Curated OER
Language Arts: Stick Puppet Show
Students create short stories and make stick puppets to act it out. After editing their stories, they glue used CDs or DVDs to popsicle sticks and decorate them as the story characters. Finally, students present their puppet shows to...
Curated OER
Draft Dilemmas
Consider the possibility of a new U.S. draft with this lesson plan, which encourages class debate and persuasive arguments. Middle and high schoolers discuss how such a draft might be enacted and how they would feel about it. They write...
Curated OER
Editing
Are your writers ready to edit their papers? Present them with these editing tips including reading papers out loud, varying sentence openings and lengths, and using action verbs. While the tips are worthwhile, consider supplementing the...
Curated OER
The Writing Process Continues (Revising and Editing)
In this writing process lesson, elementary schoolers revisit their rough draft copies for areas to improve. They are provided with a checklist to assist them then they conference with the teacher.
Curated OER
Conscription Crossword
In this military service instructional activity, students read 10 clues pertaining to compulsory military service in World War 2. Students fit their answers in a crossword puzzle.
Curated OER
Drafting and Revising Essays
Learners draft and revise essays. They share their essays with their partner. Based on the feedback they receive, they revise their essays for clarity, purpose, and tone. They proofread their essays, fixing errors in spelling, grammar,...
Curated OER
Let Me Give You a Little Advice
Students use proper writing conventions to write two friendly letters. They use the steps of the writing process to draft, revise, and peer edit. Students publish their letters. They write the first letter to a person who is going to...
Curated OER
Write Me a Mystery
Eleventh graders, in groups, pre-write, draft, edit and revise a murder mystery short story to hone their skills in short story drafting, editing and revision, group collaboration and computer usage. They also evaluate writing for both...
Curated OER
The Role of African American soldiers in World War II
Students design and create a poster, advertising for recruitment of African American volunteers for the Tuskegee Airmen. Students Create a historical newspaper front page, from 1996, which details the awarding of the Medal of Honor to...
Curated OER
Northern Racism and the New York City Draft Riots of 1865
Students analyze primary source illustrations and personal accounts of the New York City Draft riots. They draw conclusions about the existence and power of Northern racism toward African Americans
Curated OER
Arkansas' Reaction to Draft Resistance During World War II
Students identify consequences to the resistance of the draft in Arkansas during World War II. They role-play scripts of local board members who were Southern businessmen, farmers; and conscientious objectors, their friends, families, or...
Curated OER
Understanding the Price Paid: America's Conflicts
Twelfth graders interview war veterans about their combat experiences and write newspaper stories about their interviews. They share their interviews with classmates. they discuss the impact of war on the veteran and the United States.
Curated OER
Spooky Story
Second graders write a Halloween story. In this combined technology and writing instructional activity, 2nd graders create a Halloween picture using KidPix, insert it into Microsoft Word, and then write a story to correspond with the...
Curated OER
U.S. Generals...Support the Draft
Students examine anti-war TV ads concerning the war in Iraq. They research information concerning the war, quotes made by generals, and the importance of a strong military. Students explore the possibility of enacting a draft and...
Curated OER
The New York Draft
Students investigate the draft that originated in New York during the time of the Civil War. They examine the primary resource of a newspaper article from the time in order to gather information. The students check the grammar of the...
Curated OER
Arkansans' Role in the Confederate War
Eleventh graders identify information about Arkansas Confederate regiments during the Civil War. They discuss relative information presented by each group about the assigned Confederate regiments
Curated OER
Draft Resistance During World War I in Arkansas
Students identify types of resistance and personal, political, and social consequences to the resistance of the draft in Arkansas during World War I. They write a paragraph explaining the draft, and listing two types of draft evasion.
Curated OER
The Kidlink Day Project
Students create journal entries on-line as part of a "Kidlink Day" activity. Entries are compared and evaluated by their peers. The writing process is practiced in this instructional activity.
SUNY Empire State College
Empire State College: Shaping Information: Ordering Information and Outlining
Discusses finding a logical order for the ideas you wish to present in your essay. Uses samples to show how changing the position of the topic sentence changes the emphasis. Briefly touches on transitions. Then discusses the outline as...
Other
Research Assistant: For Students: Purpose Statement
This site gives advice on how to write an effective purpose (thesis) statement. The summary is given as answers to four questions: what? why? when? how?.
US Department of Energy
Us Dept. Of Energy: Urbita Elementary School: Linda Gregory: Draft O Meter [Pdf]
Students will observe drafts in homes and in the classroom to determine if or how much heat or air conditioning is escaping. How can the rooms be made more energy efficient?
SUNY Empire State College
Empire State College: Thesis and Shaping Information
This tutorial on writing essays contains several sections pertaining to the thesis. These include thesis definition, characteristics, analysis of thesis to gather and shape information, and topic sentences. Many examples given. W.9-10.2...
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina: Constructing Thesis Statements
Readable, but thorough handout on the thesis statement. Covers what it is, why it's important, how to come up with one, examples, and how to evaluate. Bibliography included. W.9-10.2a Intro/org/graphics
Capital Community College Foundation
Guide to Grammar and Writing: The Five Paragraph Essay
Explains what each paragraph of the five-paragraph essay, should do. Then gives a side-by-side analysis of a sample essay, pointing out aspects of the introduction and thesis statement, the paragraph-by-paragraph development, and the...