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
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...
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...
Colorado State University
Colorado State Writing Center: Understanding Your Purpose
Use the links on the right to get a better understanding of purpose in writing including the types of purposes and how audience affects purpose. Click on Purpose and Audience and Purpose and Strategies. W.9-10.4 Write/Audience/Purpose;...
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.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Organization Appropriate to Purpose, Audience, and Context
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] You will be able to write an essay that is organized appropriate to audience, purpose, and context.
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....
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Audience, Tone, and Style in Informative Text
Students will read samples of informative writing and highlight examples of how tone and style are used by the authors. Students will then apply this knowledge by writing their own informative text. Multiple examples of student work and...
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.
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...
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Extended Writing to Learn Strategies
Writing enables students to process, organize, formulate, and extend their thinking about what they have been learning. In addition, teachers can also assign writing to help students evaluate what they know and understand about a topic....
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Teach the Elements of Writing
It's a misconception that writing teachers simply tell students to write and wait to see what happens. Teachers should provide instruction in and exposure to various elements of writing to help students understand what good writing is.
AdLit
Ad lit.org: Key Literacy Component: Writing
Students who don't write well aren't able to learn and communicate effectively. This article explains what good writing skills are and how to help struggling young writers gain those skills through proper instruction.