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Character Development
Round, flat, dynamic, static, and stock. Introduce viewers to the basic character types with a brief presentation that describes how to bring these characters to life. The presentation concludes with two photos. Ask your writers to...
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Tone and Style: The Subtleties of the Short Story
The elements of good writing are the focus of a presentation designed for short story writers. Included is advice from famous writers on how to develop a style, emphasize the tone of a story, utilize the predictable, and maintain interest.
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Setting: Location, Location, Location
How does setting affect a story? Designed for story writers, this presentation encourages the viewer to consider the functions of the setting and how the characters can help build the setting. Show this PowerPoint and then give your...
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The Short Story
When did short stories first come about? Flip through this six-slide presentation with your class to give them a brief glimpse into the world of the short story. Designed for emerging writers, you could also show this resource to a class...
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Developing Your Writing Voice
Developing a distinctive voice is a challenge all writers face. Here’s a presentation that defines the parts of voice (attitude, syntax, diction) and then asks viewers to engage in a series of activities designed to model how to develop...
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Editing at the Word Level
Editing at the word level means looking closely at each noun, adjective, verb, and verb in the piece being reviewed. Writers are encouraged to highlight the words they find satisfying in one color and words that fall short with another....
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Fundamentals of Dialogue
The conventions of written dialogue are the focus of a PowerPoint that explains the purpose of dialogue formatting and dialogue tags. Also included is an exercise that asks viewers to craft a scene for three individuals employing what...
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Structuring Memoir
Review the essential elements of the memoir with a presentation that reminds writers of the structural options (chronological order, in medias res, etc.) available to them. Augment the slides with memoir models to ensure understanding.
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A History of Poetry
What has rules and has no rules? What has rhythm and rhyme, and no rhythm or rhyme? What is arranged carefully and is scattered? Why, poetry, of course. Although text-heavy, this PowerPoint does provide a context for the study of poetry...
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Meter and Sonnets
In order to fully grasp the poetry of William Shakespeare, it's essential to study the sonnet and its meter and rhyme. Eight slides introduce basic terms like meter, foot, iamb, trochee, spondee, etc. Pair this presentation with a sonnet...
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Poetry and Sound
How is poetry like music? It's all in the sounds. Provided in 17 slides are over a dozen poetry terms and their definitions. Some terms offer examples, and some do not. Consider adding examples for all terms so that you're as clear as...
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Introduction to Drama
What plays will your high schoolers read this year? Before starting your drama unit, show this PowerPoint to your class. Consider making minor edits to make it more applicable to your class (For example, give your own personal anecdote...
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Writing for the Stage
Has your class written a play yet? If that type of writing has yet to be done in your classroom, show this presentation to help your writers format their cover page, dialogue, plot, etc. You could also show this PowerPoint before reading...
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Screenwriting
Who knows? You may inspire the next George Lucas or Steven Spielberg with a script writing presentation that provides some basic tips. Young film makers begin by reading scripts for movies they know, scripts for movies they don't know,...
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Interrogative Pronouns
Some interrogative pronouns are tricky like who and whom. Help your class use interrogative pronouns and predicate pronouns correctly with this 11-slide review. Explanations and examples complete the first six slides, and a practice...
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Parallel Structure
Color-coded examples highlight a presentation on parallel structures. Slides model for viewers how to use the same pattern of words to show that the ideas or items have the same level of importance. Word, phrase, and clause samples are...
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Subject-Verb Agreement
Review subject-verb agreement with a presentation that defines and then illustrates the rule with color-coded examples. Singular and plural nouns and verbs are included in the sample sentences.
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Complex Sentences
Review the parts of a sentence! This short slide show describes simple, complex, and compound sentences. Examples of each are shown, and on the final slide, viewers finish five dependent clauses to create complete sentences.
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Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
Do your young grammarians confuse reflexive and intensive pronouns? Learners are introduced to the definitions of these terms and view examples. Consider using color-coded markers to mark the reflexive and intensive pronouns, as well as...
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Compound-Complex Sentences
What is a simple sentence? What about a complex sentence? Review simple, compound, and complex sentences with this nine-slide resource. Example sentences are presented, and a short writing opportunity follows. After showing this...
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Apostrophes
After “a brief history of the abused apostrophe” viewers are introduced to the various rules for the use of this punctuation. Model sentences are included.
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Colon and Semicolon Rules
Are your kids always mixing up the colon and the semicolon? Help make their purpose clear with this short presentation. Thirteen slides offer explanations, examples, and a short practice opportunity. Although it serves its purpose, the...
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Commas
How do you use a comma? Review the most basic uses of a comma with this quick and easy presentation. Six comma rules are introduced and examples are given, but no practice opportunity is currently provided. Edit the presentation by...
Orange County Schools
Piggybook
Summarizing text is a balancing act between being brief but thorough. You need to be short and to the point, but also cover all the important details, a task that presents a challenge for many young learners. In this lesson based on the...