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Drafting the Declaration of Independence
Young scholars working in small groups to compare and contrast the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson with the final version. They list the differences and decide on why the changes were made.
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Personal Narrative Paragraphs: Class Quilt
Begin this activity by asking third graders to bring from home pieces of cloth that represent something important to them. (Have extras for students who need them.) They reflect on important events in their lives, compose narrative...
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Writing Novelettes
Students practice their writing techniques by creating a novelette. In this creating writing lesson, students brainstorm and decide on a topic they would like to expand upon in order to create their own novelette. Students...
Teacher Printables
My Report Pack for... Famous Artists
Famous artists are fascinating, and learners will explore one of their choice using this report pack. Working their way through this template, they write three questions about the artist they are researching, check off types of reference...
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All About Me Books
Young authors write books about themselves using one of the identified types of literature and the writing process. They identify the common characteristics among the books in each group, edit, and gift their books to a younger student.
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Drafting the Gettysburg Address
Students, in groups, compare and contrast Abraham Lincoln's drafts and final version of the Gettysburg Address. They explain the differences between the final version and drafts of the Gettysburg Address.
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Language Arts: Stick Puppet Show
Students create short stories and make stick puppets to act it out. After editing their stories, they glue used CDs or DVDs to popsicle sticks and decorate them as the story characters. Finally, students present their puppet shows to...
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Final Reports
Learners write reports, including a summary of their research findings and their historical journal entries, to be shared with friends and families, and publish their reports.
Teaching Tolerance
Community Newsletter
What does it take to develop and publish a newsletter? Young academics create a newsletter with original artwork for their school or community. They explore social justice themes and spread messages of tolerance and inclusion. Scholars...
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Dramatic Outlines
Students write about main characters. In this dramatic writing instructional activity, students brainstorm character ideas. Students create actions and give the character a voice. Students act out the scene in groups and create a...
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Intermediate Question Response- "Your Favorite Movie"
In this intermediate question response learning exercise, students write a response telling what their favorite movie is and why. They read an exemplary answer, write a rough draft, and a final draft of their answer.
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Writing Original Adventures About Imaginary Sidekicks
Young scholars explore storytelling by conceptualizing a story with classmates. In this publishing instructional activity, students identify the idea development process and discuss word choice when writing a story. Young scholars...
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How Owly And Wormy Became Friends: Using a Silent Comic To Inspire Creative Writing
Students view a wordless comic before using it as a story starter. They access a story that uses the same characters at a website in order to better understand the nature of the characters. They write a story inspired by the comic and...
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Hands on Essays
Third graders relate the concept of individuality of geometric shapes to the individuality of topic sentences. They write and revise a persuasive argument essay using an established rubric.
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Art: Weaving Based on Draft Patterns
Fourth graders observe the process of drafting a pattern on graph paper. After creating their own patterns, they create their own weavings, and explain its title to the class.
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Tall Tales and Urban Legends
In this creative writing worksheet, students sort through old pictures and discuss the characterization in each. Students create characters, a setting, and their own tall tale or urban legend based on the pictures.
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Image to Word
Students research art and write about how a certain art piece relates to their own life. In this art lesson plan, students go to Brooks museum and discuss the art they find there.
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"All About Me" Paragraph
Fifth graders write a paragraph titled "All About Me" in the computer lab after they have drawn graphic organizers to fill in background information about themselves and used a "10-Point Writing Checklist" to do peer editing.
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Writing Places
Students brainstorm ideas after being read a poem and then are to write their own poem and read them out loud.
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Around Town
Students explore their community. In this picture taking lesson, students visit different places in the community. Students take pictures at each place they visit. Students use adjectives to describe the pictures they took and write them...
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Writing
Students discover the process of writing,. including the different steps to be taken in accomplishing the writing process to come up with the final published pieces.
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Music in Words
Your class can build strong, well-represented opinions about the music they hear. They listen to, and share thoughts about, a piece of classical music. Then they write a piece of music or a poem, and analyze their peers' work and their...
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VH1 Driven: Kanye West, Lesson 2
Young scholars compose an original rap. They discuss the career and music of Kanye West, discuss their pre-writing worksheet, and write an original rap using a Final Draft Worksheet.
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Comic Book or Comic Strip Design
Students design an original cartoon character. They explain the creative process and development of a cartoon from brainstorming to final draft and study different types of cartooning. Use the correct terminology associated with cartooning