National Endowment for the Humanities
Practical Criticism
As an introduction to literary criticism, class members recreate I.A. Richards' close reading experiment. Individuals select a poem, paraphrase the story, focus on the imagery used, consider what the imagery adds to the tale, and...
Curated OER
Poetry Reading and Analysis Worksheet - As You Like It
Enhance your lesson on Shakespeare with this poetry activity. After reading lines 139-167 from As You Like It Act II, Scene 7 (provided on the first page), middle schoolers work on a graphic organizer to paraphrase each part of the poem....
Curated OER
1984 by George Orwell
Readers of Nineteen Eighty-Four engage in a close reading exercise that directs their focus to the key details Orwell provides in the opening paragraphs to introduce his dystopian society. The included worksheeet is divided into three...
Curated OER
Poetry Reading and Analysis Worksheet
"Things are not what they seem" in this poetry activity, which discusses Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life." Your students will see the world through the eyes of the transcendentalists after analyzing the meaning, context,...
Curated OER
Is TV Stronger Than Ever, or Becoming Obsolete?
The New York Times offers of two articles and two summaries for learners to consider. They read each article and then post a blog response to each of the seven related questions. The topic of the articles asks the question; Is TV...
EngageNY
End of Unit 3 Assessment: Writing a Research Synthesis
Ready, set, write! Scholars work on the end-of-unit assessment by completing a writing prompt. They then look at the model performance task from instructional activity two to create a rubric for scoring the exercise. Using turn and talk,...
Curated OER
When You Reeeaaallly Want to Say Something
Kids paraphrase an entry from The Elements of Style, and then revise a sentence. They use the Visual Thesaurus and find synonyms for the phrase very pretty, brainstorm a list of intensifiers (as alternatives to really and very), then...
Macmillan Education
Respect Others
R E S P E C T, kids find out what it means with this lesson that's got both worksheets and exercises.
Curated OER
“Self Reliance” Questions
Is consistency foolish? Or is “foolish consistency . . . the hobgoblin of little minds”? Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self Reliance” provides readers with an opportunity to reflect on their own musing about being self-reliant and about...
Curated OER
Troublesome Word Pairs
This activity helps to understand when to use commonly confused words. It includes definitions, writing exercises, and questions that require paraphrasing the meaning of sentences. A good exercise for middle schoolers, or review for high...
Curated OER
Preparing for Poetry: A Reader's First Steps
Students complete poetry analysis using William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" as a part of a study of figurative language. In this Shakespearean language lesson, students define literal and figurative language and practice paraphrasing and...
Curated OER
Take Note: Five Lessons for Note Taking Fun
Students practice note-taking skills through a variety of activities and exercises.
Curated OER
Reading: If, A Poem
In this poetry worksheet, students read If by Rudyard Kipling and study the verse by verse paraphrasing. Students answer 2 comprehension multiple choice questions about the poem.
College Writing Center
Reported Speech & Direct Speech
Provide your class with this reference page on direct and indirect speech. The page includes definitions of direct speech and reported speech (also known as indirect speech). When writing, pupils can check the sample sentences provided...
EngageNY
Word Problems Leading to Rational Equations
Show learners how to apply rational equations to the real world. Learners solve problems such as those involving averages and dilution. They write equations to model the situation and then solve them to answer the question — great...
Curated OER
Persuasion and Political Debate by PBS
Students examine rhetorical strategies. In this political debate lesson plan, students research issues of presidential campaigns and deliver persuasive speeches about the issues they research. Students then participate in debates based...
Curated OER
Writing Through Reading
Students are introduced to a new method of writing developed by Robert Gay. In groups, they practice retelling or rewriting one of their fellow classmates stories. They are also introduced to the technique of transcribing and write in...
Curated OER
Causes of World War I
Eighth graders investigate the causes of World War I. In this World War I lesson, 8th graders view a SMART Board presentation that features the causes of the war. Students review the information presented prior to completing the provided...
Curated OER
George Washington's Rules of Civility
Students examine George Washington's belief in etiquette and respect for others, which he achieved by following 110 rules of civility, and create their own rule of civility.
Curated OER
The Long and Short of It: Summarizing Important Details
Students practice their summarizing skills while listening to a brief biography of Amelia Earhart. Students take notes while the teacher reads the article and write a paragraph that summarizes the important events from Amelia Earhart's...
Curated OER
Achieving Valued Roles "Compendium Version"
Students discuss the term initiating a conversation which means you make statements to begin a discussion with another person. They discuss if you initiate a conversation, then you have to tell the other person that you would like to...
Curated OER
Death of the Dinosaur
Students consider theories of dinosaur extinction. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read an article about dinosaur extinction theories. Students may also complete the suggested activities. The article is not included.