOG POST
How to Write a Blog Post
This Is How You Write Your First Blog Post EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My summer vacation was so good I will blog about it.
2. Subject
Choose a subject that readers will be interested in.
Put yourself in the readers’ shoes. Would you read a
post on this topic? What would you want to know?
Do you know a lot about your subject? Use the blanks
on the right to write down a few subjects that you
would be interested in blogging about.
3. Formatting
Blog platforms have many bells and whistles. This means you can add colored text,
italics, bold, images, videos, hyperlinks and more. Be careful. If you use too many
details, your blog post will be difficult to read. Use simple formatting, and make
sure there is blank space between paragraphs.
Rewrite the formatting tip above in your own words. This is called “paraphrasing”.
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How to Write a Blog Post
Writing
Introduction to Blogging, continued
4. Paragraphs and Headings
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A blog post should be separated into paragraphs, just like any piece of writing.
One or two paragraphs may be enough. Blog posts should not be too long. In a
blog post, you can use headings to separate new ideas. Headings should be in
a bold font. It may be larger than the main body text. A few headings will keep
your readers interested in your blog post.
5. Opening and Closing a Post
Find a way to catch the readers’ interest right from
the beginning of your post. These are called “hooks”.
Can you think of some more examples?
EXAMPLES OF HOOKS
a question
a quote
At the end of your blog post, give the reader a reason
to leave a comment. Ask another question, or invite
readers to share their own ideas or links. You may
need to moderate comments to keep marketers
from ruining your blog with spam.
6. Proofreading and Publishing
After you write your blog post, save it as a “draft”.
Don’t publish it yet! Come back a little bit later and
read the post out loud to yourself. Fix any mistakes
you see. Check your spelling! If you are happy with
your post, publish it and share it.
PUBLISHING CHECKLIST
Did I use a good title?
Did I format my title correctly?
Did I choose an interesting subject?
Did I include a hook?
Did I separate my thoughts into paragraphs?
Did I use headings?
Did I invite comments or discussion?
Did I proofread my work before publishing?
PROOFREADING PRACTICE
Go back to the piece of writing that you wrote in
the warm-up on page 1. Read it through one time.
Then read it again and check for spelling mistakes,
grammar mistakes, and poor punctuation. Check
your capitalization, too. Fix your mistakes directly
on the page.
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms.
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How to Write a Blog Post
Writing
Reading Practice – Sample Blog Post
Read the sample blog post. Discuss the post with a partner. What important
features does this post include? Discuss the formatting, organization, and content.
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Tips for First-Time ELL Bloggers [Title]
By New Blogger 1 [Blog Author]
Are you an English language learner (ELL)? Have you ever thought about blogging? Blogging is a great way to
practice your reading and writing. It will also help you increase your vocabulary. [Hook]
[Space]
You don’t have to be an advanced writer to blog. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection.
Choose a blog platform. There are many free ones to choose from. Give your blog a name, and get started!
Set Achievable Goals [Heading]
At first you might think you will blog every day. This is difficult to do. You may run out of time and ideas. It’s
better to set a goal that you can stick to. Can you blog once a week, or every other Saturday? Commit to your
goal. Sign a goal-making contract. [Hyperlink]
What Will You Blog About? [Heading]
Are you going to write fiction or essays? Are you going to write about current events? You don’t have to blog
about only one topic, but it does help to think of a target audience. A blog about dogs is interesting to dog
lovers. A blog about Canada is interesting to people who want to visit Canada. A blog about vocabulary is
interesting to people who want to practice their vocabulary. You can have different categories in your blog.
Comments [Heading]
After you write your first blog post, open it up for comments. Be sure to read and reply to every comment.
This is how you will grow your readership.
Share [Heading]
After you publish your post, share it with your email contacts and social media networks. People may
subscribe to your blog. Do you have a blog already? Share a link to your blog in the comments below!
[Closing that encourages interaction]
Tags: blogging, blogs, English [Include keywords that are searchable online]
Categories: How-To, for English learners, Writing [Indicate which subcategory this post belongs in]
Comments [2]
ESL guy: I am an English learner. I’m from Korea. I just came across your blog post. I want to blog, too!
[reply] New Blogger 1: Thanks for stopping by. Come back and share a link to your first blog post!
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms.
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How to Write a Blog Post
Writing
Comprehension Questions
What have you learned so far? Answer and discuss these questions in pairs or as a class.
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1. What is the origin of the word “blog”?
2. Why should a blog post not have a lot of bells and whistles?
3. What should a blog post start with? Give an example.
4. What can a blogger do to get more comments?
5. Why is it useful to add tags to a blog post?
Vocabulary Review – Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentence with a word or phrase from page 1.
In the brackets, indicate the part of speech.
1.
(
) about a topic that you know a lot about.
2. D
on’t forget to add
(
) so that people who
are searching for information can find your post.
