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Writing Exercises: The Crusades I
Three questions in need of well-written answers await your budding historians. They put their reading comprehension to the test when they describe how the Crusades impacted Italian city-states, why kings like Richard the Lion-Hearted...
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Writing Exercises: Early Peoples
Human prehistory is an exciting topic for many learners! Engage your social studies class in critical thinking by having them answer the three short essay questions on this learning exercise. They need to know why prehistoric people...
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The Conclusion Paragraph
Strike a note of hope or despair. Give a symbolic detail. Use a meaningful quotation. These strategies and others are part of a presentation on the purposes of and how to craft a conclusion. Sample conclusions are included for the class...
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Researching African Americans Who Made a Difference
Celebrate Black History Month with this lesson, in which middle schoolers create an essay about a famous African-American. Writers conduct research online, take notes to write an essay in proper format, and use ideas, text, and graphics...
Discovery Education
Writing about Symbolism and Emotion in Huckleberry Finn
To complete a study of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, readers select a well-known quotation or symbol from the novel to use in an essay that analyzes how the quotation or symbol relates to the novel's themes.
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Water: Narrative vs. Expository Texts
A reading of vignettes written by Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Lesotho and Madagascar launches a study of the difference between narrative and expository texts. As final products, young writers craft both a narrative and an...
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Transition Words in Expository Writing
Create to learn! Your class can create posters of transitional words and phrases to help them compose an explanatory text. They work in groups and focus on one type of transition (time, place, importance, etc.). They also create a poster...
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Revising Pronouns and Antecedents
Students choose better pronouns to use in their writing. In this pronouns in writing instructional activity, students identify pronouns in their writing, then replace second person pronouns to improve their writing.
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Expository Essay Topic: Peer Review
Class members use an expository essay worksheet to review a peer’s paper. The focus here is on the thesis statement.
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Persuasive Writing
Eighth graders study persuasive writing. They analzye an editorial for introductory,body, and concluding sentences. They develop arguments for and against various topics in small groups.
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Creatively Creating Expository Essays
Students, after reading Fahrenheit 451, brainstorm inventions that could have been in the novel. They present their invention to the class and writing an expository essay about their creation.
Oakland Writes
Exploring Thematic Motifs in The House on Mango Street
Explore identity and community through an expository essay based on The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This two-week unit on writing an essay provides a brief description of each day and all of the worksheets and materials you...
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Writing Exercises: Russian Revolution, #2
Why did communism develop in an unindustrialized Russia? What human rights were violated under Joseph Stalin? And, how did the Soviet Union become industrialized? These are the writing prompts your class will work to answer with complete...
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Writing Exercises: World War I, #2
In need of three good writing prompts focused on World War I? Learners respond to three prompts, each having them examine an aspect of World War I. They describe the role nationalism played in the war, the impact of the fall of the...
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Writing Exercise: Nationalism Around the World I
Get the class thinking and writing about nationalism around the world from 1800-1914. They answer three writing prompts in paragraph form, discussing the establishment of Turkey, Zionism, and European Nationalism.
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Writing Exercise: Nationalism Around the World II
Think about Nationalism and how it has influenced countries and colonialism all over the world. This worksheet gives learners the opportunity to compose three well-written answers describing the unification of Italy, Otto Von Bismarck,...
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Writing Exercises: World War I, #1
After learning all about World War I, middle schoolers can delve into this writing exercise. They complete three short answer questions that ask them to describe the role of women in WWI, the role of technology in WWI, and four causes of...
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Writing Exercises: World War II, #3
The class responds to three writing prompts focused on WWII. They describe the role Adolf Hitler played in the war, compare and contrast German and British views of the war, and explain the geographical scope of the war at its height.
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Writing Exercises: World War II, #1
Has your class just finished reading about WWII and you need a way to let them show what they know? Hand them this three-question writing prompt. They'll need to describe the role Winston Churchill played in the war, the Rape of Nanking,...
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Writing Exercises: Economic and Social Revolutions III
With great advancements come great changes! Young historians examine economic and social change occurring after the start of the Industrial Revolution. They respond to three questions regarding the beginning of the Revolution, the impact...
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Writing Exercise: Economic and Social Revolution I
Learners take a critical look at the economic and social changes that stemmed from the industrial revolution. There are three short essay questions for them to answer regarding suffrage, changes in women's rights, and urbanization as a...
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Writing Exercises: World War I, #3
What does your class know about WWI? They can share their knowledge by responding to three short-answer questions. They'll discuss human rights issues during WWI, the role of imperialism, and causes of the war from the perspective of the...
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Writing Exercises: World War II, #2
Comprehending the role of key players and events of WWII is a task all learners must undertake. Here, they respond to three critical thinking questions regarding the roles Roosevelt and Stalin played during the war as well as Germany's...
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Writing Exercises: The Role of the United Nations
When did the United Nations begin? Have they been successful at keeping peace? And, what is the Declaration of Human Rights? Each of these questions needs a complete and well-thought-out answer, it's up to your class to do the job. Great...