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Creative Writing - Research and Letters
Here's a fresh approach that combines research, business and personal letter writing, and creative story telling. Student groups research different decades in the life of a famous Japanese astronomer. They then craft a decade fact sheet,...
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Express Yourself Lesson Seed 17: Obituary
The Cay has been criticized by groups such as the Council on Interracial Books for Children because of the way race is portrayed. Explore the argument against the book while taking the author's perspective into account. Class members...
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Express Yourself Lesson Seed 19: Synthesis
Wrap up your unit on The Cay with an engaging argumentative writing assignment. Writers must decide if they believe The Cay should be banned. The resource includes links to several articles, which have been addressed and examined in...
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Obituary
Young scholars complete a worksheet on a historical figure of their choice. Using this information, they write an appropriate obituary of the person in German or other foreign language. They present the obituary to the class to end the...
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Express Yourself Lesson Seed 12: Story Event
Focus on plot and the impact-specific events in The Cay. Class members use their double-entry journals, created in a previous lesson in this series, to record their thinking about the guiding question as they read chapters 15 through 17....
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Express Yourself Lesson Seed 18: Investigate
Prepare your class for argumentative writing with a close inspection of the controversy surrounding Theodore Taylor's novel, The Cay. All necessary articles and materials are linked at the beginning of the resource. Kids use the provided...
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Mississippi Trial, 1955: Culminating Writing Project (Multi-Genre Final Portfolio)
Designed as the final project concluding a study of Mississippi Trial, 1955, readers select a character from Crowe's novel and craft a portfolio of six entries that reveal not only aspects of the character, but similarities between the...
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.
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A Life Lived Well
Students write poems based on words and phrases found in an obituatuary. They write autobiographical obituaries that imagine their own lives and future accomplishments.
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Remembering the First
Students examine words and phrases associated with World War I as an introduction the era. They explore the legacy of World War I by reading and discussing "The War to End All Wars If Only." Students write obituries for fallen World...
Union Elementary School District
Famous Dead People Project
Despite the slightly off-putting title, the instructions and activities detailed in these project guidelines for researching a noteworthy figure will serve as a fantastic supplement to your next famous person research assignment.
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How Poets Evoke Social and Historical Representations
Students explore how poems represent the social, historical, and cultural times that they were written in. In this poetry lesson plan, students compare and contrast poems with music of the time and explore implications of writing poems...
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During Reading Strategy: Literary Newspaper
Add some writing to your class's reading of Cold Sassy Tree! With this plan, readers assume the role of journalist and create a segment of a paper with their peers. Suggested segments are included, and a worksheet dividing the text into...
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Speaking of the Speaker
Students deconstruct an obituary and examine the elements and incidents of a person's life that were chosen to memorialize in an obituary. They research a notable American and write and obituary about their life.
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African Slaves in Haiti
Sixth graders examine how Africans were treated in the Caribbean and Haiti after reading about the Atlantic Slave Trade. From a multicultural information passage, they complete a time line on Toussiant L-Ouverture and write an obituary.
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Struggles for Power
Middle schoolers investigate the leaders of the Roman Empire. In this ancient Rome lesson, students research the contributions of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius I, and Nero. Middle schoolers write obituaries that feature the...
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From Zero to Superhero
Learners discuss superheroes, focusing first on the details of creating the character of Batman. They work in small groups to develop superheroes for the 1990s, and write stories or cartoons about their superhero's adventures on their own.
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The Life of a President
Young scholars examine the life of President Gerald R. Ford. After reading an article, they discuss his legacy. They collect articles written during his time in office and examine the key issues of his presidency. They write an article...
Civil War Trust
Genealogy
The Civil War is undoubtedly a part of America's history, but could it be part of your pupils' history as well? Middle schoolers conduct research to discover a connection between their ancestors and the American Civil War. Whether they...
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The Final Word
Young scholars research biographies of Americans who advanced science. They create an obituary for the person to share what information they have gathered. They discuss the importance of the obituary as the "final word" of a person to...
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John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry and John Brown's Body
Fourth graders discuss John's Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry. In this John Brown lesson plan, 4th graders analyze a newspaper article about the raid, and write a descriptive obituary about John Brown. Students view pictures of John Brown...
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All About Poe
Students use an online database to research the life and words of Edgar Allan Poe. Using the information they collect, they write a newspaper article or obituary about the famous writer. In groups, they work together to develop a radio...
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Romeo and Juliet Newspaper
Students design a newspaper after reading the play "Romeo and Juliet." They include an appropriate title, wedding announcement, an advice column, an obituary and classified advertisements.
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The Railroad Is Born
Fourth graders examine the proposal of Theodore Judah for the first transcontinental railroad. They analyze a map, write an obituary for Theodore Judah, and create a symbolic poster of Judah's dream for a transcontinental railroad.