Curated OER
Editorial Writing: What's On Your Mind
Young scholars write an editorial column for a newspaper. For this journalism lesson plan, students discuss and analyze editorials in print and broadcast media. Young scholars will compare the differences in these two formats...
Curated OER
???The Hell of Mirrors??? by Edogawa Rampo
Students read and analyze the story "The Hell of Mirrors," by Edogawa Rampo. They watch a video excerpt, answer discussion questions, construct a periscope, complete handouts, define key vocabulary terms, take a quiz, and write a book...
Curated OER
Book Review
Students write a five paragraph theme that explains how the novel which they read in this unit effectively utilized various literary elements to portray the impact of a disease on a population. They then decide which three literary...
Curated OER
Technical Writing - The Hobbit
Learners explore The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. In this literature lesson, students review technical writing. Learners read The Hobbit and write down the steps that take place in the book in a list.
Curated OER
Novel Study Night of the Twisters
In this reading worksheet, students use this graphic organizer to map the beginning, middle and end of The Night of the Twisters. Students use this "plot pie" to write a few sentences to summarize the story. The graphic organizer is...
Curated OER
Teach a Mini-Lesson Sentence Variety
Help your developing writers spice up their writing by studying simple, compound, and complex sentences.
Curated OER
Holocaust Nightmare Revisited
Fourth graders read the autobiography "Night" and discuss why Elie Wiesel was ing to relive this time of his life through writing. They write an essay covering Elie Wiesel's purpose for writing the book.
Curated OER
Maniac Magee Lesson Ideas
Here are ideas and activities to include in a "Maniac Magee" novel study.
Curated OER
Coast-to-Coast Book Design-Part 4: Let's Create the Pages!
Students work in groups to share their lists of A-B-C ideas they came up with from the previous activity. They review page layouts taught during lesson two. Students complete a rough draft of their page. They create a colored...
Curated OER
Writing Traits Instruction
Students assess and critique a wide variety of writing samples for each of the traits of writing strands from literature, composition writing, reading and assessment tools. They create and design a descriptive definition piece of writing...
Curated OER
Write for Change
Students discuss and list injustices experienced in the novel "Hoot". They review the different ways letter writing was a part of the novel "Hoot". They choose one issue that is of concern to them and state their viewpoint on the issue....
Curated OER
Biopoem
Reinforce the actions, emotions, and characteristics that determine what a character is like by having your middle schoolers create a biopoem using the model presented here. You could engage them first by having them write a poem about...
Curated OER
Truly Amazing Mammals
Explore the world of amazing mammals with your kids with special needs. Each child identifies one mammal from a previous lesson and writes a short paragraph on that mammal. This lesson states that it is intended for all levels, but not...
Curated OER
Language Arts Jeopardy
Review parts of speech, verb tense, The Giver by Lowis Lowery, the mechanics of writing, and vocabulary. This Jeopardy-style game is perfect for any 4th or 5th grade class having read the book The Giver and in need of language arts...
Curated OER
Book: Crossing the Seas
As learners read each chapter of Eric Schwartz's Crossing the Seas, they analyze the actions of United States in Venezuela, Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the intent of the Monroe Doctrine. They then compare...
Curated OER
Reviewing Good Playing Habits
The string section of your school orchestra can get a proper form make-over by incorporating this lesson. They reestablish proper playing form, posture, and sound as they compose an essay on how to maintain good playing habits during...
EngageNY
Reading about the Author’s Perspective: Why Do Authors Write about Natural Disasters?
It's all about perspective. Scholars view a note from the author in Eight Days. They determine the gist and discuss what they can learn about the author's background based on the note. They then complete a fishbowl activity in...
Literacy Design Collaborative
Using Textual Evidence to Analyze Literary Responses to Historical Events
Scholars analyze Animal Farm to learn how to add textual evidence into essays to support their ideas. They search for a deeper meaning to the story and how it relates to the text Totalitarianism and Revolutions in Russia. To finish,...
Sandra Effinger
Bulletin Board Project
Imagine a project that informs and entertains. Replace book reports with a bulletin board that highlights all the important elements of a novel. Readers research the author, create a timeline of events in the story, write a...
Literacy Design Collaborative
Identifying Points of View through Character Responses in R.J. Palacio's "Wonder"
Readers examine the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio to determine how characters respond differently to situations and events. Readers annotate and analyze the text and carry out group discussion using accountable talk. They work in small...
EngageNY
End of Unit Assessment: How Word Choice Contributes to Tone and Meaning
It's finally time for pupils to show what they know! Scholars finalize the unit with an end-of-unit assessment. They use the book Inside Out & Back Again and the "Forgotten Ship" transcript to examine word choice, tone, and...
Anti-Defamation League
Challenging Gender Role Stereotypes
Through thoughtful discussion and a read-aloud, scholars challenge gender role stereotypes. Pupils examine pictures and collaborate with their small groups to debunk stereotypes. They explain what gender role stereotypes they know of and...
Curated OER
Penguin Paradise
Learners read about penguins and communicate their information in a one paragraph summary. In this penguin writing lesson, students review sentence construction. Learners complete a KWL about penguins and read the book Penguins Through...
Curated OER
Children's Books
Students use their personal experiences to create students's books for younger students on topics to which they can relate. Students observe a guest speaker who talks about different formats of students's books that are available, then...