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Show Not Tell
Middle schoolers learn to show, not tell, in their narrative writing. A slide show takes them through the process of choosing strong, descriptive words, and then provides writing prompts for them to use as practice. The first two pages...
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How to Write a Biography
Looking for a great instructional activity on how to write a biography? Here, middle schoolers draw from magazine articles, novels, historical figures, and current events to choose a person, or character to write about in a biography....
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The Golden Rules of Story Writing
In this story writing skills worksheet, students consider 6 guidelines for authoring their own stories. Students use the guidelines as they write their own stories.
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Reading Response Journal Lit Logs
Here is a worksheet presenting many ways to create topics and start sentences. The writing prompts are best used for young writers who are creating reading response journals or literature logs. Sometimes, all a writer needs is a good...
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Time Capsule Survey
Here's a fun way to incorporate technology into your curriculum. E-mail each of your class members a picture and 10 questions about the photo. Individuals then imagine the story behind the image and e-mail back their responses. Although...
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Shadowmancer by G. P. Taylor
In this review of the book, Shadowmancer, by G. P. Taylor learning exercise, 6th graders answer questions divided into the sections Before you Begin, What to Do as you Read, Chapters one through twenty-five, and After Reading. Students...
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Comic Books in the Classroom
You can use comic book projects to teach a variety of curriculum topics.
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Character Analysis Lessons
Graphic organizers can be a great tool to help students understand character analysis.
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Creative Book Reports Make Reading Fun
Giving students a variety of options for reporting on chapter books is simple to do.
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The Power of Words in "Charlotte's Web"
Students analyze the text in Charlotte's Web. In this language arts lesson, students dissect the passages from Charlotte's Web, specifically the adjectives Charlotte used to describe Wilbur. Finally, students play a game using "word...
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Story Element Lesson Ideas Keeps Learning Interesting
There are some fun and interesting ways to make sure that students understand story elements.
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A Little Advice
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a passage on how to write a fiction story. They then write their story using the ideas in the passage. There is a discussion point provided on this page. The students also complete...
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Everyone's an Author
Students examine variety of written pieces of quality fiction, discuss what different story elements are present and how those elements make stories as effective as they are, and create a class story.
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Write for Change
Students discuss and list injustices experienced in the novel "Hoot". They review the different ways letter writing was a part of the novel "Hoot". They choose one issue that is of concern to them and state their viewpoint on the issue....
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Conflict Resolution Trade-book
Students discover ways of dealing with conflicts at school by reading a guide. In this psychology instructional activity, students identify how conflicts are started with fellow classmates by reading a trade-book with their class. ...
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Young Learner's Writing Workshop 1
Students become familiar with writing an essay in English. They are given an overview of basic essay writing styles. Students develop skills that are used when analyzing texts as the basis of their essays.
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From Athena to Zeus: Digital Stories Through the Eyes of Greek Gods and Godesses
Practice creating digital presentations based around Greek Mythology. Your class will create digital books dedicated to individual Greek Gods. They will utilize their photography skills and multimedia labs to create a digital experience...
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Movie Music
Students discover film making by participating in a music performance. In this performance arts lesson, students perform music and physical acting to convey an already written script for their peers. Students collaborate with their...
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Come On, Rain!
Students read and analyze the story. In this language arts lesson, students read Come on, Rain! and examine how mood and tone are created, the use of figurative language and the characteristics of the genre. Students research the time...
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Perspectives in Writing
Students consider various perspectives in writing and write a short story. They view a painting and discuss its theme and the idea of personification as perspective. Choosing three different viewpoints, they write a story about the...
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Book Buddies
Students read a book and share a book review with an e-mail book buddy once a month. They word process the review, copy and paste into the e-mail for sharing.