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.

Review active and passive voice with young writers. They will use the passive voice to write persuasive articles encouraging healthy diets. The activity includes brainstorming activities for the writing, as well as a homework extension...

Can your class tell the difference between passive and active writing? Use this lesson in your writing conventions unit. The lesson prompts middle schoolers to create essays, demonstrating understanding of an active versus passive voice...

Students write letters to the editor. In this written communication lesson, students read sample letters to the editor and use the active voice to compose letters to the editor about issues in which they are interested.

Students write letters to the editor. In this written communication lesson, students read sample letters to the editor and use the active voice to compose letters to the editor about issues they are interested in.

Learners write letters of complaint. In this written communication lesson, students use the active voice to compose letters of complaint to selected audiences. 

Students explore American social movements. In this writing skills instructional activity, students read Orwell's "Politics and the English." Students then apply the rules for writing that are included in the piece. Students follow-up by...

Learners, after using the "Intermediate" selection of the Tense Buster software, recognize and practice using passive voice in their writing. As a result of this task, they correctly use five new vocabulary terms with passive voice in...

Students compose letters of complaint. In this written communication instructional activity, students read sample letters of complaint and use the provided graphic organizer to analyze them.

Young writers compose an article on the benefits of healthy eating. They are coached on how to use the passive voice in their writing. On the whiteboard, they brainstorm ideas of why healthy eating is important, then use those ideas to...

What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and ...

Students practice writing and speaking using conventional grammar, usage, and sentence structure. Students practice as a whole class and then demonstrate their knowledge in written activities. Handouts and worksheets are imbedded within...

A great resource for your unit on Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Small groups conduct research about related topics (list included), write papers, present PowerPoint slide shows, and take a student-created test. Fill in a few...

Ninth graders explore civil rights by reading several biographies. For this Nelson Mandela lesson, 9th graders discuss the trials and tribulations Nelson Mandela had to face in South Africa and how they were similar to the problems...

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...

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...

Learners explore the services available to them at their local post office. As a class, students discuss the function of each method of delivery. Learners choose a postal option appropriate to a scenario the instructor provides. This...

Students discuss the changes in the legal, social, and political status of African Americans and those of mixed ethnicity after reading the narrative, Haitian Immigration: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.

Students discuss how their daily diets fit into the dietary guidelines set out by the food pyramid. They write a paragraph describing good health habits and identify areas where their personal diet can be improved.