Curated OER
Up Close and Personal with Black Bayou Lake
Middle schoolers get up close and personal with Black Bayou Lake. Visiting web sites and taking virtual tours, they write multi-paragraph essays using descriptive words and literary devices.
Curated OER
A Christmas Memory
High schoolers think about and remember a special Christmas they had with their family when they were younger. They write an essay using vivid descriptions that appeal to the senses.
Curated OER
Comparing Realistic and Fictional Settings
Students examine setting in a work of realistic fiction. In this literature lesson plan, students read The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and then write an essay that compares real-life settings to the settings in...
Curated OER
WH AT' S Y O U R A M B I T I O N?
Students read and analyze an excerpt from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain. Students use the Six Traits of Writing to compose an essay on a personal life ambition that each students may have. Students use prewriting strategies and...
Curated OER
Exploring Satire - Jonathan Swift
Students study about satire and find examples Part One of GULLIVER'S TRAVELS. They then write an essay about the examples they found and how the writer used satire in his literary work.
Curated OER
Figurative Language - Part Two
Students need to use their papers from Part One of this lesson. They then write a paragraph for each term. This exercise help them to use these terms in their writing. Using figurative language makes writing more descriptive and alive.
Curated OER
Exploring Color Vocabulary
Young scholars explore color terms and related meanings and metaphors in cultural and literary contexts. They use the main colors to explore synonymous color terms and related metaphorical meanings of color words. Students recognize...
Curated OER
Chivalry
Eighth graders explore manners by writing short stories. In this chivalry code lesson plan, 8th graders identify the traits of chivalry and explore the history of chivalry in England. Students complete a chivalry worksheet and write a...
Curated OER
Defining Character Traits
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...
Curated OER
poem "One Inch Tall" from the book "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein
Learners use the terms: ratio, proportion, and measurement in their description of the life of a person one inch tall.
Curated OER
"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe
High schoolers read and analyze the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe. They take notes while reading the story, select an element to analyze, and write an essay about the characters, theme, or the setting.
Curated OER
Heroes
Tenth graders participate in research and class discussion before attempting to write a traditional five paragraph essay. They use the examples of 16 other hero stories to consider. Students use examples and descriptive details to...
Curated OER
If I Were President...
Students practice their critical thinking skills by examining current issues in the campaign. They write an essay stating what they would to do solve problems if they were president. They share their solutions with the class.
Curated OER
You Should Not Have Believed Me: Hamlet
Young scholars discuss the sanity of Hamlet and Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Students analyze an image from the play to address the sanity of the two characters. Then young scholars read the text to determine whether the characters'...
Curated OER
Cultural Exchange
Students are introduced to the concept of cultural exchange and identify two examples of the concept. Individually, they research two specific examples of exchange and write about how it affected the two groups involved. They identify...
Curated OER
Examining Conflicts At Camp Green Lake
Students complete an essay documenting a conflict present in the novel Holes. They define the six types of literary discussion as a class. After identifying one of these types of conflicts in the novel, students write a five paragraph...
Curated OER
Every Dog Has Its Day
Students explore the use of imagery in writing. In this writing instructional activity, students create a writing piece that features sensory images without resorting to the use of clichés.
Curated OER
Picture This
Students create a descriptive paragraph about their past or their heritage and provide a picture to go along with it. In this past and heritage lesson plan, students share their paragraph with the class.
Curated OER
The Cultural Geography of South Asia
Students gain an in-depth understanding of the issues surrounding the conflict in Kashmir. They use what they have learned to write an essay about the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Curated OER
Comparing the House and Senate
Young scholars create posters and write descriptions on the responsibilities and powers assigned to the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Students compare and contrast the two houses' powers and responsibilities as well...
Curated OER
Rescuers: Those Who Risked Their Lives to Save Others
Learners examine stories of Holocaust heroes. In this Holocaust lesson, students study the contributions of those who saved Jewish prisoners. Learners compose reflective essays pertaining to the topic.
Curated OER
Shifting Gears
In this activity, students will write a personal narrative that is designed to help them reflect on the nature and meaning of change in their lives.
Curated OER
Grandparents' Day: Family History
Students explore Grandparents' Day. They interview their grandparents and select an activity to highlight their interview. They select a project including writing an essay, composing a song, creating a poem or scrapbook, or writing a...
Curated OER
A History of Tibet: Dalai Lama Day
Sixth graders research the history of Tibet. In this history of Tibet instructional activity, 6th graders prepare for a visit by the Dalai Lama and review a timeline. students respond to a writing prompt, review vocabulary, and write...