3. Before you
(
4. (
subject of a paragraph.
) should be in bold. They describe the
5. I f you click on a
a new web page.
) your blog, proofread it!
(
), it will take you to
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms.
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How to Write a Blog Post
Writing
Moderating Comments
1. I love your blog. Great writing! Your readers
will love these discount handbags and
shoes. (User Discount77)
2. T
his post about your trip to New York City
was interesting. Did you see the Statue of
Liberty? (User Carly)
3. G
reat writing. Your website has a nice look
and feel. Try this medicine for back pain.
(User Meds4U)
4. Y
ou are so interesting. I’ve never read
anything like this. (User OnlineGamer)
5. It’s great to find another mommy blogger.
I found your bathing tips useful. Thanks!
(User MamaMeg)
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Most blog platforms give you a choice. You can
choose to allow all comments or you can moderate
comments. When you moderate comments, you are
the first to see them. This prevents spammers from
ruining your blog. Spammers are people who add
links to products and other sites that are unrelated to
your topic. Spam is a big problem for bloggers! Look
at the commenter’s name and email address when
you moderate comments.
Which of the following comments are probably
legitimate? (Write “legit”.) Which are likely spam?
(Write “spam”.)
Writing Task – Write Your Own
Paper-Based Blog Post
Write a new draft of the warm-up you wrote on page 1. Use the space below to rewrite
your piece in the format of a blog post. Review the tips you learned on pages 2 and 3.
Proofread your post later today or tomorrow.
(You could also type your post on a computer and print it.)
Comments
Share your paper-based blog post with some classmates. Ask your classmates to
write a comment on the back of your page. It can be a legitimate comment or a
spam comment. Which comments will you accept? Which will you decline?
Are you ready to start blogging online? Find a blogging platform and get started!
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms.
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How to Write a Blog Post
Writing
Teachers’ Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION:
LEVEL: Intermediate
In this lesson, students are introduced to blogging. They learn about
TAGS: writing, blogging, computers,
formatting and proofreading posts and moderating comments.
technology, diary, journal, weblog
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Warm-Up
Comprehension Questions
Invite students to choose one topic to write about. Give them 10–15
1. The word “blog” comes from “web log”.
minutes to write. Remind your students that they should write as
2. A
blog post should not have a lot of bells and
much as they can. This will not be marked. They must hang onto
whistles because it makes it too hard to read.
this writing to use later, though.
3. A
blog post should start with a hook,
Vocabulary Preview
4. A blogger can ask for a response or feedback
such as a quote or a question.
1. f 3. c
5. g
7. d
9. e
11. j
2. b 4. h
6. a
8. l
10. i
12. k
For extra vocabulary review and writing practice, have students
write their own definitions another day. Cut-up strips are on page 8.
Introduction to Blogging
from readers in order to get more comments.
5. It is useful to add tags to a blog post so that online users
can find your post when they search for a certain topic.
Vocabulary Review
1. Blog (verb) about a topic that you know a lot about.
2. D
on’t forget to add tags (noun) so that people who are
searching for information can find your post.
1. TITLE
NO (All caps, not necessary)
3. B
efore you publish/post (verb) your blog, proofread it!
YES (Proper capitalization, good topic)
4. Headings (noun) should be in bold.
NO (Improper punctuation and capitalization)
They describe the subject of a paragraph.
NO (Poor wording and capitalization)
5. If you click on a hyperlink (noun), it will take you to a new web page.
2. SUBJECT
Reading Sample Have students read and discuss the sample.
Individual answers.
Moderating Comments
3. FORMATTING
Individual written answers (make sure students
1. spam
2. legit
3. spam
4. spam
5. legit
aren’t copying word for word when paraphrasing).
Writing Task
4. PAR AGR APH
Have students rewrite their warm-up piece as a blog post. They can
Read together. Discuss. You could also invite
do it on paper in the space provided or online. Give students time to
students to find good examples of this online.
share and comment on each other’s posts. If your students want to
start blogging, help them find an appropriate blogging platform.
5. EX AMPLES OF HOOKS
a question
a definition
SPELLING NOTE: This lesson shows the American spelling of the
a quote
a problem
words Favorite, Colored, and Practice. Most other English-speaking
an interesting fact
countries spell these words this way: Favourite, Coloured, and
Practise (when used as a verb, Practice when used as a noun).
6. PROOFREADING PR ACTICE
Make it a challenge for your students to find these words in the
Students can do this for homework.
lesson and see if they know the alternate spellings.
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms.
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How to Write a Blog Post
Writing
Extra Vocabulary Practice (Optional)
Write definitions in your own words. Cut up these vocabulary strips.
Challenge a partner to match the vocabulary to your definition.
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blog (noun)
blog (verb)
blogger
hyperlink
tag
category
heading
comment
post (noun)
post (verb)
moderate
spam
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms.
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