Curated OER
Pen Pals
Young scholars write to a pen pal and learn about their lives. In this pen pal activity, students learn about a person from another country. Young scholars develop an understanding that they have many things in common with people from...
Curated OER
Lesson 8: Settings that Reinforce Characters
The best way to be a good writer is to read good writing. Learners read and discuss an excerpt from a book that will help them comprehend the relationship between setting and character. They will use what they've gleaned from discussion...
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Teaching The Personality Profile
Young scholars write a comprehensive personality profile feature that demonstrates knowledge of the Wall Street Journal formula of feature writing and the concept of show, don't tell. They experience a press conference interview situation.
Curated OER
Job Journals
Students compare the differences between job varieties. In this career exploration lesson, students evaluate different aspects of jobs and then write a diary entry as if they were the real employee.
Curated OER
Do You Have a Blog?
Ask learners about their personal writing habits, such as whether they keep a journal or a blog, or if they'd ever want to. Though this is not a fully developed lesson, you can use this article and question to provoke discussion and...
Curated OER
Narrative Literature Response Letters: Original Lesson Plan
Readers write a formal letter to an author offering an alternative ending to a story the author has written. First, the class reads a story or novel. Upon finishing the reading, they are introduced to the format of a formal letter. They...
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Exploring the Personal Narrative
Students define the characteristics of a personal narrative, explain the difference between a 'memoir' and an 'autobiography', and create a reading journal in which they will log their reading activities. In this personal narrative...
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A New Point of View
Analyze point of view and how it affects a literary work with this lesson. Middle schoolers create a written piece that focuses on point of view. They review the literary term "point of view," and explore examples of the term in text....
Novelinks
The Color of Water: Family History Assignment
To conclude their study of James McBride's The Color of Water, class members create their own memoir, focusing on a family member who help shape their life.
TED-Ed
Lessons from Auschwitz: The Power of Our Words
Some words are best left unspoken. Words matter, according to Benjamin Zander, conductor, teacher, and lecturer. To illustrate his point, Zander recounts a story told to him by a survivor of Auschwitz. As a result of her experience this...
Curated OER
My Life in Math Class
Students reflect on their past experiences in mathematics classes - both good and bad. They identify what methods, knowledge and strategies have been helpful to them and write about them in a journal to be shared with the current teacher.
Curated OER
Journal Writing
Students examine the published diaries of Anne Frank, or Zlata Filipovic, to gain an appreciation for journal writing, a form of autobiographical writing in which the writer records personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. They...
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Tennessee Williams: Exploring the American Dream
Young scholars read and analyze selections of Tennessee Williams' work. They write journal responses, conduct Internet research, perform various scenes from one of Williams' dramas, and create a presentation.
Curated OER
Famous Person: Yushiko Uchida
Third, fourth, and fifth graders read the book The Bracelet by Yushiko Uchida and examine the events of Uchida's life. They participate in a guided discussion of Japanese culture, perform a reader's theater, listen to a guest speaker,...
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Meet the Heros
Vaccine development is the focus of a instructional activity that explores its history, timeline, and how the scientific method aids the process. Following a discussion about Edward Jenner and Small Pox, learners answer questions in...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to the Works of Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson tackles challenging topics for teens. An educator's guide shares activities for many of her novels such as Prom, Shout, and Wintergirls. Questions, perfect to use as either discussion or as essay prompts, accompany...
Curated OER
What Personal Journals Tell Us
Young scholars read primary source journals from the Nebraska Western Trails Project. They work in groups to analyze the journal entries and complete a worksheet. Students then write an individual essay on the experience and consider...
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Words That Will Haunt You
Students create taxonomies of Halloween-related terms. Drawing from their compiled vocabulary lists and previous reading, they compose personal essays of their own memories of the holiday. Students present their essays at a...
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Outlining Essays (Grades 3-6)
Students 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...
Curated OER
Look Up!
Students investigate the sky. In this weather and clouds lesson plan, students observe the sky and write journal entries using their five senses to describe what they see. Students observe, identify, and write about the different types...
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Who's Who
Ninth graders read a review three pieces of literature. They then compare and relate each piece to the time period in which they were written. Next, they consult different resources and explain how these sources are similar and different...
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Personal / Group Magazine
Sixth graders complete the magazine template in the Macmillan "Writer's Journal" available through the basic skills department using word processing, spreadsheet, graphic, and electronic resource (i.e.-Internet) skills
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European Explorer's Photo Journal
Young scholars study early European explorers. They choose one to research and complete a photo journal of his explorations, which includes maps, articles, etc.
Curated OER
The "Write Sport"
Fifth graders discuss the history of sports in Iowa. In this sports lesson plan, 5th graders write a friendly sports letter and a how to directional writing. They write five entries in their journal from the point of view of a piece of...