Put your common writing errors to rest with this resource, which prompts high schoolers to create eulogies and tombstones for overused and incorrect words. They work on correcting common errors in spelling and usage mistakes in their own...

Students design book covers. In this graphic design lesson, students are introduced to designing book covers. Students develop skills on how to promote their designs to clients. Students then create their own book covers.

Students design a chair with function in mind. In this design lesson plan, students design a chair out of newspaper that is strong enough to hold a "peanut ball". Students discuss how the form follows the function. This lesson plan...

Students investigate the types of footwear worn during ten periods of history.  In this secondary, art/math/social studies lesson, students view documentaries and popular films to study the time periods.  Students research the...

Students design and test balsa cars.  In this crash tet lesson, students design and build their own cars to specifications.  They explore the physics of motion and vehicle crash safety.

Students redesign a dead space in the school to create an interesting and stimulating visual environment. In this art design lesson, students look at how to redesign architectural space and research ways to enhance a space. Students then...

Students design a bag that they would personally use to carry needed items to school. In this bag design lesson, students observe real bags and assess needs and wants for a new bag. Students brainstorm design solutions and render their...

This in-depth article analyzes how teachers can effectively teach students that written language does not always correspond to spoken language. Sample lesson ideas are included. SL.9-10.6 Adapt to task/formal. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1,...

This Skillswise site focuses on formal and informal speaking. Included are a video about how to decide whether to use formal or informal speech, fact sheets and worksheets for instruction. The Skillswise sites from BBC are geared to...

This lesson focuses on understanding an article or essay by looking past mere words on a page to the choice and arrangement of those words in order to analyze the way writers express themselves. The choice and arrangement of words make...

Journalists are inundated with acronyms. This site contains 240,000 of them and their meanings. Search tool allows you to enter the exact acronym or the first letter. You can even enter a keyword and look for acronyms that include it....

This is a research-based article concerning how to best teach academic vocabulary. Research finds that most teachers assign and mention vocabulary, but to be effective, instruction must be direct and meaningful. Recommendations for...

This resource explains six ways authors use context clues that might help readers understand unfamiliar words. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.4, 8.2.B

Contains plans for two lessons that teach students how to recognize an author's use of style in literature. These plans use "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston as an example, but the basic ideas can be adapted to other...

Knowing the right language for your particular audience is a necessary skill for all writers. No one wants to offend their audience or appear as though they don't know their content. Learn these rules of thumb to become more familiar...

In this lesson, small groups of students will compete in a "shades of meaning" contest to see which group can use the Visual Thesaurus to help them match words with similar definitions but different connotations in the shortest amount of...

This lesson explains how to evaluate the possible meanings of vocabulary words. An audio lesson [3:07] and notes are included in this tutorial. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.4

This series of four video segments features a social studies teacher and a chemistry teacher demonstrating the integration of academic vocabulary into their classrooms. These segments feature the incorporation of general vocabulary (Tier...

This video [14:33] shows a demonstration of academic vocabulary instruction through the context of a complex work, a poem. The teacher demonstrates how to access the literal meaning of new vocabulary and then infer the deeper meaning....

Practice learning figurative language using these audio-enabled flashcards with literary terms and their definitions. Also provided is a list of terms and definitions (audio available) and links to games and a test. Java is required....

This lesson goes over ways in which the correct use of grammar may be perceived as formality. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1 and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.6, L.11-12.1a Gram/Usage changes

This site offers a multitude of figurative language quizzes (some by grade level), a PowerPoint presentation and links to much more. It features a 30 question quiz asking students to either read or listen to statements and then select...

This slideshow lesson focuses on formal language. It reviews the basics of formal language and the need to know your audience. It explains how to change various types of informal language into formal language and provides examples....