Georgia Department of Education
Creating Suspense
Fifth graders practice creating suspense in writing. In this narrative instructional activity, 5th graders read stories that create suspense through the use of cliff- hangers. They use cliff-hangers in their own writing.
Curated OER
Persuasive Letters and The Tell Tale Heart
Young scholars write persuasive letters based on "The Tell Tale Heart." They brainstorm topic sentences, main ideas, and details. They analyze the character and determine if he is innocent or guilty. They create a map listing their...
EngageNY
Writing Narratives from First Person Point of View: Imagining Meg Lowman’s Rainforest Journal
I spy with my little eye! Learners observe page 23 in The Most Beautiful Roof in the World and practice what they would add to a field journal. They discuss how details from the text help add to their thoughts. To finish,...
Curated OER
The Final Word
Although this activity is based on “Final Word,” Craig Wilson’s USA Today column, the strategies could be adapted to any local columnist. After reading three articles independently, groups share observations about content and style used...
Massachusetts Department of Education
Nostalgia
To prepare for crafting their own memoir, class members examine poetry by Margaret Atwood, Billy Collins, Robert Hayden, and Claude McKay, stories by Richard Rodriquez and Willa Cather, and Barry Levinson's film Avalon. They examine...
Calculated Industries
Army Survival
Intended as a reference tool for US Army personnel, this application can be used in a classroom that is studying historic and current wars or as part of an outdoor education or wilderness survival course. Some of the subjects addressed...
Crafting Freedom
George Moses Horton: Slavery from a Poet's Perspective
Pupils have the unique opportunity to learn about the institution of slavery by reading first-hand experiences as described by George Moses Horton, the first slave to publish anti-slavery poetry.
Curated OER
The Stories Behind the Masterpieces
Students examine Rembrandt's self-portraits and discuss important events in his life. They also examine "Aristotle with the Bust of Homer" and try to identify with the person in the paining, predicting what his life might have been like....
Curated OER
Country Comparison Venn Diagram
Fifth graders discuss different countries, their cultures, similarities and differences and choose a set of focus questions to research. They create a narrative story using their researched information in first person narrative stories.
Curated OER
Dear Diary
In this narrative worksheet, students compose a diary entry that includes different facets of writing. Students then respond to different narratives in the class by answering 11 different questions.
Curated OER
Immigrant Role-Playing
Young scholars role-play as immigrants coming to America during the early 1900's. They conduct Internet research printing out pictures and reading biographies. Students use the information gathered to create scrapbooks in which the write...
Curated OER
Who Tells the Story? Defining History
Seventh graders examine historical perspectives. In this historical writing instructional activity, 7th graders discuss their definitions of history and then discuss perspectives of history. As a culminating activity, students write...
Curated OER
World War I: Letters from the Front
Students reesearch life on the home front and the front lines during World War I. They use primary and secondary sources to write letters. Students role-play as soldiers writing letters home and then assume the role of the person...
Curated OER
Deduction
Students investigate the linguistic devices used by writers to create meaning. In this writing lesson plan, students discover why writers write in different ways showing examples of different types of text. After reading each type...
Curated OER
Journal Writing: Daily Activities
Students use present tense verb endings by describing his/her routine daily activities, demonstrating verb endings. They listen to teacher's description, taking notes. They write their own journal entries about their own daily routines.
Curated OER
Follow the Drinking Gourd: Creative Writing
Students conduct Internet research to identify the conflicts and positions of slaves, slaveholders, and members of the Underground Railroad network in the time preceding the Civil War. Students write an essay about their findings written...
Curated OER
Problem/solution
Students examine presentations of problems and reaching solutions in literature. In this writing skills instructional activity, students read "The Three Little Pigs," and respond to several discussion questions about plot, characters,...
Curated OER
Writing and Publishing Skills
Seventh graders experience the satisfaction of writing for a purpose; their self-selected piece be published for an audience. They write using techniques appropriate to the selected genre.
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Wagons West
Students assume the personality of a pioneer on a wagon train and create daily journals. In this journal writing lesson, students read excerpts from The Way West: Journal of a Pioneer Woman. Students use their...
Curated OER
Printable Story Starter: The Missing Valentines
A writing prompt about a classroom's missing Valentines allows students to finish the story with their own endings, and to provide their own titles. The lesson comes with a picture and the beginning of the story to full prompt students...
Curated OER
Social Movements in American Politics
In this Civil Rights Movement worksheet, students follow the provided instructions to write term papers on the social movement and how it was impacted by American politics.
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Virtual Realities of War
Students outline the major events, mat??riel, and setting of a war or conflict. They develop a computer game narrative that draws on these historically accurate details.
Curated OER
In Hiding: A Choiceless Choice of the Holocaust
Students read various examples of children who lived in hiding during the Holocaust. Using the texts, they identify commonalities between the children and create a timeline of events. They read a first person narrative of hiding and...
Curated OER
Depression
Fifth graders discuss feelings and depression and brainstorm ways to seek help. In this health lesson, the teacher leads a discussion about emotions focusing on when emotions are balanced and when they become unbalanced and a person can...