Everyone is a writer! Youngsters compose an original piece of writing. In this writing lesson, they come up with their own idea for a piece of writing, revise it, and then publish it with illustrations. This lesson includes three...

Be sure to grab a copy of the Revolutionary Times! Scholars take a step back in time to report on topics set in the revolutionary period. Events include the ride of Paul Revere, the Battle of Saratoga, and more.

Young writers edit their writing to make sure it shows good meaning and clarity. In this writing lesson, students are given a variety of "What If?" scenarios to choose from as writing prompts. A class discussion ensues, which focuses on...

Third graders write directions. In this real-life connections lesson, 3rd graders write the steps for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  After writing, students share their papers and actually make the sandwiches following...

Read The Quicksand Book by Tomie dePaola while taking notes about the story.  Perform a read-aloud, and work your way through the text with your youngsters. With this plan, learners also write about ideas from a previous day, and...

To practice pre-writing techniques your class will re-read the book George vs. George and complete a T-chart along with brainstorming ideas on how to organize their essay.

A fun, modern twist on journaling! Instead of responding to prompts in their composition notebook, writers use the Internet to complete blog entries. A sample blog (with prompts) is shown here, and writers are assessed on conventions and...

Students examine how to write a query letter to a publisher. They plan a short story they would like to write, conduct Internet research about possible publishers, and write a sample query letter.

High schoolers start by drawing Mr. Essay Man, who is supposed to illustrate the different parts of an essay. After discussing what each component should contain, writers start their essay, guided by the teacher and class discussion....

Looking for a way to bring prewriting into your informative writing unit? Use this lesson to reinforce writing skills in your eighth grade language arts class. Young writers use a web graphic organizer as a prewriting tool for expository...

Encourage your writers to use sob instead of cry loudly to trade in adverbs for strong verbs. Improve your middle and high schoolers' writing with this humorously written instructional activity which demonstrates how to remove excessive...

Students explore strategies to help focus on writing a personal narrative. In this personal narrative writing lesson, students read a book and discuss how the author lets readers know how they feel. Students find a moment in their own...

Young scholars use wordplay to investigate the grammatical components of a sentence. They read a New York Times article by analyzing the writer's use of nouns and verbs in the article and then constructing original sentences using those...

Young scholars determine how animals and people adapt to the desert environment. In this desert lesson, students review vocabulary about the desert and how humans have to make changes to accommodate their environments. They listen to and...

Students study biographies as a nonfiction genre while examining a variety of examples. Next, they access and complete an online tutorial about biographies. They choose one person that interests them to conduct further research using a...

Students discover the importance of descriptions and detail in their writing. They write in their scientific journals and are evaluated by the teacher. They write a descriptive piece and evaluate their own writing as well.

Third graders compare their thoughts about Africa before and after reading an associated book. In this cultural understanding lesson, 3rd graders write down their thoughts about Africa. They receive information from the book, Somewhere...

Students brainstorm elements of nature art prints and photos. They identify the syllable count of Haiku and take a nature walk. They write Haiku poems while practicing the use of simile, alliteration, metaphor, and analogy to describe...

Learners 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. 

Fifth graders listen to a read aloud of Patricia Polacco's, Thank You, Mr. Falker! students examine the use of voice in the book, discuss the writing and theme ideas. They write a thank you not to their hero.

Students study American transcendentalism through readings of Emerson and Thoreau. They make cognitive connections to the similarities to Buddhism in these writings. The connection of the literary movement is explained in the art of the...

Students discuss the criteria for the Lewin Project. They practice writing using their emotions and feelings. They write to find a voice in their pieces. They share their ideas with the class.

High schoolers read and analyze the point of view of a selected classic short story. They take notes while reading the story, select a character, and rewrite the story from a different viewpoint.

Young scholars explore several different types of biographies to determine their area of interest, choose one notable person they would like to explore, complete online tutorial on biographies, and use written and Internet resources to...