Curated OER
The Sparkplugs: Special Occasions for Writing In the History Classroom
Students are to discover ways in which to spark their interest in writing. As a class, they examine the purpose and function of political conventions. Individually, they role-play they are a page at a National convention and identify...
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Writing
Students write poems and a narrative story. In this writing instructional activity, students read stories and poems written by other students and read examples of haiku's and diamonte's. Students write an acrostic poem and a...
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Let's Sing, Read, and Write
Students sing and read the old favorite song Wheels on the Bus, and write new song text for a poster and a class book.
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Write a Song About American History
Students explore the historic background of the song, The Battle of New Orleans. Working in pairs, students research other historic events and write their own songs based on them.
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Write Your Own Screen Play
Students critique the transition of "Holes" from a novel to screenplay and consider how the details in a book are brought to life in a movie. They then choose a scene in a book and transform it into an original script after brainstorming...
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Using Effective, Evocative Writing as a Model
Students analyze the author's style to learn techniques for strengthening their own writing. They re-read "Music in the Fields" and highlight images that create vivid pictures in their minds-places where Young "shows, not tells" and...
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Tricks of the Trade A Collection of Concrete Poems-for writing concrete poems
Students explore concrete poetry. In this lesson about poetry, students read A Poke in the I, by Paul B. Janeczko, and are introduced to concrete poems. Students read several different kinds of concrete poems including single-word, and...
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Turn On, Tune In, and Write Down
Students locate, access and listen to a variety of radio and audio samples found on the Internet. They discuss the material in small groups and identify areas of interest for further discussion.
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Night: Unsent Letters Writing Strategy
As part of their study of Elie Wiesel's Night, individuals assume the voice of an Auschwitz survivor and craft a letter to a former SS officer who worked at the camp and claims he is not guilty of any crime.
Literacy Design Collaborative
Macbeth: Influence of Supernatural
Something wickedly wonderful this way comes in a lesson that focuses on Macbeth. After a close reading of the play, class members craft a literary analysis essay in which they use evidence from the text to show how Shakespeare uses the...
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The Little Prince: Problematic Situation
Your plane has crashed in the Sahara desert. What do you do? Explore the possibilities with a role-playing activity based on Antoine de Saint Éxupery's The Little Prince. In groups, kids decide whether they would walk to find help...
Roald Dahl
Matilda - Arithmetic
Mr. Wormwood, one of the characters in Roald Dahl's Matilda, is not the most trustworthy of characters. Have student groups take on the roles of car salespeople and play a game to see who can make the most profit by selling...
Teachers Network
Witness for the Prosecution: Online Newspaper
Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution becomes the text for an online newspaper activity. Young journalists craft news, features, obituary, and opinion articles based on the characters and events in the play.
Media Smarts
Understanding Cyberbullying — Virtual vs. Physical Worlds
Spend a few days discussing cyberbullying with an engaging lesson plan. Opening discussion questions get the conversation started while quotes and articles continue thoughtful dialogue. Small group activities and role-play scenarios...
Curated OER
Writing Persuasion Papers: Thesis Statement
Using a "Hamburger" essay outline and actual hamburger buns, you will demonstrate the role a thesis plays in a persuasive essay. This is a simplistic visual representation of how an argumentative paper should be composed and not an...
Curated OER
Lesson Exchange: Is This A Real Word? (Elementary, Reading/Writing)
Young readers practice looking words up in the dictionary. This lesson describes a simple, yet engaging, game that can be played as a whole-class activity.
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Reading Plays
Students examine the role of tone in a comedy play. They also discover how to paraphrase a passage and explain a character's point of view.
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Writing Process
Students read Macbeth and work in groups to organize and create an outline for a persuasive essay. In this persuasive essay lesson, students work in tiered learning groups to organize their thoughts for a persuasive thesis about the...
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Play or Film Review
Students review the elements for a successful play review. In this play review lesson, students work in groups to complete peer responses, a consensus activity, and tally activity. Students write a play review. A Peer Review Sheet is...
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Analogies, Synonyms, Antonyms, Stories and Writing!
Students use analogies to compare synonyms and antonyms. For this writing skills lesson, students use the provided synonyms and antonyms to create short stories that they present as plays to their classmates.
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Writing a Reflective Paper
Learners write about literature. In this writing skills lesson, students discuss recurring literature themes and then write reflective essays that about the themes in pieces of literature they have read.
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Collaborative Story Writing
Students participate in a collaborative story writing activity. In small groups, students each write three sentences, adding on to the story when it is their turn, then peer-editing the story and presenting it to the class.
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Technical Writing / Siddhartha
Twelfth graders are introduced to and produce several types of technical writing. They watch a crime video and write a police report, explore websites and draft summary sentences, write a personal vision quest based on "Siddhartha" and...
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Writing to Argue
Students write an argument using a clear structure and argumentative techniques. In this persuasive writing lesson, students brainstorm, write, and peer edit an argumentative essay. Worksheets include the prompt, facts and quotes, and a...