Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Writing Workshop: Persuasive Writing

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
This site has a great unit that leads students all the way through the writing process while composing a persuasive paper. Includes a teacher guide, mini-lessons, assessment rubric, and worksheets to help out at each step of the way.
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Course Overview: Introduction to Contemporary Literature

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an introduction to contemporary literature which is defined as literature written after WW II that deals with modern issues. It also focuses on writing formal essays using MLA formatting and avoiding "accidental plagiarism."
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Contemporary Literature: Contemporary Nonfiction

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson is an introduction to contemporary nonfiction including the definition, types of nonfiction: biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, essays, speeches, and diaries, examples of authors and types, key terms, essential questions,...
Handout
The Write Place

Literacy Education Online

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Literacy Education Online (or LEO) is a great place to start if you need help with your writing. The homepage is organized around kinds of problems or questions you might have concerning your writing. Find your problem, click on the...
Activity
Other

Sample Summary Essay: Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

For Students 9th - 10th
A short summary of an article written on the famous Greek play by Sophocles. A good reference for a student looking for examples of summary essays.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Police Reform

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson featuring videos from FRONTLINE: Policing the Police. Using Newark, NJ, as an example, students gather evidence of discriminatory policing practices, examine the perspectives of police and community, and learn about changes...
Website
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Advantages/disadvantages Essay

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
This four-page essay provides an example of an advantages/disadvantages essay. Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and explanations on the essay.
Activity
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Problem Solution Essay

For Students 9th - 10th
This five-page essay provides an example of a Problem-Solution Essay. Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and explanations on the essay.
Unit Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Introducing the Essay: Twain, Douglass and American Non Fiction

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson plan serves as an introduction to American literary non-fiction writing and focuses primarily on teaching some basic approaches to recognizing rhetorical strategies adopted for persuasive effect in essays and non-fiction. The...
Activity
SUNY Empire State College

Empire State College: Essay Writing Workshop

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site by Empire State College explains the entire process of essay writing. It begins by defining what an essay is and continues then through the entire process, from prewriting to gathering information to shaping information to...
Handout
University of North Carolina

University of North Carolina: Writing Center: Writing About Literature (Fiction)

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students are instructed in a nine-step process of how to write a literary response paper that includes a thesis, strong ideas, and specific supporting details from the text. W.11-12.9a Amer Lit 18th,19th, 20th cen/Analy
Whiteboard
SMART Technologies

Smart: Intro Paragraph

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
How to write an introduction paragraph, including hook, background information, and thesis statement.
Lesson Plan
Writing Fix

Writing Fix: Teaching Students to Compose a Power Essay [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
The Power Essay, like the power paragraph, focuses on helping learners understand the structure of a piece of expository writing. The "power" concept teaches students to organize their ideas according to levels of specificity and to...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Chicago Changes [Pdf]

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd Standards
"Chicago Changes" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about how Chicago changed from a small town to a large city. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining...
Handout
W. W. Norton

W. W. Norton & Company: Lit Web: The Research Essay

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Information about writing a research essay including: generating a topic, generating a thesis, research, and more.
Handout
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School

Cambridge Rindge & Latin School: Writing a Thesis Statement

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
An excellent tip sheet for creating and perfecting a thesis statement. Also includes information about statement of purpose and examples.
Activity
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School

Cambridge Rindge & Latin School: Writing a Statement of Purpose

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
An excellent tip sheet for creating and perfecting a statement of purpose. Also includes information about thesis statements and examples.
Handout
Grammarly

Grammarly Handbook: Transitions and Transitional Devices

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This Grammarly Handbook resource provides information about how to use transition words and transitional devices to connect sentences, paragraphs, and sections in an essay.
Unit Plan
University of Sydney (Australia)

The Write Site

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This interactive home page provides improvement module links in the areas of grammar, citations, and writing. The University of Sydney's The Write Site provides online support to help students improve their writing skills.
Handout
University of Sydney (Australia)

The Write Site: Constructing a Working Thesis

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students will find a thorough definition of a thesis. Non-examples of thesis statements are also provided.
Unit Plan
University of Sydney (Australia)

The Write Site: Summary: Planning Your Essay

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This reference provides a summary of eight steps to follow when planning to write an essay.
Handout
University of North Carolina

University of North Carolina: Writing Center: Introductions

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A handout to assist students with writing an effective introduction to an essay. Gives tips on common errors to avoid. Can be downloaded as a PDF file.
Website
Other

Mtsu: Checklist for Essay Tests

For Students 9th - 10th
This site gives a checklist to use when taking an essay test.
Handout
Other

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant: Occasions for Informal Essays

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
What are the occasions for informal essays? Use this informative site to learn more about when and how to write these types of informal essays.