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Creative Coin Stories
Learners participate in a round-robin writing activity started from a single writing prompt. Different coins be worked into the story throughout the course of the activity.
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Personally Speaking
Seventh graders read, "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," and write an expository essay discussing choices they have in society today compared with the character Kit.
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Ecology: Trees
Fourth graders, while working in the classroom and the computer lab, utilizing supporting facts from previous lessons, write a creative story that imagines a world without forests. They write, type and print their stories and turn them...
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Using Comic Strips to Teach the Use of Quotation Marks
Students identify when and why quotations are used. Using comic strips and speech bubbles, they read and discuss examples of quotation marks, and in pairs write text for a cartoon on a piece of paper using quotation marks around the...
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Journalist Japes
Students explore the career of a journalist. In this careers lesson, the teacher introduces the work of a journalist, then students use a worksheet as a springboard for a journalism activity as they write a news article about a specific...
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Creature Feature
Students work in pairs to create a creature and its habitat out of construction paper. Then students write a narrative to describe the animal and its habitat.
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Forced Potawatomi Migration
Fourth graders write about the forced Potawatomi migration. In this primary source lesson students are read journal entries from an emigrating party of Potawatomi Indians. Students reflect on the items the Indians might have taken with...
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Front Page News
Students write original earthquake articles typically found on the front page of a newspaper. Each student has the freedom to write in a variety of writing styles (lead story, human interest story, editorials, etc.). They research...
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Relating to Franklin's Age of Reason
Fourth graders read a selection describing 13 virtues from "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin." They keep track of their behavior and whether or not they can keep up with 5 chosen virtues. They write a 5 paragraph essay on their...
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China's Long March
Students pretend they are a peasant during the time of the March in China. They have been mistreated by Warlords and have very little in their homes. They have been approached by the Red Army to join forces with them. What will...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Learning the Printing Trade
Students explore U.S. History by reading biographical text in class. In this Benjamin Franklin instructional activity, students read about the famous American's first job and the transition he underwent from printing to politics....
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Assessment Rubric
Students complete their activities related to writing persuasive essays. As a class, they review the components and structure of a rubric. They use this information to write their final essay on educational opportunities at amusement parks.
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Using "Four-Square"
Third graders use a four-square graphic organizer to help a third grade writer organize thoughts and clarify thinking to write a simple expository paragraph, a workshop summary paragraph.
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Animal Action
Young scholars construct descriptive sentences. In this cross curricular music and descriptive writing lesson, students listen to classical music and pantomime actions that correspond to the music. Young scholars write descriptive...
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Timely Tolerance
Eighth graders examine issues of prejudice and intolerance in the context of historical and comtemporary events. They discover the structure and tools necessary to plan, write, and create a museum exhibit.
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Essay Editing Lesson Plan
Students discuss reasons to edit their written work and observe how to correctly use proofreaders marks to correct a paragraph. In groups of four, students exchange previously written papers and write suggestions and comments for...
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Ancient History Cyber-Journalists
Students describe and assess circumstances surrounding a major historical event from the ancient world by using Internet (and other) resources to research its location, people, and repercussions, & write a newsletter that summarizes...
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To Whom It May Concern
Fourth graders produce and peer edit typed rough drafts of the business letters following the guidelines illustrated in the Eight Essential Parts of a business letter and save to disks. They complete the Where's the Math? scavenger hunt...
National First Ladies' Library
Designing the Common School: The First Educational Reform
Middle schoolers perform preliminary research to explore education before public (common) education was in place. They design a public educational system of their own. Students construct a report outlining challenges and solutions for...
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Sunrise Sequencing
Students examine sequencing events by discussing what they do each morning. They complete a four-panel sequence of events assignment, drawing a picture and writing a sentence for each box in the panel.
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Interview! Magazine
Young scholars interview a subject and write a biographical sketch for a fictional magazine. In this interview lesson plan, students choose a person to interview and create two sets of questions. Young scholars conduct the interview....
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There's a World of Science to Read Today!
Learners read a current science article. They write a summary of the article, take notes, write and edit a summary, and print their work.
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The Raven: Creator of the Universe?
Learners explore biology by researching birds in class. In this raven identification lesson, students utilize the Internet to identify the anatomy, habits and habitat of ravens. Learners write descriptive paragraphs about ravens and read...
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Novel Analysis
Young scholars read the novel, Lord of the Flies, then write an essay analyzing the novel. They analyze, in small groups, characters, plot, setting, style, symbolism, theme, critical responses, and historical influences