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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Soldier's View of the American Civil War

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing instructional activity. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The instructional activity...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pathfinders: Using Information Resources

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders gather and use information on a chosen topic for a hypothetical research paper. They use organizational features of printed text, the Internet, and other media to locate information and choose a specific topic.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing in First Person about the Atlantic Slave Trade Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the Atlantic slave trade. For this slavery lesson, students watch "Slavery, Society, and Apartheid," as well as "Slave Ship." Students discuss the information presented in the videos, especially St. John's Revolt....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Preparing for the Informative Speech

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students read an outline on how to prepare an informative speech. In this informative speech lesson plan, students read an outline and then prepare a speech.
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Researching Information

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Give your junior high researchers a clear concept of how to go about starting their research paper with the resources available in this exercise. Students develop an idea to research, and spend time in the library or computer lab...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A World of Information

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students analyze data and statistics about countries around the world. They read graphs and charts, color a world map to illustrate the top ten statistics about the world, and write a paragraph to summarize their information.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing an Analytical Essay From a Supreme Court Case

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Critical thinkers read a summary of a United States Supreme Court case, including important background information and the court's final decision. They form an opinion in agreement or disagreement regarding the case and then write an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing - Letters

For Teachers 4th - 8th
The basic structure of a useful lesson in formal letter writing is here, but there are no procedural details or support materials to implement it. However, the idea is worth pursuing, to help your learners develop a strong understanding...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do I Write an Article Critique?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Your middle and high schoolers have written tons of summaries, but can they give a strong critique of an article they've read? Identify the differences between summary writing and critiquing. Choose an interesting article and have...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using the Senses to Write Descriptively

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students write descriptive paragraphs using adjectives based on the use of their five senses. They use sensory impressions to improve their writing.
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Lesson Plan
Pulitzer Center

Writing About the "Arab Spring"

For Teachers 6th - 12th
An information-rich resource, this webpage will provide your class with all the information they need to explore a relevant real-world and little understood topic: the Middle East and the people's revolutions that shook it in the spring...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Thomas Jefferson and Monticello: An Introduction to Writing Historical Fiction

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Thomas Jefferson is one of the most recognized names and faces in America—but is there more to the third president of the United States? Upper elementary and middle schoolers conduct research on Jefferson, his famous home at Monticello,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to Write a Biography

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Looking for a great lesson on how to write a biography? Here, middle schoolers draw from magazine articles, novels, historical figures, and current events to choose a person, or character to write about in a biography. They follow a...
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Writing
K12 Reader

A Native American Tribe

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
Culminate your unit on Native American tribes with a clear, concise writing prompt. It instructs young writers to complete a report about any Native American tribe, and to include information about the belief systems and traditions of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to Write A+ Essays!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This lesson, which promises to improve the essays of your middle schoolers, contains a list of characteristics an essay should include. It breaks it down into the introduction, thesis statement, body, etc. There's also a list of things...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Children's Health on the Decline

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Demonstrate the importance of children's health with this cross-curricular lesson, which includes elements from health and science as well as expository writing. Middle schoolers develop realistic and obtainable one week health and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Better Class of Journal-ists

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Young academics create a current events journal by skimming newspapers for articles that fit defined guidelines for informational texts. After cutting out two articles each week to add to their journals, they write a brief description of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating the Swissair Flight 111 Tragedy

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Middle schoolers read two articles about the same event: "Plane from J.F.K Crashes off Canada" from the New York Times and "No Survivors from Crash of Swissair Jetliner Off Nova Scotia" from the Associated Press. They then compare the...
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Lesson Plan
2
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Curated OER

Search Warranted?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young readers work on evaluating claims in a piece of informational text with the article "In New York, It's Open Bag or Find Exits" from the New York Times. They analyze current search procedures implemented to fight terrorism and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Researching African Americans Who Made a Difference

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Celebrate Black History Month with this lesson, in which middle schoolers create an essay about a famous African-American. Writers conduct research online, take notes to write an essay in proper format, and use ideas, text, and graphics...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tell Us All: Tools for Integrating Math and Engineering

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What a scam! Middle and high schoolers pose as journalists exposing consumer fraud. In this activity, they write an article for a magazine using data collected during previous investigations (prior lessons) to defend their findings that...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Curated OER

Strong Convictions

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How can the rhetorical structure of an editorial help to develop its argument? Use this New York Times editorial to emphasize the importance of structure in a piece of informational text. Adolescent writers then use the editorial as a...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

The Last Word: Using Critical Thinking and Analysis to Reach a Decision

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Want to explore the process of writing a persuasive essay and tie it in with the upcoming elections? Class members use Venn diagrams and the hamburger model of persuasive writing to write a five-paragraph essay on elections and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spinning My Tale

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Begin writing personal narratives in this writing instructional activity. Junior high writers start by writing a journal about their favorite holiday. They read a book at their skill level and use graphic organizers to record their ideas...

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