Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
A Mini lesson on Semicolons
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" serves as an exemplar for a mini-lesson on semicolons. Working alone or in small groups, class members first circle all the semicolons in the letter, and then consider how this...
Curated OER
Letter A Alligator Theme
Students complete a variety of activities related to the letter A. They trace the letter A on a worksheet, paint the letter A, create an apple print painting, cut out and glue magazine pictures of things starting with the letter A, and...
Curated OER
Expressing Your Views to the Letter
Analyze the motivation, purpose, and value of letters to the editor by examining letters written in response to the violence at Columbine High School. For homework, middle and high schoolers write their own letters to the editor about an...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Unauthorized Immigration and the US Economy
As part of a study of immigration and the U.S. economy, class members assume the role of newspaper editors to determine which submitted letters to print on their paper's editorial page to present a balanced view of the debate.
Curated OER
Letter A Word Search
Here's a great way to practice handwriting and word recognition. In this letter identification lesson, learners identify eight words with pictures to help them learn vocabulary and reading skills as they use lowercase letters to complete...
Curated OER
Parts of a Friendly Letter
Join December's "Write to a Friend" campaign by introducing the parts of a friendly letter with this presentation. This 10-slide PowerPoint lists and describes the heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature of a letter. Tip: After...
Crafting Freedom
Thomas Day's Letter to His Daughter, Mary Ann
Why is a letter a better way to learn about a person than a different primary source? Explore Thomas Day's ideas and advice to his daughter in a letter from 1851, which details the struggles of the American South before the Civil War....
EngageNY
Revising Draft Letters to a Publisher about an Athlete’s Legacy: Using Critique and Feedback, Part II
Let's get opinionated. Scholars participate in a peer critique and revision process using a fun activity called a Four Corners strategy. After incorporating classmates' feedback, individuals share their final drafts of their opinion...
EngageNY
Revising Draft Letters to a Publisher about an Athlete’s Legacy: Critique and Feedback, Part I
Pick a corner, any corner! Pupils use the Four Corners strategy and Peer Critique protocol to assess one another's draft letters to a publisher about an athlete's legacy. Scholars then use peer feedback to revise their letters.
Curated OER
Unsent Letter: Characterization in Briar Rose
After completing Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose, class members assume the voice of Gemma and craft a personal letter to her granddaughter telling Becca how she feels about Becca’s actions and the discoveries at Chelmno. Complete directions for...
Curated OER
If You Give a Pig a Pancake - P is for Pancakes!
Students read "If you give a pig a pancake" then write the letter P with pancake batter on a griddle tablet for a yummy treat to eat!
Apple State University
Friendly Letter Mini-Lesson
This mini-instructional activity about informal letter writing is packed with a lot of information about writing a friendly letter. Class members begin by working in pairs to answer questions after reviewing letter models. Then, take...
American Battlefield Trust
Preserving the Memory
Civil War battlefields themselves are under siege by development and other forces. Using materials from the Battlefield Trust, individuals explore local areas that face threat and write letters to support their preservation. An...
Curated OER
My View's Write!
After researching issues involving panthers, middle schoolers practice writing persuasive letters. They become familiar with a controversial issue related to panthers and write their position on the issue. This lesson...
Smithsonian Institution
Battle of the Bulge: America Responds to a German Surprise
World War II and the Battle of the Bulge are the focus of a history resource. Exercises include analyzing images, writing letters in the mindset of a soldier, and even immersing oneself in a cold experience to better empathize with the...
Curated OER
Valentine's Day: Love Letters
Oh the joys of love! As a special Valentine's Day assignment, budding authors research the life of one of the most romantic poets, Keats. They read the letter, "To Fanny Brawne, 13 October 1819," then compose a love letter of their own....
West Virginia Department of Education
Harpers Ferry Letters
Scholars write letters as if they were someone who heard the story of John Brown's raid. The resource, a standalone, covers information from primary sources that is important to West Virginian history: the Harpers Ferry Letters.
Curated OER
Sound of the Runners, H = /h/
A variety of activities related to the /h/ phoneme are included here. Recite an H tongue twister then trace and write the letter H. The group listens to pairs of words and identifies which word contains the /h/ sound.
Curated OER
Introduce /a/
Start your alphabet study strong using these strategies combining pronunciation, recognition, letter sound, and word examples focused on the letter a. Scholars examine the letter shape and listen to you pronounce the /aaa/ sound. As you...
Curated OER
Reintroduce /a/
What does the letter a sound like? Scholars practice with letter sound correspondence by honing their pronunciation of the /aaa/ sound. Use these helpful tips to explain how to make this sound if needed. Then, they brainstorm...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonics: Letter Recognition, Lettercritter
This is a fun idea to get your scholars practicing their ABCs! They assemble an alphabet caterpillar, printing lowercase versions below each uppercase letter. They practice writing the lowercase letters using dry-erase markers and say...
August House
Why Koala Has a Stumpy Tail
Learn about the animals of Australia with a language arts lesson about an Australian folktale called, Why Koala Has a Stumpy Tail. After reading the story as a class, kids discuss events and characters from the book, retell the...
Curated OER
Developing a Topic for Writing Using an Idea Web
Teach your upper graders how to use an idea web to develop a topic for writing. After reading a variety of stories about friendship (a list of stories with the theme of friendship is included), model using an idea web. Class members...
Curated OER
Practice Letter "a'"
In this letter "a" activity worksheet, students practice tracing lowercase "a" and then write the letter independently. Students also note that the word armadillo begins with the letter.