Curated OER
Validating Votes
Explore the discrepancies in Florida's vote counting process in 2000 and 2002 with this New York Times reading lesson. Middle schoolers study the viewpoints presented in informational text, paying attention to how word choice can...
Curated OER
Money
Work on money-related vocabulary with this practice worksheet. With words such as "auditors," "mortgage," and "bankrupt," the activity prompts ESL students to choose the correct term based on the context clues of the sentence. These ten...
Curated OER
Beautiful Noise Poetry
"What a beautiful noise comin' up from the street; got a beautiful sound, it's got a beautiful beat..." Use Neil Diamond's "Beautiful Noise" to guide your class through a Six Trait writing activity, in which they write an original poem...
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Verbally Speaking
Verbs are the center of attention in this resource. Students discover that a verb shows action, then they consider twenty sentences that each have an action verb. Students must click on one of three words at the bottom of each slide in...
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Homophone Search
Homophones take center stage in this engaging, interactive slide show. Students see that homophones are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. They consider 20 slides which have sentences with...
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Appropriate Words or Expressions in Context
In this entertaining presentation, middle school students consider a variety of ways to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate words and expressions by looking at context clues. After going over some strategies, students take...
Curated OER
Diction, Choosing the Right Words
Are your students having trouble choosing the right words to communicate their point? Learners view a presentation that explore active and passive voice, redundancy, and diction through examples and definitions.
One Stop English
Brexit
Brexit. Eurosceptics. Titanorak. Frankenstorm. Check out a neat worksheet and the attached article. It's all about buzzwords and how they are birthed. Whoda thunkit.
Novelinks
The Book Thief: The Power and Influence of Words
To culminate a study of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, individuals craft a persuasive essay in which they assume the voice of a member of one of the political parties during the early 1920s, and advocate that their party offers the best...
Curated OER
Avoiding There Are Poster
Encourage precise writing and the use of detail by banning there are from student work. You can put up this simple poster, which includes an image of there are crossed out and an example of how to avoid using the forbidden words.
Write.com
Which vs. That
Show your class the difference between which and that with this basic and straightforward worksheet. Using the context of each sentence, learners circle the appropriate word choice. Assign this as a warm-up activity or a short homework...
Virginia Department of Education
Developing an essay: Using specific nouns, strong verbs, and vivid adjectives
Feeling bored and unimpressed with word choice in your class? If so, consider this activity, which focuses on using specific and precise language. Pupils use highlighters, brainstorm independently and in small groups, and create a poster...
Curated OER
Formal and Informal Language
“C u l8r @ skool.” As part of a study of formal and informal language, class members examine excerpts from Lil’ Boosie lyrics, the Emancipation Proclamation, a speech by Martin Luther King. Links to the resources not provided; however,...
Curated OER
The World Cup
In this grammar activity, students complete a ten question multiple choice on-line interactive quiz about World Cup soccer. Students read the sentences and select the correct word or phrase that correctly fits in the blank.
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Assorted Grammar Quiz
In this grammar worksheet, students complete a 30 question multiple choice on-line quiz. Students choose the phrase that would be grammatically correct in each sentence.
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Various Questions III
In English, we use the phrase used to to express an action that happened in the past. Use this online, interactive quiz to help learners develop understanding of this phrase and how to use it. There are 20 sentences provided here, and...
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Revising Pronouns and Antecedents
Students choose better pronouns to use in their writing. In this pronouns in writing lesson, students identify pronouns in their writing, then replace second person pronouns to improve their writing.
Curated OER
A Creative Presentation
Bring writing to life with this lesson plan in which elementary and middle schoolers create a display of the imagery they identify in a series of Gary Paulsen books. They read the suggested materials, identify imagery and descriptive...
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Choose Your Words Wisely
Improve word choice! Writers use dictionaries and thesauruses to aid them in choosing exciting words to incorporate in their writing. They rewrite sentences and practice identifying words that can be replaced using a better word. Flip...
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When You Reeeaaallly Want to Say Something
Kids paraphrase an entry from The Elements of Style, and then revise a sentence. They use the Visual Thesaurus and find synonyms for the phrase very pretty, brainstorm a list of intensifiers (as alternatives to really and very), then...
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Analyzing Nonfiction Text Elements - Editorials
Examine the text features of non-fiction. Start the lesson by reading editorial samples provided by their instructor and analyze the texts for word choice, details, and organization. An editorial example and graphic organizer are...
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Prop Box
What other uses can you brainstorm for a key? What about a pair of sunglasses? Bring a bag of props into your classroom and have learners create different uses for a selection of objects. Then, after everyone has shared, translate the...
Curated OER
Connotation: Three Lessons for Effective Word Choice
Over the course of three days, middle schoolers explore the concept of connotation. They differentiate between the connotative and denotative meanings of sports team names, develop their own team names, logos, and text, and revise a news...
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"Knot" the Whole Truth: Writing a Modern-Day Story with a Tall Tale's Voice
Beyond Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, tall tales can be a great way to teach young writers about word choice and voice in their writing. Using Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee and the Six-Trait Writing process, they begin to write their own...