Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Is That Legal? A Case of Acid Rain

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
The goal of this activity is to understand how techniques of persuasion (including background, supporting evidence, storytelling and the call to action) are used to develop an argument for or against a topic. Students develop an...
Handout
Boise State University

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This online writing assistance offers help in the writing process, grammar and mechanics, usage, and four different types of essays, as well as help on deciding what and how to document.
Professional Doc
Utah Education Network

Uen: Grade 1 on Demand Opinion Writing Samples

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
This collection of opinion essays prompted first graders to write about a "best pet." From the Vermont Writing Collaborative, with Student Achievement Partners and CCSSO, these written pieces are part of the In-Common: Effective Writing...
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Ninth Literature and Composition: Types of Writing: Review

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson is a review of the unit on types of writing including purpose, audience, tone, the writing process, the four types of writing, and sentence fragments and run-ons. A quiz is provided.
Handout
Harvard University

Harvard University: Strategies for Essay Writing

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This website provides a series of links to detailed information about each segment of how to write an academic essay from how to read the assignment to the final edits. Use the links to the right. W.9-10.1a claims/intro/org, W.9-10.2a...
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: The Writing Center: Thesis Statements [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is a five-page PDF handout on how to write strong thesis statements for argumentative essays with examples.
Unit Plan
Thinkport Education

Write Now: Arguing for Change

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
Students are presented with a scenario of bullying and are asked to write an "argument for change" as a way to get classmates to stop bullying. In preparing their argumentative piece, students are guided to examine fiction and nonfiction...
Handout
University of Sydney (Australia)

The Write Site: Why & How to Use Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This University of Sydney reference explains the importance of using reputable sources in academic writings. Then the site provides steps to follow to assist students with using bibliographic sources. Click on the sections list to...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: Empire of the Air: Power and Impact of Radio

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Students will listen to historic news events as broadcast on radio, view current news coverage on television, and compare and contrast how those events were reported on both media by developing an essay which addresses the question "Is...
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: The Bill of Rights: Debating the Amendments

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Help students grasp the idea of making amendments with this lesson on the debates of the amendments to the US Constitution. Use primary sources to have the students choose their own amendments, give them opportunity to analyze the...
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Analysis of Relative Values of Specific Data, Facts, and Ideas

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] This lesson focuses on analyzing and evaluating the value of the sources used for evidence in a research project.
Lesson Plan
CPALMS

Cpalms: A Piece of Cake

For Teachers K - 1st Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, students will present their opinion through drawing, writing and speaking. Students will enjoy discussing their favorite animals, pizza and cake. Students will learn about...
Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Stakeholder Debate: Wind Energy

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using a case study of the Cape Wind Project in Nantucket Sound, students examine the various points of view of stakeholders, and hold a debate to argue about the pros and cons of this wind energy project. Includes handouts for...
Primary
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Logical Fallacies List: Arguments to Avoid [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is a multi-page PDF list of logical fallacies to avoid when writing. These include a detailed list includes fallacies in relevance, reasoning, omission, and ambiguity; and discusses the logic tool "Occam's Razor." This list of...
Website
iCivics

I Civics: Curriculum Units

For Students 9th - 10th
A large collection of Social Studies units, WebQuests, and games that focuses on teaching students how government works and the importance of being responsible, informed American citizens. Units are linked to state standards. A teacher...
PPT
Tom Richey

Slide Share: Argument and Persuasion

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
A slide show with fourteen slides with notes, tips, and examples on how to write a persuasive essay.
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Generate Ideas and Questions

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson will focus on the writing you do in high school. Whether you write expository and persuasive essays or short stories, your first steps are to determine and define your audience. After that, you will begin to generate ideas...
Lesson Plan
Writing Fix

Writing Fix: Voice Building Poetry Lesson: Comparison & Contrast Poems

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
In this lesson, young scholars examine multiple mentor texts to help drive them toward the final persuasive writing assignment: comparison and contrast poems written from a parent and a child's perspective. A short story, two poems, and...
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: The Pros and Cons of Discussion

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Contains plans for four lessons that use "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. to engage students in a discussion about what constitutes equality. Lessons use re-writes, persuasive essays, computer activities, and informal class...
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Analysis of Relative Values of Specific Data, Facts, and Ideas

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you're going to begin to think about how to analyze the data, facts, and ideas that you need to support your argument, the final step in planning your...
Handout
Other

Wsu: Improving Your Argument

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students writing persuasive essays run the risk of using inaccurate or illogical reasoning. This site by Weber State University provides pointers to help eliminate this problem. Several dos's and don'ts are given, as are 14 common...
Article
Other

Brookings Institution: Ending Oil Dependence: Protecting National Security

For Students 9th - 10th
A critique of America's dependency on oil, authored by Brookings scholar David Sandalow, with a six-part recommendation for solving the problem. Includes downloadable position paper and fact sheet. (Published Feb. 28, 2007)
Graphic
Daily Teaching Tools

Daily Teaching Tools: Persuasive and Expository Essay Maps

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Teachers can scaffold writing instruction with the assistance of Daily Teaching Tools. Persuasive and expository essay graphic organizers are featured on this page.
Website
Other

Persuasive/argumentative Essay vs. Opinion Writing

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson plan teaches students that writing a persuasive or argumentative essay for class is the same as writing an opinion article for their local newspaper. The lesson plan includes showing students examples of opinion writings and...

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