Curated OER
Writing with Writers for Grades 9-12
Have your class examine the characteristics of various writing genres using the Writing with Writers online project. Detailed instructions for how to introduce, discuss, and develop a piece of writing for each genre are included. Class...
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Biography
Transform a written biography into a video biography! Introduce your learners to the biography format by reading them a few examples (some suggestions are included). Then discuss the factors that make a good biography. What information...
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Library Skills: Biography
Biographies deserve special attention when training youngsters how to use the library because they are alphabetized by subject rather than by author. Guide children through the process of finding biographies over a two-visit series. On...
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"Me" Resource
Learners elucidate themselves by writing up to six entries in different formats. Some formatting choices include a dictionary, encyclopedia, or atlas entry, a magazine article, a newspaper article, and a table of contents. Some...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Frida (Winter)
Combine vocabulary in context with art history using Jonah Winter's colorful biography Frida. Although there are quite a few words you could teach from this text, four are listed here with connecting questions: ill, imitate,...
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Dr. Seuss and Read Across America
What important facts about Dr. Seuss influenced the Read Across America movement...? This is the driving question of a research project that requires scholars to find information about Dr. Seuss' life and work. Class...
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Living Biographies
Third graders create a multimedia slide presentation containing facts, graphics, and sounds relating to a biographical figure based on their reading of a biography or an autobiography. They present their slide presentations before the...
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Autobiography - Student Trading Cards
Motivate your class with this lesson! Learners use the trading card format to create an autobiography. They are given a list of characteristics to list, write down what they would like to include on their trading card, and head to the...
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Writing with Writers
Students identify unique characteristics of different writing genres such as biography, folktales and mysteries. They create original piece of writing using the writing process and then post their original writing online. They think...
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We Are All Authors: Create a Book
Every child is an author with this engaging reading activity. First the class reviews the various parts of a book such as the title, author, dedication, and author-biography. Then each individual will choose a story of their...
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Biography of a River
Students examine the importance of rivers. They conduct research on a select river, and develop a river biography that includes a century report, description, interviews, and an epitaph in the form of a Cinquain.
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Night of the Notables
Young scholars read several biographies of famous Americans and discuss the characteristics of a biography. Students collect biographical information on another person in the class and write a biography. Young scholars research and...
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Cool Melons Turn to Frogs
Third graders become familiar with the poetry of Issa. In this haiku lesson, 3rd graders recognize the format of a haiku and learn about the life of Issa (the poet) through focused questions, vocabulary and reading responses. Students...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Alexander Graham Bell
Study the features of nonfiction text with a set of comprehension and analysis materials. Readers learn about Alexander Graham Bell with questions about the text, writing prompts, and proofreading activities.
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How To Write In Biographical Format
Students are introduced to the proper way to write a biography. As a class, they view examples of the format and what information to include. To end the lesson, they begin to write their biography and develop their voice when writing.
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Tobacco: Fictional Biography
Eighth graders identify the impact of the political and social changes in North Carolina after the Civil War. Using their text, they explain the role of agriculture, textile and tobacco in the area and how it helped economically develop...
National Earth Science Teachers Association
The Earth Scientist Project
Pairs of learners choose an earth scientist from an extensive list. They collect information by researching online or in books about the childhood, education, and major contributions made by their chosen scientist. When they present...
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A Mirror into History
Are we really all that different from people in the past? First, learners of all ages write an autobiographical poem. Then, they research the lives of historical figures. They use the same format that they used to write their own poem to...
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And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street Writing Activity
Students are read a Dr. Suess book. They use the same format found in the book to create a class book about what they see on the way home from school. They practice writing sentences and illustrate them for the book.
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Biopoem
Reinforce the actions, emotions, and characteristics that determine what a character is like by having your middle schoolers create a biopoem using the model presented here. You could engage them first by having them write a poem about...
Channel Islands Film
Telling Your Own Story
After watching and discussing a video on the Voyage of Cabrillo, individuals craft their own origin story and design and build an artifact they feel best represents their history.
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The All About Me Poster
Students write about themselves and create a poster to illustrate who they are.
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Letters Home
Students read a short biography of Jacob Early, a member of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1862. In this Civil War instructional activity, students rewrite a letter written by him, editing for spelling, grammar and punctuation. Students...
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Who Am I? - Brainstorming
Young scholars brainstorm lists of places, events and relationships that define them. They search for clip art and pictures in magazines to illustrate the items on their list and create a graphic timeline of their lives.