Students are able to revise their own essays for greater clarity and fluency, adding explanation where needed and cutting extraneous information where appropriate. They are able to compose an academic essay with a complete introduction,...

Here is a strategy for groups to contribute to whole class vocabulary development. Teams (based on seating rows) work together to look up dictionary definitions of words from upcoming sections of the book (though previous sections seem...

Students choose one topic to write about. They brainstorm ideas about their topic or incident. They use sensory details to visualize their topic. They answer a variety of teacher directored nudging question to help them describe their...

Young scholars read an article for comprehension, and discuss it.

High schoolers explore the bullying experienced by those who graduated from one-room school houses to large high schools. For this discrimination lesson, students read the 2 provided handouts on the topic and then complete the included...

Students research what the exchange was between the various Native American groups and Lewis and Clark. They are able to write reflections after truly considering the issue with the help of research.

Learners use context clues to derive meaning for unknown vocabulary.

Learners study of the First Amendment, Tinker, Hazelwood and the Colorado Student Free Expression Law. They discuss the ramifications on the student press and recite their memorized First Amendment rights. They discover what can...

This tutorial focuses on variety in sentence openers; it includes a slideshow about adding variety in sentence fluency and length, and why and how to add variety to sentence openers with examples. It also offers an audio clip with...

An explanation and examples of various techniques that can be used in order to emphasize important sentences within a text.

In this lesson students will use the sentence structure from Wallace Stevens' "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird."

In this lesson, students will create 4 original poems within a particular rhythm and rhyme scheme.

In this lesson students will create a poem from the viewpoint of a lost toy.

In this lesson students will learn the meter and rhyme of a sonnet and they will write one of their own using specific word choice.

In this lesson, students will use transition words and phrases to shift from one idea to another within a story.

In this instructional activity students learn how to paint a setting with their descriptive choice of words.

In this instructional activity the learners will use the conditional "if" in order to guide their reader to become someone or something.

Inspired by "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)," this lesson asks young scholars to think about memorable writing--writing that has, in some way, touched them personally. Students will make multiple drafts of simple advice in order to...

Being able to speak English fluently does not guarantee that a student will be able to use language effectively in academic settings. Fluency must be combined with higher order thinking skills to create an "academic language," which...

Six slides explaining how to use additive transition words to connect, or add, one idea to another to increase fluency. Examples are provided in a chart and within various types of sentences.