Odell Education
Reading Closely For Textual Details: Grade 8
Only a thorough understanding of history can save us from repeating it. Practice close reading skills with an eighth grade unit that focuses on 19th century America, including European immigration into Ellis Island and Frederick...
Polk Bros Foundation
Common Core Constructed Response Organizer
Get your writers ready to compose a constructed response essay in response to either an informational or fictional text. Pupils note down the big idea they wish to address as well as up to nine examples from the text that they wish to...
Curated OER
APA Format and Citation
What is APA format, and how is it different from MLA format? Dive into the world of APA, investigate how to properly cite resources in-text, and look at a reference list of sources. Intended for higher education, not all of the...
BW Walch
Vending Machine Bans Increase in Schools Nationwide
Does a ban on vending machines infringe on student rights, or do school officials have an obligation to monitor foods sold on school grounds? Your class members will explore the educational, health, and financial issues related to...
Curated OER
Hyperbole Lesson Plans: Ideas for the Art of Exaggeration
Hyperbole lesson plans and ideas that make figurative language instruction relevant to students' lives. Discover how to help learners better understand the figurative concept of hyperbole. A fantastic article which includes multiple web...
Madison Public Schools
Journalism
Whether you are teaching a newspaper unit in language arts, covering the First Amendment and censorship in social studies, or focusing on writing ethics in journalism, a unit based on the foundations of journalism would be an excellent...
Channel Islands Film
Magic Isle: Lesson Plan 4
After watching West of the West's documentary on Catalina Island, The Magic Isle, class members research how Walt Disney's and William Wrigley's different visions impacted the island.
The New York Times
Stress Less: Understanding How Your Mind and Body Respond to Anxiety
What could be more relevant to teens and preteens than experiencing stress? Use an article from the New York Times website to practice valuable Common Core skills for informational text reading, and also get a discussion going in your...
Curated OER
Business writing--Responding to Requests for Information
Students take part in several guided discussions to determine the organization of the information required in a business letter.
Curated OER
Tornado Brainstorming
While the focus of this lesson is on writing about tornadoes, any topic could be substituted. The lesson provides a well-thought out overview of the writing process. Learners come up with a thesis statement, supporting details, and a...
Curated OER
Investigative Journalism
Students choose newsworthy topics to research and investigate, narrow focus of investigation, get information from the source through interviews, write stories, and submit to media outlets.
Curated OER
International Communication: Why English?
In this international communication of why English worksheet, students participate in four activities including why important sites are relevant to the history of communication, matching explanations with sites and conversation starters...
Curated OER
Concrete Research
Students explore concrete. In this physical science and computer research instructional activity, students work in groups to answer specific questions about concrete. Each group of students completes a different worksheet with a...
Curated OER
Middle Ages Timeline
Students research a historical figure from the Middle Ages. In this Middle Ages lesson plan, students present important events of their characters life and of the time. Students write a time card for each significant event. Students...
Curated OER
Interactive Notes-"Heat Transfer"
Students explore heat transfer. In this temperature and molecule behavior lesson, students view a PowerPoint while simultaneously performing experiments in which heat transfer is demonstrated. Students use cold beakers, ice cubes,...
Curated OER
Research and Technical Writing
Young scholars summarize information from their research on to note-cards. In this technical writing instructional activity students examine examples of note-cards that contain main ideas from research previously conducted. They will...
Curated OER
Research/Technical Writing: Paraphrasing
Students work in groups to paraphrase an article. In this paraphrasing lesson, each group is assigned a paragraph to paraphrase in one sentence. Other groups critique the sentences to make sure each is effective. When the sentences...
Curated OER
Ancient Greece Podcast
In this writing a podcast lesson plan, 7th graders create a podcast involving Ancient Greece. Learners follow a rubric and outline to create their podcast. Students present their podcast to their fellow learners.
Curated OER
Teach and Learn: Journalism
Learners read and discuss keypoints of the article, "Iceland to start hunting whales." They write in the style of newspaper reporters and order the information so that it tells the story from beginning to end with relevant detail
Curated OER
Develop Journalistic Style--Birds
Students develop journalistic style of writing through considering selection and presentation of information. Students tie science with journalistic writing. Students summarize several science species.
Curated OER
But I'm Not a Writing Teacher!
How teaching writing skills in the science classroom will benefit your students as they transition to Common Core.
Curated OER
Friday Forum
Middle schoolers research a variety of controversial articles to gain knowledge. They form an opinion and defend their position with supporting data. They evaluate opposing arguments and present their viewpoint both verbally and in the...
Teaching Tolerance
Journalism for Justice
Roll the presses! Or at least have your class members participate in the time-honored tradition of the student press by creating their own newspapers or journalist pieces on a social problem. After conducting research and collaborating...
Curated OER
Recording the Deed: Note-Taking on Heroes
Students prepare to write summaries of heroes. In this note-taking lesson, students listen to a guest speaker discuss the attributes of unsung heroes and take Cornell method notes.