After brainstorming, middle schoolers write an expository essay for a writing project. They focus on supporting points, organization, and writing conventions to develop a well-integrated paper. In addition, they revise, proofread and...

Seventh graders write a five paragraph essay and then branch out from there.

Are you teaching Modernism to your class? Connect different areas of artistic expression in the Modernist Era. Learners read T.S. Eliot, view art by Pablo Picasso, and listen to a Modernist musical composition. This final assignment is...

Students complete essay writing activities. In this essay writing lesson, students use an outline activity to learn about the advantages and disadvantages for various essay writing types. Students also break down the paragraphs into...

Three annotated passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on "Nature" provide young philosophers a chance to improve their reading comprehension skills as they gain insight into Emerson's ideas.

High school freshmen craft their own definition of honesty. They provide an example from their lives and reflect on the outcomes of their honest behavior. They also identify a time when they may have been dishonest in a relationship and...

Fourth graders are taught how to outline a fictional narrative essay. They review the definition and structure of narrative essays. Students use the activity to brainstorm specific ideas for narrative essays. They are given a...

Eighth graders read copies of The Declaration of Independence, United States constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They write an opinion about the document they feel is most important in the history of the united states. This is their...

Learners brainstorm story idea in preparation of writing an expressive essay. They study how to outline essays to assist them in writing an expressive essay. Each students conclusion should summarize their main idea and restate their...

This is a simple but effective introduction to democracy. It requires the class to generate working definitions of key terms (provided) and to determine the degree of democracy in various geographic locations today. After they conduct...

Students assess and critique a wide variety of writing samples for each of the traits of writing strands from literature, composition writing, reading and assessment tools. They create and design a descriptive definition piece of writing...

Sixth graders study ancient cultures of the world. They describe the meaning of culture. Students distinguish between the material and non-material aspects of culture. They create a collage identifying the material and non-material...

Challenge your class with this comprehensive list of literary vocabulary words. Learners take a pre-test, look up definitions, come up with an example, and then take a post-test. You might use this prior to a unit about poetic devices in...

Students identify and describe characteristics of civic virtue. Following a class discussion, they create their own definitions of civic virtue. They write essays based on their own definitions and formulate conclusions on the state of...

Learners write a persuasive essay based on cleaning up the coast and other philanthropic values. In this writing lesson plan, students determine what is needed in order to keep the planet clean, and offer solutions to the International...

Ninth graders explore the French Revolution. In this French Revolution lesson, student research citizen action and public policy during the war. Students write essays regarding their research findings.

Students develop an understanding of philanthropy through definition and actions. Students to get to know themselves and their classmates by engaging in activities imbedded in this lesson. They investigate the types of philanthropic...

Ninth graders investigate the growth of Christianity in Rome. In this Roman Empire lesson, 9th graders listen to a SMART Board lecture about the Jesus, Christianity, and the empire prior to composing thematic essays about the spread of...

Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass serves as the anchor text for a instructional activity on symbolism. Readers use the provided worksheets to examine the symbols in the novel as well as in the world around them.

Students examine the use of adjectives in a product review, then write their own descriptive review. In this writing and word usage lesson, students first analyze the choice of adjectives in a New York Times article about the iPhone,...

Students read and analyze an extended definition in preparation for writing an extended definition of a CHARACTER TRAIT. They use analogy as a definition strategy to tailor writing to a particular audience. Finally, students SHARE...

Seventh graders read about two pioneers from Texas and learn how they became well trusted people. For this trust lesson, 7th graders read essays about two Texas pioneers. They learn vocabulary such as loyalty, honesty, good reputation,...

Students consider how to internalize group norms. They descirbe a situation where people internalize group norms and a situation where people do not internalize group norms. They brainstorm examples of group norms and define...

Pupils identify heroic character traits that they admire and that inspire trust and result in service to others. They identify the heroic traits of a character of their choosing and defend their reasoning using evidence from the text and...