Curated OER
Examining What Sharing Really Means
After reading "The Senegalese Miracle" about the degree of sharing the author encounters upon arrival in Africa, class members read Mike Tidwell’s “Sharing in Africa” and compare the two stories. This cultural diversity instructional...
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Writing A Resume
Young scholars practice the skill of writing a resume that reflects professional presentation. They use a worksheet that is used for writing guidelines. The tool is effective for the scaffolding of different ability levels. Then students...
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Process-Writing
Learners prepare to write a discursive composition. They pay particular attention to generating, selecting, ordering and organizing ideas. Students incorporate the use of linking devices and paragraph planning.
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Writing Away For Information
Students review the format used to write a friendly letter which they will use to write an e-mail. They use questioning techniques as they write a letter of inquiry using a number of drafts. Using a word processing program they develop...
What So Proudly We Hail
A Lesson on Benjamin Franklin’s “Project for Moral Perfection”
Benjamin Franklin identified 13 virtues that he felt would strengthen his character if he could focus on each one. A thorough lesson explores high schoolers' personal values in the context of their lives, and compels them to strive for...
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Creating Personalized Stationery
Students write, format, enter, save, revise, edit a full block style letter with open punctuation for printing. They produce a personalized letterhead using a computer and access information from the Internet using a variety of search...
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What Do You Want to Sell?
Students explore how companies describe their products and services. They write business plans for companies based on their interests or needs.
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Improve the Lives of the Homeless in New Orleans
Students develop a business plan to address the issue of homelessness. In this "Homeless in New Orleans" instructional activity, students learn how to develop a business plan, interview homeless people, brainstorm ideas and present their...
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In Good Company
Students research and write a radio or television news special on some of Silicon Valley's most successful companies. For homework, they write lead-ins commenting on new developments and reactions to them.
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Pitcher Perfect
Students consider how advertising messages are constructed and relayed. They invent fast-food businesses and create presentation posters outlining the first commercials to promote their new brands.
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Publication Project
Ninth graders publish a magazine during a ten week marking period. They make individual contributions to the group project that is based on career choices. They write and publish articles, poems, entertainment pieces, and a play that...
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Short Story Lesson Plan
Students read and discuss the short story, "The McWilliamses and the Burglar Alarm," by Mark Twain. They assume the role of the main characters in the story and write a humorous letter of complaint using a business letter format. They...
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Living on the Titanic
Eighth graders research life on the Titantic using the Internet. They write journal entries from the point of view as a Titanic passenger. They write a friendly letter and a busines letter.
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Cause And Effect
Fourth graders read the book Stellaluna and cite sentences that show cause and effect in the story. In this cause and effect lesson plan, 4th graders also write sentences that show cause and effect in their own lives.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fourth graders read the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for Reader's Circle, they also are writing a variety of pieces for the Writer's Workshop that is closely related to the novel. The quality and the quantity of work that...
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College Accept-tion to the Rule
Students extend their ideas about the college application process. They write an informative, persuasive letter about themselves to a college admissions counselor that could be used as a 'cover letter' to college applications.
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For Richer or for Poorer
Students read about one cross-class marriage and create scenes to dramatize interactions among the family members and consider how class shapes relationships. They imagine the issues faced by cross-class couples by writing a short story.
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Do You Hear What I Hear?
Students explore and review punctuation. They discuss examples of poorly punctuated paragraphs and how it affects writing. Students describe the types of punctuation used for writing. They correctly punctuate a variety of sentences and...
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Advertising Books
Students experience a variety of ways to share their favorite books with their classmates. They write and present commercials to "sell" their favorite books to the class and participate in a community of readers who regularly discuss and...
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Poetry With the Sages
Students write poems and input them into a word processing program. In this poetry lesson, students listen to Chinese poems and draw mental images. Students compose poems and illustrate them. Students share their work.
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Introducing Biographies-Getting to Know You
Learners study biographies as a nonfiction genre while examining a variety of examples. Next, they access and complete an online tutorial about biographies. They choose one person that interests them to conduct further research using a...
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2002: The Year In Review
Students research and create a book highlighting significant events and trends throughout the world in the year 2002. Then, through creative writing, they respond to the events or trends themselves and how they affected our world.
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The Power of Persuasion
Students explore the power of persuasion. In a classroom setting, students discuss incentives, testimonials and deceptive pricing schemes that are used to influence others. After observing professionally made infomercials, students...
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Bloody Business
Young scholars research word frequencies in Macbeth and create a frozen picture inspired by a word. In this Macbeth lesson, students view Blood Will Have Blood and discuss the dual meaning of the word "blood." Young scholars...