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Peer Editing Form
Save time by downloading a template for peer editing. Included, you will find a one-form-per-page format and a four-forms-per-page format.
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In My Honest Opinion
Students explore the function of letters to the editor for both a newspaper and its readers. They select a current event about which he or she feels strongly, reads a related New York Times article and responds to it in a letter to the...
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What Did You Say?
Twelfth graders identify main ideas in reading selections. They read newspaper letters to the editor, identify the main ideas, list the supporting details, and present each side of the issue to the class.
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Thomas Jefferson's Concept of America
Pupils study Thomas Jefferson's concept of America. They read a chapter from the book, Thomas Jefferson's America, and discuss its main events comparing it to current events. Role-playing a citizen from the 1790s, they write a letter to...
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Friday Forum (Day 5)
Young scholars evaluate their performance in different debates about the laws of Michigan. They write a letter to an editor of a newspaper sharing their opinions. They write journal entries as well.
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Creative Writing - I AM A FISH
Ninth graders write a letter to the editor about the impact of people on marine life from the point of view of a fish.
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The Reader's Recourse
Students discover the recourse newspapers face for reporting wrong information. After reading an article, they examine the dispute between a pharmaceutical company and the New York Times. They evaluate the roles of the editor and the...
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Separate But Equal Opinions
Students examine the ways in which editorials and Op-Ed pieces respond to current events. They write editorials in response to news items from the New York Times.
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Social, Political and Economic Effects of Industrialization
Tenth graders role-play a person living in the United States during the 1890s. Students research their role using focus questions about daily life, including standard of living.industrialization. They have the opportunity to ...
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Tricks of the Trade A Collection of Concrete Poems-for writing concrete poems
Students explore concrete poetry. In this lesson about poetry, students read A Poke in the I, by Paul B. Janeczko, and are introduced to concrete poems. Students read several different kinds of concrete poems including single-word, and...
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Whose Peace?
Students discuss the historical conflicts in Israel and the Middle East after reading an article from The New York Times as a class. Students are divided into groups after the discussion and research parties of interest in the Middle...
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A Test Case for Individual Rights
Students examine the different points of view regarding testing students for drug use. They then work in pairs to create and perform dialogues that flesh out two sides of the argument around this controversial issue.
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News Coverage
Learners compare and contrast methods of media coverage. In this media awareness instructional activity, students keep track of news regarding a world or national issue for the period of 1 week. Learners collaborate to describe the type...
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The Homestead Act
Eighth graders analyze the Native American's viewpoint of the Homestead Act. Using one Native American group who lived in Nebraska, they write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper discussing the Homestead Act and how it affected...
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Environment: The Haves and the Have Nots
Learners examine consumption habits in developed and developing countries and determine their effects on natural resources. In groups, they assess graphs on the Living Planet Report and observe the connection between consumption and...
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Learning About Islam
Students discover how Muslim teens are affected by people's misconceptions about Islam. They see a Muslim teen's point of view on Islam and how it is portrayed in Western society and write a letter to Muslim youth group.
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Father Time
Young scholars create a memory book and acrostic poem for Father's Day. In this Father's Day lesson plan, students appreciate unique things their fathers do for them. Young scholars create an original project for their father.
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Opposition to the AK Native Claims Settlement Act
Students research the ANCSA and report from small groups about what they read.
National First Ladies' Library
The Many Voices of Literature
Students discover the wealth of literature written by individuals not born in the United States. They discover the literature of individuals of multiple ethnicities born in the United States. Students compile a list of books they would...
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Multiple-Meaning Words 1,2,3
In these three multiple-meaning words recognition worksheets, students review meanings, examples, and decoding strategies, choose sentences with words that have same meanings, choose words whose meanings best fit pairs of sentences,...
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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Essay Questions
In this literature worksheet, learners respond to 31 short answer and essay questions about Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
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Unauthorized Immigration and the U.S. Economy
Students examine unauthorized immigration in the United States. In this current issues lesson plan, students examine 4 letters written to the editor regarding unauthorized immigration. Students act as editors and analyze the letters...
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The Teen Scene
Students explore the methods used by teen magazines to attract a variety of teenagers. They evaluate existing magazines and in small groups, students create their own magazine that is geared toward specific teen demographics.
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Drawing the Line at Freedom?
Students explore civil liberties as they relate to the events of September 11, 2001 and the months that followed, and discuss how these circumstances may or may not have altered the rights of American citizens and foreigners visiting the...