Learners compare two paintings, depicting urban life in America in the 1940's, answering a series of questions, then create a short story about the paintings' characters. They compare 'Nighthawks' and 'Nightlife.'

A short story is only as strong as its characters, development, and conflicts. Encourage the young authors in your class to plan their stories based on the elements of narrative writing, all provided in brainstorming graphic organizers.

To demonstrate their ability to craft an analysis of informational text, class members read excerpts from James Madison's "The Federalist No. 10," from George Washington's Farewell Address, and from Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural...

This activity may have writers evaluate short compositions, but their subjects are quite tall: great Americans. Pupils read one another's compositions and closely examine how specific phrases and diction contribute to shaping American...

Jump back into expository writing and analysis at the start of a new school year! Start with a review of an authors' stylistic choices in diction, syntax, treatment of subject matter, and figurative language. Writers choose a text to...

Roll the dice! One die represents the subject, and the other represents the verb that must be used. With the subject and verb selected, the player must create a sentence using both correctly. What a fun way to reinforce verb...

Youngsters write and construct their own autobiographies based on The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis. They engage in pre-writing steps, narrative writing, and peer editing. This is the second part of a two-part project lesson.

Discuss your class' vision of the future. Learners create materials for use in a time capsule. They write letters to explain their contribution and provide photos.  Afterwards, they use higher-level thinking skills to reflect on why...

HIgh schoolers respond to a persuasive article on using animal research. In this english lesson, writers listen to a conversation, and discuss the point of arguments. They write a critique on a certain film and share it with their...

Think about a moment, frozen in time. Now take a critical look at the painting, Better, Homes, Better Gardens. This painting works to provide learners the opportunity to analyze art, critique artist's choices, and write a story inspired...

Here are two great lessons that work together and are inspired by the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods. Young writers and actors will retell the story of "The Frog Prince" through games, improvisational script writing, and...

Working in groups, middle and high schoolers describe and discuss photographs depicting working conditions experienced by child laborers in the 19th century. They then write a persuasive paragraph supporting an amendment to regulate the...

Need a musical lesson for your drama or performing arts class? VH1 has put together a really neat lesson, in which learners use biographical information about Alicia Keys to write and perform a one-act musical related to her life. This...

In this persuasive writing worksheet, students decide on one major thing that needs to be changed within their school, write to the school committee, and give three reasons why their suggestion should be considered. Students write 1...

Combine subjects with a cross-curricular writing exercise. Although limited as an engaging or interactive activity, this Early Russia worksheet has learners responding to 3 clear and simple prompts, each of which can easily lead into...

Combine subjects with a cross-curricular writing exercise. Although limited as an engaging or interactive activity, this Medieval Europe activity has learners responding to 3 clear and simple prompts, each of which can easily lead into...

Combine subjects with a cross-curricular writing exercise. Although limited as an engaging or interactive activity, this Early Japan assignment has learners responding to 3 simple prompts, each of which can easily lead into deeper...

Combine subjects with a cross-curricular writing exercise. This learning exercise on the Rise of European Nation-States has learners responding to 3 clear and simple prompts, each of which can easily lead into deeper research. Historians...

Combine subjects with a cross-curricular writing exercise. Although limited as an engaging or interactive activity, this Ming Dynasty activity has learners responding to three clear and simple prompts, each of which can easily lead into...

Whether preparing your second graders for an expository writing proficiency assessment or just planning on introducing the writing process, this 37-page packet is for you. The unit has everything you need from scripted lessons to...

Full of informative, helpful, and accessible activities, a language arts packet is sure to be a valuable part of your writing unit. It's versatile between reading levels and grade levels, and focuses on the most efficient ways for your...

Practice comparing and contrasting with this straightforward worksheet. Young writers compose several different compare and contrast paragraphs about several topics (transportation, sports, relatives, subject areas, a dog and cat). The...

Plagued by punctuation or stymied by spelling? Lesson eight in a nine-part series of career education and skills activities introduces the importance of proofreading. Learners categorize common writing errors and construct error-free...

Just like you choose your clothes to ensure they fit the occasion, you should choose your words deliberately while writing. Style, the main topic of one handout in a series on writing skills, involves choosing words carefully and paying...