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Keeping verb tense consistent (Middle, Reading/Writing)
Students improve their personal and academic writing by use of one consistent verb tense.
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Verb Forms Worksheet 3
In this grammar worksheet, students revise three paragraphs to eliminate incorrect, inconsistent or ineffective verb use. Students check their answers when completed.
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Small Group Shared Writing
Students discuss elements of effective writing in small groups. They work together to critique individual and group writing focusing on including supporting details.
Virginia Department of Education
Adding Specific Vocabulary
An exercise and activity tackle the struggles young writers have in expressing and adding details and specific vocabulary to their writing. The instructor guides the class with an example paragraph, where the learners discuss what the...
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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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The Newspaper Article
Have your class participate in an interview activity using an informational text about the Amazon. After reading a Cultural Connections story about a person from the Amazon, middle schoolers write interview questions based on the text....
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Crazy Critters are Figuratively Fantastic
Eighth graders use creatures created from their imaginations to practice hyperbole, simile, metaphor, and alliteration in association with creative writing. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to guide their writing.
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What Does Christmas Mean to Me?
Students write an essay entitled "What Does Christmas Mean to Me?" In this writing lesson, students express their feelings about Christmas in an essay. Students discuss ways they have given to others during the Christmas season, then...
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Similes and Metaphors Information
In this similes and metaphors worksheet, students write a descriptive practice paragraph in which they describe a place, idea, person, event, or concept without telling what the subject of the paragraph is. Students then pair up to try...
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Front Page News
Students write original earthquake articles typically found on the front page of a newspaper. Each student has the freedom to write in a variety of writing styles (lead story, human interest story, editorials, etc.). They research...
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Divulging in Detail
Students rely on their senses to write descriptions of an object within their view. They incorporate different parts of speech in their descriptions. They write a descriptive paragraph about their object.
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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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Interview! Magazine
Young scholars interview a subject and write a biographical sketch for a fictional magazine. In this interview lesson plan, students choose a person to interview and create two sets of questions. Young scholars conduct the interview....
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First Class Mail
Students read The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and write a friendly letter to Elizabeth George Speare, the author, discussing their points of interest in the novel with her.
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Culture Universals Lesson Plan
Learners perform research on specific cultures. They write a short paragraph on each of the universals and explain how each universal relates to their home culture.
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Birthday Buddy
Students explore an Internet web site and/or the Groliers Encyclopedia to investigate a famous person who shares their birthday. They write a five paragraph comparison and contrast essay on their findings and utilize ClarisWorks to publish.
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Student Autobiography
Students complete an organizer listing five important events in their lives, use the dates to create a timeline of their life using Timeliner program, print and save their timeline and write a paragraph based on the timeline too.
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Guess the Author-Using Pseudonyms
Students study about descriptive writing. They write a descriptive paragraph about themselves without revealing their physical description and sign their writing with a pseudonym.
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Proofreading: Lesson 9
Eighth graders participate in writing a descriptive paragraph with a main idea and supporting details. They generate correct mechanics and spelling while writing this paragraph. When finished, they complete a rubric (that is included...
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Made for the Movies
Students create a movie flyer to advertise the novel that the class has just finished reading in small groups. They search the Internet, format their flyer, select a slogan for their film, write a brief plot summary, without giving away...
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Poetry Cyberbook
Emerging poets design a website and then post seven original poems as well as their written critique of these poems. Although the resource mentions Inspiration and FrontPage technologies, any software could be substituted.
Santa Ana Unified School District
Lord of the Flies Unit
How does a society influence and shape individuals? Class members ponder this essential question as they read Lord of the Flies, as well as primary source materials about the historical background of the novel. As a final assessment,...
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Putting it all Together
Students take notes and summarize information. In this communication lesson, students summarize information by taking notes using the various methods that their instructor presents to them.
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Proofreading: Lesson 8
Teacher reads the material that is printed in boldface type inside the boxes aloud to the students. Information in regular type inside the boxes and all information outside the boxes should not be read to the students. Possible student...