Scholastic
What a Character!
How do you know what traits a character displays in a story? Learners select a character and find list three traits for this character, explaining why they chose each trait. They then put this information together into a paragraph or essay.
Literacy Design Collaborative
Tracing Character Development in Miss Awful
Scholars take a close look at Roger in Miss Awful. As the plot develops, readers track Roger's perceptions of his substitute teacher. Learners then discuss how Roger's actions toward the substitute changes as the story progresses before...
Curated OER
Organizational Patterns: Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students write an essay comparing and contrasting their school experiences. Through guided practice, they create an outline of their elementary school experience and middle school experience. Using their outlines, students synthesize...
Curated OER
Organizing Ideas
Students organize facts into categories and list the structure of a five-paragraph essay. They identify the main idea and outline the supporting details. In the class, students discuss how they organized their ideas and begin drafting...
Curated OER
Creating a Title Page, Organizing, and Writing the Research Paper
Students create a title page, organize information, and write the introductory paragraph to a research paper. In this research writing lesson, students discuss the elements of the title page and outline, then write one of their own. ...
Curated OER
Causes of the Civil War
Eighth graders write an essay describing one of the main causes of the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, 8th graders discuss the Civil War and then write an essay on it.
Curated OER
Learning About Hurricanes
Students write an outline of facts about hurricanes to include in an essay. In this research essay activity, students use science books and research hurricanes to gather the information for their essay.
University of North Carolina
Summary: Using it Wisely
Sometimes summarizing keeps a writer from going deeper into their analysis—don't fall into that trap. Learn the difference between summarizing and analyzing using an insightful resource. Focusing on introductions, the lesson shares...
Beacon Learning Center
Challenging the Human Spirit
High schoolers select a theme-related essay topic from Night, by Elie Wiesel, or The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, and develop an essay that relates the theme to modern-day personal experiences. The essay follows a preset rubric...
Curated OER
Tejana Military Members in World War II
Seventh graders discover who the Tejanas were and how they contributed to World War II. In this World War II lesson, 7th graders listen to their instructor discuss who the Tejanas were prior to researching the contributions of three of...
Curated OER
Las Tejanas
Fourth graders recognize that the Tejanas were Texas women of Spanish-Mexican origin who contributed to the history of Texas. Students read and research the Tejanas women, complete an essay about a day in the life of a Tejanas woman ,and...
Jen London
Building an Argument
Collect evidence and reasons and fill them in on this page to prepare for presenting an argument. Learners can evaluate what they are missing and make sure they fill in each line and bubble before considering their argument complete.
Curated OER
The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Understanding Photo Essays
Students analyze a photo essay of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas by the photojournalist Russell Lee. They identify the goals of the photo essay, explore a website, and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Zoo's Clues!
Students determine the difference between major and minor details after researching animals and completing graphic organizers. They write descriptive paragraphs for classmates to guess what animal is being described.
Curated OER
Revising Your Draft
Revising, as opposed to editing, is the focus of a presentation that details this essential part of the writing process. The author of this PowerPoint suggests outlining the draft to determine if all the necessary elements are included...
Curated OER
A City Council Meeting
Here is an interesting plan for introducing your pupils to the workings of the local city council. The teacher must go videotape a city council meeting in it's entirety. Learners watch the tape, and discuss what they observed from the...
Curated OER
What Are the Issues?
Investigate and report on three issues related to a current election. Elementary aged learners research information about specific issues, develop an opinion, and write a persuasive essay using supporting details and evidence to support...
Curated OER
When I Set My Hat at a Certain Angle: Trying on Zora Neale Hurston's Voice to Dress-up Prose
After reading and evaluating examples of prose nonfiction by Zora Neale Hurston and other authors, high schoolers write a personal reflective essay rich in figurative language. By incorporating this strategy, they utilize voice within...
Curated OER
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Christmas Bells
Students read and analyze the anti-slavery poem, "Christmas Bells" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. They discuss the content and form of the poem, write an essay, write an original poem, examine how this anti-slavery poem was converted...
Curated OER
Documenting Texas Women’s History through Photographs
Middle schoolers explore women’s history. In this women’s studies lesson, students will examine seven photographs that depict prominent female figures from Texas’s history. Middle schoolers will engage in a discussion of the photographs...
Curated OER
Indian Women in Texas History
Fourth graders study Indian women in Texas. In this US history lesson, 4th graders discuss what each Indian woman's contribution was by completing a timeline and table. Students examine the Caddo Women's pottery tradition and write an...
Curated OER
Tejanas and LULAC
Seventh graders explore the Latino Civil Rights Movement. In this civil rights lesson, 7th graders discover the role of the League of United Latin Citizens (LULAC) as well as the women's arm of the organization and write essays that...
Curated OER
Mastering the Document-Based Essay Question
Students use a primary source document from the Civil War period of history in order to derive meaning for an essay question. The essay is based completely on the document with no other research to support the content.
Curated OER
Step-By-Step
For many emerging writers, essays are completed step-by-step. With the help of this lesson, learners will narrow down a topic, develop a thesis statement, develop a preliminary outline, conduct Internet research, and understand the...