Curated OER
A Song By Any Other Name Would Be a Poem
Students examine the poetic elements of a piece of music. They discuss favorite songs, select a song, and write a persuasive essay identifying the poetic qualities of the song lyrics.
Curated OER
Transgenic Salmon
Students research the various aspects of transgenic salmon. In stakeholder groups, they create posters intended to sway voters for or against the creation of transgenic salmon. They also write an individual position paper on the subject.
Curated OER
Cyberattack Detection Versus Privacy Protection
Students examine the issues of privacy and security as they relate to computer monitoring. In this privacy protection instructional activity, students carry out a round table discussion and write a persuasive essay pertaining to whether...
Curated OER
Retain or Abandon, Adapt or Convert? The Immigrant's Dilemma
Students read and discuss a narrative exploring how immigrants retain their own cultures or assimilate into the host country. They examine the emigrant's experience in Liberia and write a position paper.
Curated OER
To Cut or Not To Cut
Students examine the pros and cons of animal dissection and discuss various case studies in animal dissection. They research various perspectives of using animals as learning tools and write a position paper which tells their opinion on...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Gathering the Appropriate Information
Students are able to use the library and/or computer lab to research reliable information sources supporting arguments being put forward in the position paper. They are able to find examples of mission statements from various...
Curated OER
Children's Media and Censorship
High schoolers form opinions about children and television censorship after analyzing literature. They complete a journal writing activity to identify the topic and make a list of inappropriate television shows for children. Next, they...
Curated OER
Goggle Eyes
In this Google Eyes worksheet, learners read eight chapters from Google Eyes and then complete a comprehension exercise, speech marks, persuasive writing, fact and opinion, question mark, and the comma worksheets. Students answer one...
ProCon
Daylight Savings Time
An entomologist named Geroge Vernon Hudson is credited with proposing Daylight Saving Time (DST) so he could better study his insects. Using the informative website, scholars read a brief introduction to the topic and then explore the...
Curated OER
Corporal Punishment
Nineteen states legally permit school officials to physically punish children. Scholars learn more about the topic as they use the website to prepare for a class debate or discussion. Pupils read background information and discover the...
iCivics
Emphasize Minimize
Encourage your class members to consider what points they are really emphasizing when they are making an argument, whether in writing or in speech. Watch out though, as this instructional activity may just leave your learners eager to...
Novelinks
The Little Prince: Anticipation Guide
Begin your unit on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince with an anticipation guide that addresses the novel's themes. Kids read ten statements that discuss love, friendship, and growing up, and determine whether or not...
PBS
The Impact of Genetically Modified Seeds
What is all the fuss about genetically modified foods? PBS provides this resource designed to supplement the documentary Food, Inc. to help learners investigate the benefits and controversies of genetically modified foods...
US National Archives
Eastern Europe 1939-45 — Stalingrad
Acts of civilian courage in Great Britain—and in one case, the island of Malta—often receive the George Cross, instituted by King George VI at the beginning of World War II. After the valiant defense of Stalingrad by its inhabitants,...
K20 LEARN
Trigger Warnings - Intellectual Rights and Responsibilities: Banned Books, Censorship Part 1
"Warning: Conducting this lesson may be harmful." Such statements, called "Trigger Warnings," are the focus of a two-part lesson that looks at censorship, especially the pros and cons of trigger warnings. Class members read two articles,...
Curated OER
Talking about Advertising
Students examine tools and techniques of advertising. In this advertising lesson, students view ads, disvuss common terms used, and analyze techniques. Students are presented with situations and must design and advertisement for the...
Curated OER
Historic Flight of the Wright Family
Students write a persuasive letter. In this persuasive writing lesson, students view a video of the first flight and read The Wright Sister by Richard Maurer. Students discuss societal roles of women.
Curated OER
Thoughts to the President
Pupils write a persuassive paragraph to the President stating their opinion on a topic. To do this, they start the message with a topic sentence such as "War is _____." The blank should contain a word or phrase expressing the student's...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Weather Instruments For Sale
Learners create advertisements for a weather instrument. They conduct Internet research, write a descriptive and persuasive advertisement for the instrument using the flyer template of desktop publishing software, and print a copy that...
Curated OER
Wilbur West, An Oral History
Third graders listen to the history of Wilbur West, a World War II veteren. They discuss how he is an important piece of history. They write a persuasive essay on the importance of Veteren's Day.
Curated OER
Read This Book
Students practice summarizing a story that they have read. They write a persuasive essay encouraging others to read the story they have finished. They are to create a movie trailer or advertisement to promote the book.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
6 Traits: Word Choice
Students explore language arts by participating in a vocabulary usage activity. In this word choice lesson plan, students read examples of great word usage in literature and discuss with the class why some words appear stronger than...
Curated OER
Race and Genetics: An Integrated Approach
Students analyze racial issues related to the Human Genome Project. They participate in a mock symposium and write a reflection/position paper based on specific ethical principals.
Curated OER
Causes of the Civil War
Young scholars research information on the causes of the Civil War. They rank their top three reasons and individuals responsible for the war and then use that information to write a position paper.