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Theater Lesson: Modify My Action
Young scholars engage in a lesson that is about the meaning of a verb or adverb. They perform sketches with the subject matter of the words. The goal is for the actors to show the meaning of the verb or adverb with an action.
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Parts of Speech: Active Verbs
Students use White Fang to help them study active verbs. For this grammar lesson, students define active verbs and find examples in the the novel White Fang. Students then use ProQuest to research a place they'd like to visit. Students...
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Vivid Verbs in Writing
Eighth graders explore how to incorporate vivid verbs in their writing. They review action verbs in sentences and view a Power Point presentation discussing possible verbs and their meanings. They view a website and retell a Greek myth...
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Modify My Action
Third graders listen to directions as they perform a theatrical role. In this vocabulary lesson, 3rd graders listen to and observe the adjectives given to them during a practice of their performance by the director. Students...
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Teacher of the Year
Now is the time to identify the great teachers in your school! Discuss the characteristics of persuasive writing and analyze an example. Then, each pupil chooses a teacher who they feel should be named teacher of the year. They plan and...
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Grammar-Active and Passive Voice
Use this lesson to reinforce the effect of passive and active voice in writing. First, middle schoolers write several sentences, and then use the attached worksheet to identify whether the sentences are written in active or passive voice.
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Introduction to Verbs
Ninth graders, while practicing writing, illustrate how verbs change forms both according to subject and time frame. They drill on verbs of all forms and brainstorm different ways to incorporate them into their writing in groups.
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Eliminate "To Be" Verbs
Learners remove to beverbs from their writing. In this verb usage lesson, students write strategies from eliminating to be verbs, then locate the verbs in their writing and eliminate as many as possible.
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Scene Writing: Literacy and Playwriting
Drama is ever-present in our daily lives and eloquently depicted on stage. Middle schoolers practice writing scenes based on different prompts and frameworks, and then perform those creative scenes for their classmates. The...
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Counting Sentences' Words
Explore language arts by completing a worksheet with class. They read the story Owl Moon and discuss the rhythm of the writing and how action verbs are used appropriately. Then complete a writing worksheet which discusses writing...
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"Contraction Action"
Pupils read and spell common contractions formed from a verb paired with the word not. They read and spell common contractions formed from a pronoun paired with a verb.
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Get in the Newspaper Habit
Dive into journalism with your high schoolers! The resources provided here will help your learners write unbiased, clear, and succinct newspaper articles. First they spend time sifting through stacks of articles, filling out a graphic...
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Correlative Conjunctions
Learners identify correlative conjunctions in sentences and then rewrite pairs of sentences as a single sentence with correlative conjunctions. They practice diagramming sentences of various sentence patterns and then write a personal...
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Teaching Grammar in Context: Using Sentence Combining to Teach Subordination
Reinforce sentence styles with this instructional activity, which prompts young grammarians to build complex and compound-complex sentence structures. They respond to non-print text and identify subordinators as parts of speech...
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Rhythm, Verse and Rhyme: COMPOSING A LIST POEM
Students are provided an opportunity for self-expression. They collaborate with a partner and compose a list poem. Students practice reading and writing skills. They explore lists and catalogues--both elements of poetry and practical...
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Precise Vocabulary
Students complete acting exercises as a part of a precise language activity to help them build vocabulary and improve their descriptive writing skills. In this theatre and writing lesson, students create and act out a sentence with two...
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Show! Don't Tell!
Young scholars write a descriptive paragraph. In this writing lesson, students define elaboration and discuss the characteristics of an elaborate paragraph. Young scholars write a paragraph that contains vivid adjectives, strong verbs...
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Comic Book Project
Students write a fictional story into a comic book format. In this creative writing instructional activity, students analyze example comics and discuss the format. Students create a comic book using imaginary characters that find a...
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Building Believable Characters
Students use descriptive strategies such as physical descriptions, background, and comparison of characters when writing narratives. They develop the topic with supporting details and precise diction to paint a visual image in the...
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Native American Legends
Second graders will engage in an in-depth study of Michigan Native American culture comparing and contrasting the culture of today with that of the past. They will also read a variety of Native American literature focusing on the story...
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A Fish Tale
Young scholars brainstorm a list of famous events that took place on the sea. They write a poem or short story from the fish's perspective about the famous event they have chosen. Students share their work with the class.
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From Ordinary To Extraordinary Writing
Students investigate the quality of writing while focusing on the use of sensory words to convey meaning and ideas. The power of similes and metaphors is emphasized while they create and edit works of writing. The skill of descriptive...
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Picture Me with Words
Students search in newspapers for words that describe them or what they like. They gather the words and use them to create a self-portrait. They read "boring" sentences and rewrite them using more descriptive words. They write 10 word...
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Comic Book Project
Students write a comic. For this writing lesson, students discuss comic books and why they continue to be so popular. Students create a comic book using an imaginary character. Students must present a problem and solution in their comic.