Curated OER
The Right and the Power
Students read, discuss and analyze the New York Times article "In Wartime, Who Has the Power?" and relate the article to the Constitution. They then brainstorm how the president and Congress make decisions about the war in Iraq and write...
Curated OER
Power of Persuasion
Teaching students about persuasion can be a fun experience that involves writing, PowerPoint presentations, and vocabulary building.
Clever Student Training Company
Eliminating Weak Essay Material
A strong essay eliminates weak or unnecessary material. Determining what information contributes to an essay and what information should be deleted is a skill readers and writers of informational text must develop. Class members practice...
Film English
Theo’s Story
Encourage your class to consider a beautiful short film about a boy named Theo who happens to be visually impaired. Over the course of the lesson, pupils work in pairs, discuss their ideas and the film as a class, view the film, take...
Curated OER
Creating Hate: The Power of Words
Students explore why authors choose to use hate words in literature. In this power of words lesson, students complete group participation, journal entries, and written assignments to investigate the use of inflammatory language. Students...
Curated OER
Writing Like an Artist Paints Using "Chasing Vermeer"
Young scholars use artistic words when writing about an object moving quickly past a character who is standing still. In this writing and art lesson plan, students read the passage Chasing Vermeer and base their writing off of it.
Curated OER
Constitutional Issues: The Separation of Powers
Students research and stage a debate on the question: RESOLVED that the Constitution should be amended to provide for a parliamentary system of government. They debate if a parliamentary system of government might be better.
Curated OER
The Personal Touch: a Lesson in Expository Writing
Shake hands with all of your class members, sending a different verbal message as you go along. Give them practice in expository writing by having them describe the handshake and how it makes them feel. This is an exploration of...
Curated OER
Who Has the Power?
Fifth graders write persuasive letters expressing opinions about the purchase of 25 acres adjacent to Wakulla Springs proposed to include a convenience store/gas station. They submit the letter to the Florida Department of Environmental...
Curated OER
Who's Who at Our School
Students interview staff members at their elementary school in order to get to know them better. They write interview questions, conduct an interview, write a paragraph about the staff member, and take digital pictures of that person....
Curated OER
Parents' Day
In this Parents' Day learning exercise, students complete activities such as reading a passage, matching phrases, fill in the blanks, correct word choosing, multiple choice, sequencing, unscramble the sentences, write questions, take a...
Curated OER
World Theatre Day
In this World Theatre Day instructional activity, students complete activities such as reading a passage, matching phrases, fill in the blanks, choose the correct word, multiple choice, unscramble the words, sequencing, unscramble the...
Unified School District of De Pere
Reader Response Journals
Writing about and in response to what you read can help you process the text and lead to stronger analysis. Included here are four larger topics that students can write about, sentence starters to help pupils get started with their...
Curated OER
Compare and Contrast Essay Checklist
Are you looking for a basic checklist your writers can use as they edit a peer's compare/contrast essay? Reviewers simply check yes or no for each of the criteria listed in three categories, and then use the space at the bottom of the...
K20 LEARN
Nose Like a Cherry: Understanding Similes and Metaphors
Clement Moore's "Twas the Night Before Christmas" models the power of descriptive language for middle schoolers. They identify the similes and metaphors in the tale and consider what these descriptions add to the story's emotional...
Curated OER
Main Idea
What could you pack for a trip if you don't know the destination? After writing a list of items they would want to bring, fourth graders learn that the "trip" is to the South Pole - revealing the need to understand all available...
Curated OER
Indigenous People Day
Do you know why we celebrate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People? Did you even know we celebrate this day? After reading a short passage about this international celebration, scholars answer true or false questions,...
Curated OER
Water Safety Spelling Worksheets
In this water safety worksheet, students read paragraphs about water safety and write spelling words taken from each paragraph. Students write 5 words 4 times each.
Curated OER
When I'm President
In this writing worksheet, students fill out a brainstorming graphic organizer about being president. They are then prompted and guided through writing a first and final draft of a paragraph using their ideas.
Curated OER
School Day
Young scholars participate in a lesson that involves writing a persuasive essay. They use the prompt of "extending the school day". The paper should contain correct elements of sentence structure with clear purpose that is supported with...
Curated OER
SATP Informative Essay I
Young scholars explore the basic steps of writing an informative five paragraph essay. Using a hamburger as an analogy, students discuss the five part method of writing and, given blank hamburger sheets, they fill in the main parts of...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Alice Paul" by Katharine Rolston Fisher
Powerful women need not look like Wonder Woman. After writing a paragraph about a strong woman they know, young scholars examine images of Alice Paul and then do a close reading of Katharine Rolston Fisher's poem "Alice Paul." Finally,...
Curated OER
Using Plural Nouns in Descriptions
In this plural nouns learning exercise, students complete three exercises that help them understand and use plural nouns in descriptive writing.
Curated OER
Checks and Balances
Young scholars take a closer look at the responsibilities of the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. In this U.S. government activity, students read articles 1, 2, and 3 of the Constitution and then use Venn diagrams to...