Pennsylvania Department of Education
Informational Writing
Emerging writers identify an informational piece of writing. They are provided with examples of informational writing and view a PowerPoint on narrative writing. Then, they design their own informational writing with a brochure,...
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Describing Your Ideas Clearly
In this writing clearly worksheet, students complete three activities that help them write a how-to report clearly and precisely. Students place modifiers close to the words they describe, so they don't confuse the readers.
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That's The Story!
Images can inspire powerful writing. Engage your class in narrative writing with the idea included here. Individuals each snap a digital photograph that includes action. The teacher then mixes these up and hands each class member a photo...
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Writing a News Report
In this creative writing worksheet, students use the checklist to edit their fictional news report. Students use the checklist to prepare for their final written report.
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Child Labor in the Carolinas
Fifth graders explore child labor and how children were exploited and used in the work place. In this Industrial Revolution lesson plan, 5th graders research child labor by reading, looking at photographs and drawing conclusions then...
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A Pixie Biography Report
Students practice biographical writing after completing research on the subject. In this journalism lesson, students read a story of an important person's life and discuss the important moments along the way. Students utilize their...
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Joining Phrases and Clauses
In this interactive punctuation instructional activity, students select the best word that joins together the ten given sentences. There is an answer sheet with this online instructional activity.
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Expository --Writing
In this writing worksheet, students investigate the writing process, especially in expository articles. Students examine a piece written for a children's magazine about dinosaurs. Students read about the steps taken to generate it:...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Water Cycle Animation (A lesson involving handheld computer/Palm Pilots)
Fifth graders animate the Water Cycle using Sketchy on the handheld computers. They write an expository paragraph about the stages of the water cycle using "Word-to-Go" on the Handheld computers.
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I See and I Think (It's A Wonderful World)
Students analyze song lyrics (by listening to the song) to pick-out descriptive vocabulary. They use this descriptive vocabulary to create a drawing of the images they "see" in the song. They compare their drawings to find similarities...
EngageNY
Summarizing Notes: Planning a Graphic Novelette, Part III: The Invention of Television
How did the television change people's lives? Learners consider the question as they complete their storyboards about the invention of the TV, adding visual elements along the way. Then, they participate in a peer review to offer and...
EngageNY
End of Unit Assessment, Part III: Storyboard Draft, Section 4
Reflection is the best teacher. Using the resource, scholars complete the final part of their end of unit assessment, the fourth section of their storyboard about an invention. Next, they track their progress using a self-reflection form.
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End of Unit Assessment, Part 1: Text-Dependent Questions and Storyboard Draft: “You Can Do a Graphic Novel” Excerpt
Eyes on the finish line. Serving as the first part of the end of unit assessment, learners answer questions based on a text about how to write a graphic novel. Using what they've learned, they then create a storyboard about the invention...
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Families: Different and the Same
Learners compare varying family structures. In this family structures lesson, students write a book about their family. Learners read The House on Mango Street.
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Does Word Choice Affect the Quality of a Piece of Writing?
Students discuss the importance of word choice in writing. In groups, they rank a list of words from one extreme to the other. After viewing an example, students apply their knowledge of word choice by writing a descriptive paragraph of...
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Word Pairs
Fifth graders practice the trait of word choice and create a narrative writing with appropriate word choices. They work in pairs to write a story using as many word pairs from their imaginations as they can.
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Six Trait Writing with Twain and Doyle
Students explore the traits of writing in this six lessons unit. Poems, fiction, and drama are evaluated to identify writing strategies. Utilization of vocabulary and writing rubrics help students judge the effectiveness of their own...
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Brainstorm This!
Students discuss the advantages and types of brainstorming as a prewriting tool. They experiment with different styles of brainstorming and produce prewriting samples for assessment.
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What Makes Time Tick, or Has the Industrial Revolution Really Made Clocks Go Faster?
Learners explore the concept of time both historically and in their own lives. Students count the number of times they refer to a clock and the number of scheduled and unscheduled activities in their lives. Learners discuss how the...
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A History of Conflict Resolution and the Jury System
Pupils study the history of the jury system in the United States. They enact a number of different types of trials including trial by jury. They complete a worksheet that compares the trials systems before writing a persuasive essay for...
EngageNY
Learning to Observe Closely and Record Accurately: How to Create a Field Journal
Look carefully. Scholars practice observing and recording the natural world around them by looking out a window or viewing an image. Learners discuss how their experience compares to that of Meg Lowman in The Most
Beautiful Roof in the...
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Just Write It!
Learners use a planning sheet to complete a story focusing on details, good word choice, and transition words. They share their stories with the class.
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Improving Your Style Pronouns
In this writing style worksheet, students learn to improve their style by replacing nouns and noun phrases with pronouns. Students complete three activities to help them with pronouns.
Channel Islands Film
Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 4
West of the West's documentary Arlington Springs Man introduces viewers to the remarkable finds on Santa Rosa Island. Archaeologist have discovered on this small island that is part of the Channel island chain, human and pygmy mammoth...