Get Started with Benchmark Writer's Universe

Writer’s Universe projects guide you through the steps of the writing process, from brainstorming through drafting, all the way to publishing your final project!

Each Writer’s Universe project is organized into the following stages:

• About the Genre — Learn about features of the genre you will be writing.
• Pre-Write — Brainstorm ideas, choose a topic, and plan your writing.
• Draft — Write your first draft.
• Revise/Edit — Revise your draft using helpful tips and teacher feedback.
• Publish — Publish your completed writing project.
• Reflect — Think about and provide information about your writing experience.

Writer's Universe at a Glance

1. Help — Click Help at any time to learn more about Writer’s Universe. Click Close to exit your writing project.
2. Stage/Step Banner — Displays the stages of the project, including the stage and step you are currently working on. You can go back to steps you’ve completed using this banner.
3. Assignment — The assignment name and the teacher’s instructions appear in the header throughout the project.
4. Comments Tab — Click to open and review the teacher’s comments left for you, or write comments to your teacher.
5. Chat Tab — Click to open and chat privately with your teacher, or chat in peer groups set up by your teacher.
6. Tools Tab — Click to open and use the project rubric and tips to help develop your project.

Your teacher can monitor and comment on your writing throughout the project, and lock or unlock steps along the way.

Print out the Student Writer's Universe Quick Start Guide, and learn more about Writer's Universe by exploring these help topics:

• Find your writing assignments
• Open a project
• Chat with teachers and other students
• Review and add comments
• Learn about the project genre
• Pre-writing
• Draft, revise, and edit your work
• Publish a project
• Self-reflection

Last Updated: June 30, 2022