Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Writing Workshop: Writing a Compare-Contrast Essay
Crafting a compare-contrast essay can prove to be a challenge even for experienced writers. Eradicate the mystery with a PowerPoint that details the rationale for and the structure of this form of expository writing. The 20-slide...
Curated OER
Standard 4--Research Saguaros
This research writing PowerPoint addresses the research writing process, focusing specifically on Saguaros. This PowerPoint exhibits each step of the research writing process and gives examples by focusing on researching Saguaros. The...
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Peer writing evaluation (myth)
Students compose myths. In this creative writing lesson students use their knowledge of the features of myths to compose their own, then share with a peer for feedback.
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Organizing Writing/Composing a First Draft
Seventh graders access an organizer from an earlier lesson and transition sentences to begin a new essay. In this organization and composing lesson, 7th graders work in small groups to create a draft of an article about natural...
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Research and Technical Writing
Students summarize information from their research on to note-cards. In this technical writing lesson students examine examples of note-cards that contain main ideas from research previously conducted. They will then compose their own...
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Leads for Descriptive Writing
Students write two descriptive leads to learn how to reel in readers. After their leads have been written, they will share with a partner to decide which was the most appealing. In this leads instructional activity, students can also...
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Writing a Myth
Students create a myth in the style of Greek mythology. In this writing a myth lesson, students discuss the characteristics of Greek myths and the writing process. Students then write their own myth.
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Writing Away For Information
Students review the format used to write a friendly letter which they will use to write an e-mail. They use questioning techniques as they write a letter of inquiry using a number of drafts. Using a word processing program they develop...
Teaching Tolerance
Journalism for Justice
Roll the presses! Or at least have your class members participate in the time-honored tradition of the student press by creating their own newspapers or journalist pieces on a social problem. After conducting research and collaborating...
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Do Heroes Have to Wear a Cape?
Young writers choose a person from American history, their community, or their family to use as the subject of a persuasive essay. The process begins with a discussion of the characteristics of a hero, the completion of a prewriting web,...
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I Have a Dream Podcasts
Students write dream speeches and record them as Mp3's. In this speech lesson, students watch Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, "I Have Dream Speech." They use the writing process to develop a dream speech which they rehearse. They record their...
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By Jove, I Think You've Got It
Learners author a problem and solution essay. In this environmental stewardship activity, students conduct research and write an essay regarding an environmental topic of their choosing.
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Revising Character Descriptions
Students effectively revise character descriptions. In this revising character descriptions lesson, students work with a partner to give and receive constructive criticism to improve their character descriptions.
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It's a Mystery to Me
Seventh graders produce a mystery story based on a mystery box created by a classmate. They develop the story using appropriate voice and containing a clear beginning,middle and end. They participate in peer editing.
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Water: From Neglect to Respect
The goal of this collection of lessons is to make middle schoolers more aware of the ways in which they are dependent upon water to maintain their standard of living. Learners compare water use in Lesotho to water use in the United...
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Write a Myth
Students explore myths in ancient times. For this mythology lesson, students read or view a video production of a myth to determine specific characteristics of myths. Students work in groups to write a myth that explains an occurrence...
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Biography: Telling Someone's Life Story
There are many different ways to help your students get excited about writing biographies.
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Coaching, Conferencing, and Correcting
Students, after revising their writing and identifying their strengths and weaknesses, edit their writing incorporating teacher feedback and examples from class exercises. In addition, they continue working on individual writing...
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Audio Aesop: Listen to the Lesson!
Aesop's Fables are the focus of this language arts lesson. Young philosophers study and discuss the morals found in the most famous of Aesop's Fables. They write an original fable that teaches a common moral. A "Fable Listening Library"...
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The Scoop Through Desktop Publication
Drafting, revising, and editing is all apart of the publishing process. Using a series of documents as inspiration, young journalists compose a class Newspaper. They work independently and in groups to publish their own articles.
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A Picture Says a Thousand Words
Use photographs to trigger memories. Writers use a personal photograph as a starting point for an autobiographical writing exercise. They complete brainstorming activities that have them study their photograph before actually putting pen...
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A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution
Sit back, relax, and transport to 1787! This instructional activity on the Constitution begins with guided imagery of the Constitutional Convention. The class reads A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution in an interactive...
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Letter to Self: A Personal Time Capsule
Seventh graders identify the parts of a friendly letter and write a letter to themselves as a part of a time capsule. In this letter writing lesson, 7th graders identify the five parts of a letter and write a friendly letter to...