Curated OER
Writing a Personal Narrative
What is the difference between a news story and a personal narrative? This plan has learners write a personal narrative using the topic of service projects in their community. Consider completing a cross-curricular extension by bringing...
Curated OER
Telling Our Stories of Giving - Writing to Persuade
After identifying the parts of a persuasive piece of writing, young writers explore different prewriting activities for the persuasive essay. They have the option to write a news article, personal narrative, or persuasive essay to...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan 2: So What's a Novel, Anyway?
What makes a novel a novel? Class members select a favorite novel, record their impressions on a worksheet, and then come together in groups to discuss the elements common to narrative writing. Next, they identify the characters, the...
Curated OER
Oral Presentation
Practice public speaking in this oral presentation lesson plan. Middle schoolers list the characteristics of a powerful speaker. They watch a video of two speakers, compare them and discuss the qualities of a good speech. Afterwards,...
Curated OER
Symbiosis: Help, Hinder or Destroy
Use background information and vocabulary to familiarize your students with the concept of symbiosis and the role agriculture plays in the shared relationship. They then write the vocabulary in their lab books or journals, and read the...
Curated OER
Video Biographies
Who was Alexander The Great? How did Abraham Lincoln’s early life influence his political life? Learners select a historical figure to use for video biography. After developing research questions and collecting information, pupils search...
Curated OER
Ancient Cultures News Broadcast
How does geography influence daily life? Guided by an essential question, class groups select and then research an ancient culture, and develop a news broadcast about the geographical setting and its impact on the culture. Teams...
Creative Educator
Sell It with Propaganda
Augment a unit on propaganda by prompting class members to create propaganda. Using Frames software, groups demonstrate their understanding of propaganda techniques by designing a new product, creating a commercial to sell...
Curated OER
Fruit or Vegetable?
Watermelon is a vegetable? A tomato is a fruit? Believe it or not, this debate is decades old. Groups examine rulings by the US Supreme Court, the USDA, and state statutes before developing their own criteria to use when labeling...
Alabama Learning Exchange
I Scream for Ice Cream!
Students perform an experiment. In this combinations lesson, students complete an experiment where they find out how many ice cream cone combinations they can make with 5 different flavors of ice cream and 4 types of cones. They design a...
Curated OER
Just Lookin' For a Home
What is a boll weevil? Your class can find out that and more by following the activities included here. Pupils read an article, sing a boll weevil song, add to the song with their own original lyrics, illustrate the song, study the...
Boise State University
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
This online writing assistance offers help in the writing process, grammar and mechanics, usage, and four different types of essays, as well as help on deciding what and how to document.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Writing Fix Homepage
Have you ever needed someone to help you out with your writing? This site offers help to students and teachers. The lessons and resources are organized based on the 6 Writing Traits model. An especially interesting feature of the site is...
Other
Introducing Plain Language
This site by Plain Language Online states that plain language "begins with the needs of the reader," which will determine why and how the writer writes. It goes on to elaborate on audience and purpose, idea organization, use of...
Daily Teaching Tools
Daily Teaching Tools: Free Graphic Organizers for Planning and Writing
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides 30+ graphic organizers to aid in planning and writing. Students will be able to write informational pieces and literary responses.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Writing With Writers: Speech Writing
Learn steps from the experts on how to write and deliver a great speech. There are tips and graphic organizers for writing. The final step is recording your speech on the Radio Hotline. Listen to other student writing as well.
Harvard University
Harvard College Writing Center: Developing a Thesis
Superbly written explanation of thesis development. Use the links on the right to work through the writing process.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Local Editing
This slideshow lesson focuses on local editing; it defines the term and explains what to look for: clarity, mechanics, and grammar, word choice, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and impact on the reader. It discusses each and...
Daily Teaching Tools
Daily Teaching Tools: Free Graphic Organizers for Planning and Writing
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides graphic organizers that students can use to plan their written pieces. Graphic organizers for all modes of writing are provided.
Colorado State University
Colorado State Writing Center: Adapting to Your Audience
A clear guide to understanding the audience for your writing, this site leads you through steps to help you identify your audience, then structure your writing to meet that audience's needs and expectations. Use links on the right....
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Writing a Series
This resource is designed to enhance the teaching of grammar in the context of reading and writing by using mentor sentences. In this resource, mentor sentences, or sentences that highlight a grammatical point, were chosen primarily from...
Joe Landsberger
Organizing and Pre Writing: Seven Stages of Writing Assignments
This research-based site provides step-by-step directions needed to complete an extended writing piece.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Writing With Writers: Speechwriting
Learn speechwriting tips and strategies from this site which provides direction for writing and practicing a speech. As a final step, Scholastic News Radio Hotline provides an opportunity for you to record your speech and listen to...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: A Sample Rubric for Grading Student Writing
All written work should be assessed using a rubric. Using a set of criteria linked to standards not only allows for uniform evaluation, but helps students understand what is important about an assignment and encourages them to reflect on...