Curated OER
Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...
Bright Hub Education
How to Use Commas Correctly
Commas can be quite confusing. Young writers target troublesome grammar skills by focusing on the four most troubling uses: joining two independent clauses, separating introductory materials in a sentence, separating unnecessary...
Organization for Educational Technology & Curriculum
Introduction to Variables and Algebraic Expressions
Begin your next algebra unit with this introductory lesson on variables and algebraic expressions. This plan requires a SMART board and includes a SMART notebook file. The file contains a guiding question and two learning activities that...
Curated OER
Matter Overview
There is not much information in this presentation. It serves more as a guide to direct the flow of your introductory chemistry lecture. Each slide displays a large title and a smaller phrase meant to explain it. For example, one title...
Curated OER
Commas After Introductions Exercise 1
In this three part comma usage worksheet, students are first given sentences where they must correct errors in comma usage. Students then go on to punctuate sentences with commas after introductory words and phrases, then they must write...
Curated OER
Get A Life
Students explore the definition and derivation of the popular saying "get a life." Using worksheets and lecture materials, students provide meanings for the phrase when used in varying contexts. They also consider the dervation of each...
Curated OER
In Your Dreams
Students explore the definition and derivation of the popular saying "in your dreams." Using worksheets and lecture materials, students provide meanings for the phrase when used in varying contexts. They also consider the derivation of...
Curated OER
Baby
Students listen to chapters 1 and 2 in the book, Baby, then pick one character from the story looking for words or phrases that describe the character. They develop a character sketch making notes about their ideas and share with others...
Curated OER
The Japanese Way
First graders complete a two-week introductory unit on Japan and Japanese culture. They compare/contrast Japanese and American lifestyles, watch videos, design an original kimono, eat Japanese food using chopsticks, fold Origami shapes,...
Curated OER
Super Sentence Starters
Fourth graders create more complex sentences by adding specified parts. They play a game where they be making sentences sound better by adding new words or phrases. They use worksheets imbedded in this activity to give them lots of ideas.
Curated OER
Lesson 2 Introduction Part 2
Ninth graders explore I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this introductory lesson, 9th graders read Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise." Students write a journal telling what they believe is the message contained in the poem and discuss...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Who Am I?
Twelfth graders write self-identity essays of three to five paragraphs in length. They include topic sentences, transition words, and concluding paragraphs in their essays, They read their essays to classmates.
Curated OER
What Comes Next?
Students use Kidspiration and on online activity to demonstrate comprehension of ordinal and temporal concepts of "first, next, last," and "before" and "after." They name temporal or ordinal positions using correct vocabulary.
Curated OER
The Wild Life: Writing Exercise
In this description worksheet, students describe a typical summer morning in a teepee village. Essays should include introductory paragraph, body paragraph, and concluding paragraph.
Curated OER
Shakespeare's Words
High schoolers explore monologues of Shakespeare and the structure of the Globe Theatre. They participate in a Shakespeare phrase guessing game, examine a diagram of the Globe Theatre, and read and discuss monologues from Shakespeare.
Curated OER
Dumbing Down
Students explore the definition and derivation of the popular saying "dumb down." Using worksheets and lecture materials, students provide meanings for the phrase when used in varying contexts. They also consider the derivation of each...
Curated OER
Literature Overview of African Folktales
Students play a game of tug-of-war, participate in a discussion about the story, discuss the phrase "bigger doesn't mean better." , and illustrate a scene from the story.
Curated OER
Street Cred
Students explore the definition and derivation of the popular word "cred." Using worksheets and lecture materials, students provide meanings for the word when used in varying contexts and when used as a phrase. They also consider the...
Curated OER
ESL Writing: Coco's Intro
In this ESL writing activity, students trace a set of general introductory statements, tracing on lines provided next to original words/phrases.
Sinclair Community College
Fundamentals of Composition: Punctuation and Capitalization Rules
Set your scholars up for success by teaching them about punctuation and capitalization. This visually pleasing presentation includes a section for each of the following: commas, colons, dashes, semicolons, quotation marks, apostrophes,...
Curated OER
Using Commas and Five Practice Exercises
For this using commas worksheet, students read about the proper use of commas. They also read about overuse and misuse of commas in their writing. They link to five practice exercise that are listed at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
The ABC's of the Three Little Pigs
Writers use varied sentence patterns. They listen to the story of Cinderella rewritten so that each sentence starts with the next letter of the alphabet. They create their own version of The Three Little Pigs using the same concept.
Curated OER
Bulleted Lists: punctuating items in vertical lists
What is easier to read: a bulleted list or a block of text? Look at different examples with your class and then go over the style guidelines for vertical lists.
Curated OER
Commas: Conventional Usage
This four-page handout explains in detail when and why to use commas. Three extended sentences provide an opportunity for practice splitting long sentences into shorter ones. Multiple examples help to clarify correct usage.