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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tornado Brainstorming

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
While the focus of this instructional activity is on writing about tornadoes, any topic could be substituted. The instructional activity provides a well-thought out overview of the writing process. Learners come up with a thesis...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Peer Editing / Revision

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Complete the steps of the writing process. Emerging writers present final drafts of essays that include thesis statements, appropriate paragraphing, elaboration, and style. They participate in a peer editing activity that requires them...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Essay Writing

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Teachers can involve their students in activities that expose them to a variety of essay styles.
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Unit Plan
1
1
Oakland Writes

Exploring Thematic Motifs in The House on Mango Street

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
Explore identity and community through an expository essay based on The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This two-week unit on writing an essay provides a brief description of each day and all of the worksheets and materials you...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Compare and Contrast Night to Life is Beautiful

For Teachers 8th - 10th
After reading Elie Wiesel's Night, watching the movie Life is Beautiful, and researching World War II, class members write a comparison essay on the book and film. This includes a prior knowledge activity, discussion in whole and small...
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Study Guide
Spark Notes

For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway: Study Guide - Essays

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
Included here are three short study questions and five essay topics for the novel For Whom The Bell Tolls. Consider using these in an upcoming final assessment, but also remember that many high schoolers use SparkNotes to prepare for...
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Study Guide
Spark Notes

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman: Study Guide - Essays

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
SparkNotes is popular for a reason! It provides tons of information, and even for teachers, there is useful information on this website. Respond to eight short answer and essay questions about Philip Pullman's trilogy of His Dark...
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Study Guide
Spark Notes

Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt: Study Guide - Essays

For Students 9th - 12th
Use an online interactive literature instructional activity to test comprehension and critical understanding of the book, Homecoming. Learners respond to eight short answer and essay questions about Cynthia Voigt's novel. Answers to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Night Compare Contrast

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Using a constructivist approach and a graphic organizer, small groups work together to begin a paper, comparing and contrasting the novella Night and the movie Life is Beautiful. Assuming that your learners have studied both of these...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Curriculum

Expository Writing

For Teachers 6th - 9th
The beauty of the way this expository writing resource is structured is that the units can be presented as a complete writing workshop or sequenced throughout a course of study
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PPT
Curated OER

Visible Speech: A Short Course in the Fundamentals of Writing/Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Focusing on writing an introduction, this presentation provides a variety of techniques for how to begin. Although the question marks on slide six obscure the writing, the other slides are clear and legible and display good examples for...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Grade 9 ELA Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 17

For Teachers 9th Standards
Eighth graders demonstrate their understanding with the final assessment in a literary analysis unit based on Karen Russell's short story, "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves." Having prepared for the assessment in the last few...
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PPT
Curated OER

Writing the Five Paragraph Essay: Some basic rules for writing that you should always follow!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Need a quick review of the format of the five-paragraph essay? The strength of this presentation is in the color-highlighted examples used to illustrate the terms. Consider adding additional slides that provide a model of a complete essay.
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PPT
Curated OER

The Five-Paragraph Essay: Tips for Success!!

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Need to review the five-paragraph format with your high schoolers? Although the presentation does not include a complete essay as a model, the concise definitions and explanations would serve as a good review before learners are assigned...
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Activity
2
2
Valhalla Free Union School District

End of the Year Writing Portfolio Project

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Ask class members to reflect on their year-long writing experience by creating a portfolio of their work. Here's a resource that details what should be included in such a portfolio, and provides a rubric that can be used to assess the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan 11: Beginnings

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Every good novel needs a solid beginning! Setting the stage can have your budding authors stumped, so use this lesson to get them thinking. After examining the plot rollercoaster image (included) they consider the four places their story...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Review Steps in the Writing Process and Explore a Poem

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students practice their persuasive writing skills. In this writing process lesson, students write essays that meet the requirements of the included text element worksheets and analyze poetry of their choosing.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
MENSA Education & Research Foundation

The Writer’s Toolbox: What You Need to Master the Craft

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Strengthen your high schoolers' writing with a series of steps for writing successfully. With sections on organizing an essay, choosing a topic, crafting a thesis statement, and revising a draft, the lesson encourages your class to...
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Handout
Curated OER

Thesis Statement + Projected Plan = Introduction

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Set up your writers for writing strong introductions with a formula for putting together supported thesis statements. This reference page breaks the process down and provides an example of how to compose a thesis statement, develop a...
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Assessment
New York State Education Department

Comprehensive English Examination: January 2016

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Poetry and prose often have more in common than it initially appears. A sample comprehensive English exam has test-takers compare and contrast two passages to answer short response questions. The exam, which is part of a larger set of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Adventure Writing: Oregon's Landscape as a Setting

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students identify geographical features of different regions encountered by migrants on the Oregon trail. Students research how the Oregon landscape may have affected life and 19th century westward migration. Students write a narrative...
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PPT
Curated OER

Narrowing a Topic & The Importance of Audience

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Help your young writers through the sometimes difficult process of beginning to write. Direct them through how to choose a topic and write to a specific audience. Great refining statements guide them to writing focused, clear essays. 
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Essay Outline: The Outsiders

For Students 7th - 10th
In this essay writing worksheet, students are given prompts to help them develop an outline for an essay. Students then use this outline to write a four paragraph essay on The Outsiders.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Grade 9 ELA Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 29

For Teachers 9th Standards
Writers review the provided essay rubric, edit and rewrite if necessary, polish their work, and then submit their argument essay.