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Descriptive Writing: Using Art to Inspire description
Write with the senses! Try using art to inspire writers to consider all of the senses. Here, the class is divided in half. Each group looks at one of two images, imagines the senses that would be engaged, and records answers to five...
21 x 20 Media
A+ Writing Prompts
Shake it up! Shake your tablet to bring up a unique writing prompt for journaling or blogging with your class. Shake again and a new one appears. Prompts can come from different categories (sketches, scenes, texts, words, news) to help...
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Gasoline Use Around the World
Students contribute their own personal gasoline consumption data with other schools. They share thoughts and opinions on fossil fuels, its effects and what they can do in an effort to conserve natural resources.
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Convey Ideas in Writing
Use the platforms of the 2004 presidential candidates to bring persuasive writing to your class. Young voters identify the three issues most important to them in the election and research the issues and candidates' positions. They write...
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Changing Seasons
Explore expository writing and using precise language in this descriptive paragraph writing lesson. Learners brainstorm prior knowledge about the changing seasons in Ohio. They describe seasonal items, view seasonal pictures from...
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Oxford Compiles Top 10 Irritating Phrases
Explore well-known expressions that are frequently used. Middle schoolers read an article with the author's opinion of the most annoying phrases. Afterward, they complete numerous activities that check their reading comprehension. Some...
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Organizing Writing/Composing a First Draft
Does your language arts class have a hard time with writing transitions? Use this organizational writing lesson to create three effective transition sentences that middle schoolers will use in their research of renewable resources.
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Dangerous Roads in Your Community
Students collect information about dangerous streets and intersections in community, interview law enforcement officials and safety experts to find out what they think can be done to reduce accidents, write in-depth article using these...
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I.C.E. - Cite Sources Like a Pro
Here is a fantastic poster that you can easily and frequently reference in your class whenever you are asking your young writers to cite their sources. Using the acronym ICE, learners are reminded to introduce, cite, and explain their...
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Using Repeat Photography to Map Environmental Hazards
Students investigate the changes of their environment by experimenting with photography. In this environmental observation lesson, students compare historic photographs of areas with pictures they have just taken. Students create a...
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Give Credit Where Credit is Due
Middle schoolers explain what plagiarism is, why it is a problem, and how to avoid it. They articulate why it is unacceptable in a research document, and they show how to avoid it by using proper citation tools. They demonstrate correct...
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Exploring Contrasting Story Elements Through Tapestry and Poetry
Young thinkers view two narrative art tapestries and study the images included that tell a story about the Roman Emperor Constantine. As they examine the details of the tapestries, pupils use a Venn Diagram to record the similarities and...
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Canada and its Trading Partners
Students identify the relationship between Canada and its trading partners. They use two data sources, Canadian Statistics and E-STAT, on the Statistics Canada website to explore the growing importance of trade in general.
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What Are the Layers of the Rain Forest?
Students investigate the different levels of the rain forest by comparing it to an apartment. For this ecology lesson, students practice using forest related vocabulary words and complete a vocabulary data sheet. Students create...
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It's All Greek to Me!
While the ideas for Ancient Greek research are solid, there is little detail to help make your job easier. The focus here is familiarizing your class with online databases and print resources in their school library. After direct...
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Metaphorical Gold: Mining the Gold Rush for Stories
Students complete a history and research lesson about the Gold Rush using selections from Jack London. In this Gold rush research lesson, students research the Klondike/Alaska Gold Rush and use details from the history in their own...
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Crazy Critters Teach Parts of Speech
Pupils create pieces of writing about a creature they have created. They examine the parts of speech and how they are used in their writing to see how they can write more specifically.
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Parts of Speech: Active Verbs
Pupils use White Fang to help them study active verbs. In this grammar lesson, students define active verbs and find examples in the the novel White Fang. Pupils then use ProQuest to research a place they'd like to visit. Students write...
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Digging Deeper in Mission San Saba
Seventh graders explain Spanish motives for establishing Mission San Sab?? and the reasons for the mission's failure. This instructional activity should be used when students already have an understanding of the Spanish mission-presidio...
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Interpreting the Evidence
Learners find out about the social changes that caused the collapse of important ancient civilizations in Central America, Mesopotamia, the southwestern United States, and western Africa.
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Setting Goals for Success
Students construct SMART goals. In this goal-setting lesson, students discover how to write a SMART goal for their student portfolios. Working in pairs students write short-term goals that will build towards a long-term goal.
Thirteen Ed Online
What is Conceptual Art?
Research, art history, and web page creation! Sounds too good to be true. With tons of links and resources, the lesson provides you with everything needed to engage the class in an amazing art and research activity. They create an art...
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Media/Citizenship: Speed 1
Learners investigate media images of cars and speed. They examine drivers' atitudes to speed by completing an activity sheet and responding to press reports about speeding drivers.
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The Silk Road, An Ancient Internet
Students examine how goods and ideas moved along an ancient trade route between China and Europe. They make charts of items, ideas, etc. that were transported along the Silk Route.