Writing
Curated OER

What Do You Think of Obama's Oval Office Speech on the Oil Spill?

For Students 7th - 12th
Kids age 13 and older are asked to read the provided Times article and background information in order to construct a thoughtful blog response to Obama's first Oval Office speech. They work to address each of the related critical...
Writing
Curated OER

When Is It O.K. to Replace Human Limbs With Technology?

For Students 7th - 12th
Today's blog topic is robotic limb replacement for amputees. Upper graders read the related article and argument, then compose a blog response that addresses the questions provided. This is a great way to get kids thinking about ethics,...
Writing
Curated OER

What Famous Landmarks Have You Visited?

For Students 8th - 12th
Responding to blog posts can increase written communication skills, critical thinking skills, and the use of social media as a means for discussion. Kids will compose a blog post in response to the provided article related to famous...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Are Antismoking Ads Effective?

For Students 9th - 12th
Are the anti-smoking ads put out by the federal government effective? This question is posed to your critical thinkers. They'll read excerpts from a New York Times article and then compose thoughtful blog responses to four related...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oklahoma! The Cultural Myth of America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore cultural myths in America by collecting images and characteristics of stereotypical Americans. They read a primary source document, discussing the views of the author in class. Next, they compare the terms used to...
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Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Reading Constructed Response Organizer [Pdf]

For Students 5th - 8th
This exercise provides guiding questions that will help students develop constructed responses.
Handout
Brown University

Brown University: One Minute Paper

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learn the procedures how to use a written response activity to an open question any time during a class.