+
Handout
Curated OER

The Heart of Your Paper: 11 Methods for Writing a Topic Sentence (or a Thesis Statement)

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Help your young writers produce high-quality topic and thesis statements that go beyond basic wording and really illustrate complex ideas and critical thinking skills. From however and compound sentence statements to using rhetorical...
+
Website
University of North Carolina

Thesis Statements

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Phrases such as "This paper is going to be about" and "I am going to tell you about" do not make for effective thesis statements. A handout from the UNC Writing Center helps writers break from those phrases to craft effective thesis...
+
Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Creating a Historical Thesis Statement

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
A strong thesis statement not only identifies the subject of an essay but also presents a claim that must be supported with evidence. After researching how nursing has evolved in the United States since the Colonial era, young writers...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Let Us Start The Lettuce Club (Or Not): Writing A Thesis Statement

For Teachers 9th Standards
Let us be frank! Writers learn that crafting a thesis statement is not that difficult if one peals back the layers. After watching several videos about the elements of a thesis, class members read the article "Lettuce Club helps students...
+
Lesson Plan
Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Business Project

For Teachers 12th Standards
Where's the data? After choosing from a list of business topics, scholars embark on a research project. They develop a strong thesis statement, follow MLA formatting requirements, select sources, and write a five-paragraph research essay. 
+
Lesson Plan
4
4
Dream of a Nation

Writing an Analytic Essay

For Teachers 9th Standards
After researching an issue introduced in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, writers develop an original thesis statement and craft an analytic essay using evidence collected in their research.
+
Activity
1
1
Curated OER

Research Paper Project

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Break down some of the most foundational components of writing a research paper, such as incorporating and formatting citations, creating a thesis statement, and using quotes effectively, into manageable tasks for your young writers.
+
Unit Plan
Trinity University

Explain Yourself: An Expository Writing Unit for High School

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Introduce expository writing with a unit that asks writers to craft an essay to explain a belief, value, or priority that is important to them. Mini-lessons within the unit focus on crafting thesis statements and conclusions, selecting...
+
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young environmentalists learn how to craft a persuasive essay about an environmental issue they consider important. After studying the components of a persuasive essay and examining a student model, writers brainstorm possible topics and...
+
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Seeing the Big Picture - Incorporating Thesis, Evidence, Elaboration, and Concluding Statements in Your Essay: Elements of an Essay

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
Writers examine the elements of an informational essay, identify them in several essay snapshots, and then craft their own to demonstrate what they have learned.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Glass Menagerie: Impact of Expressionism

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young scholars are challenged to write a realistic analysis of Tennessee Williams' nonrealistic memory play, The Glass Menagerie. Writers use the evidence gathered on their worksheets to craft an effective thesis and concluding statement...
+
Activity
National Endowment for the Humanities

A Defense of the Electoral College

For Students 9th - 12th
Each presidential election year, the debate about the electoral college rages. Michael C. Maibach's "A Defense of the Electoral College" offers young political scientists an opportunity to examine a reasoned argument for why the...
+
Activity
1
1
Vista Murrieta High School

English II Research Paper Packet

For Teachers 6th - 12th
If your school requires a senior research paper or if you are considering one for your class, then this resource is for you. The 43-page packet includes everything from a sample letter to parents to requirements, from topic suggestions...
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

The Painted Essay for Opinion Writing: The Introductory Paragraph

For Teachers 5th Standards
The answer is blowin' in the wind. Using the resource, scholars read and analyze a model essay about wind power. Next, they work in groups to write an introductory paragraph that expresses an opinion about the topic. 
+
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1a: Writing Body Paragraphs

For Teachers 7th Standards
It is not what you say but how you say it. Class members prepare for writing their A Long Walk to Water essays by analyzing row four in the writing rubric. Learners discuss the words used and talk about the importance of correct grammar...
+
Interactive
Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Distinguishing Between Inductive and Deductive Reasoning (English III Reading)

For Students 11th Standards
Is Sherlock Holmes an inductivist or a deductivist? Users of this interactive to distinguish between inductive and deductive reasoning. They consider in various situations whether it is better to list evidence and then introduce a claim...
+
PPT
Curated OER

Compare and Contrast Essays

For Teachers 7th - 10th
One of these things is not like the other. But, so what? Why is it important to examine the similarities and differences between two entities? Here's a presentation that shows viewers how to go beyond a mere listing to create and support...
+
Lesson Plan
Ohio Literacy Resource Center

Compare & Contrast Essay

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Comparing two texts can build a greater understanding of the texts and themes of the works. Take some time to follow the steps here to guide your pupils through the process of composing compare-and-contrast essays.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Maryland Department of Education

The Concept of Diversity in World Literature Lesson 13: Unit Culmination - Symposium

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
To conclude a unit on the concept of diversity in world literature, class members conduct a symposium on "African Literature in Global Perspectives." In order to earn a spot on the panel, individuals craft an original thesis that...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
EngageNY

Grade 9 ELA Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 20

For Teachers 9th Standards
Oedipus' lack of literal and figurative vision does not mean he cannot see his guilt in the terrible fates of Laius, Jocasta, and all the lives touched by prophecy. Conclude a literary analysis unit on Sophocles' Oedipus the King with a...
+
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
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Dream of a Nation

Writing Interdisciplinary Essay

For Teachers 12th Standards
The Grapes of Wrath. The Jungle. Native Son. The Things They Carried. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. To address a current social, political, economic, or environmental issue, class groups pair the reading of a classic...
+
Handout
1
1
Odegaard Writing & Research Center

Strong Body Paragraphs

For Students 6th - 12th
Here's a handy, seven-step guide to crafting good paragraphs in support of a claim. The steps are clearly explained and examples provided.
+
Website
University of North Carolina

Reorganizing Drafts

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Poor organization often destroys an otherwise good paper. After writing a first draft, individuals consider the organization of ideas, a topic discussed in the 16th handout in the 24-part Writing the Paper series. The resource covers...

Other popular searches