According to A.A. Milne, "[A] quotation is a handy thing to have about, saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself." However, as part of a larger series of handouts discusses, quotations also have the ability to enhance a piece of...

Bring this online interactive reading comprehension instructional activity to your unit on S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Middle schoolers respond to nine essay questions based on the novel. They may also access an online quiz on the...

Are your AP classes struggling with Document Based Questions? Nip their problems in the bud with this clear and comprehensive presentation, which compares a "dazzling DBQ" to a hamburger, outlining all of the layers therein....

Ideas don't naturally flow from one to another. They need transitions to help them connect. Part of a larger Writing the Paper series, the resource introduces writers to the concept of using transitions in their writing. Topics covered...

What ideas and philosophies guided the Transcendentalist movement in America? Scholars explore the topic, reading texts by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Additionally, they write essays comparing the authors' structural...

Is Hester Prynne a virtuous woman? To conclude a unit study of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter class members craft an argument essay in which they use the standards listed in Proverbs 31 from the Bible to judge Hester's virtues.

Get your junior high writers stimulated with the strategies and ideas available in this activity. Learners discuss and debate controversial subjects, and outline their reasons with an online graphic organizer (link included) that creates...

Help make children's vacations a little more meaningful with this collection of writing materials. Offering numerous writing paper templates, writing prompts, and coloring pages, this resource engages children in creating a written...

Create or expand your college essay and career unit with a business and postsecondary writing activity. The exercise works for college-bound or job-hunting junior or senior learners. They bring their research concerning a college or...

Grab a debatable (or controversial) moment from your current reading, and use this task to progress the persuasive writing skills of your high school scholars. Divide your learners into four small groups and let them collaborate, debate,...

A three-part assessment challenges scholars to read informational texts in order to complete three tasks. Following a brief reading, class members take part in grand conversations, complete charts, and work in small groups to research...

The best sandwiches aren't always edible. Pupils use a Quote Sandwich graphic organizer to plan paragraphs two and three of their position papers about the best food chain. Next, they begin drafting their body paragraphs for the mid-unit...

Prepare high school seniors for the job search process with a lesson that teaches them how to craft four different types of business letters: the cover letter, the informational interview request, a reference request, and a thank you...

Students brainstorm in preparation for writing an expressive essay. They review their responses to 'Writing from Experience' and write notes and brainstorm other ideas or details for their essays. They take turns illustrating their life...

Pupils identify the elements of an informative essay. Through a teacher led discussion, students explore the basic parts of a five paragraph essay and , using a hamburger as an analogy, pupils label the pieces. They discuss the...

Students compose expository essays. In this written communication lesson, students examine paragraphs from sample expository essays and then discuss the attributes of well-written essays prior to writing their own expository essays.

Students examine and create persuasive essays. In this writing lesson students engage in activities that allow them to understand how a persuasive essay is constructed so they may compose their own.

A good thesis is hard to craft. Model for your writers how to develop and refine thesis statements with a series of slides that discuss the purpose and format of this all-important sentence. Viewers following along as the process is...

As a culminating assignment for a unit study of heroes that uses The Hobbit as the core text, class members engage in a multi-genre writing project.

This contains a writing prompt about global warming that could be adapted in several ways. The resource provides information on global warming and its possible effects. Learners explore the enhanced greenhouse effect and the effects of...

Students examine the challenges of a new language and culture. For this cultural lesson, student read Running by Peter Hessler and discuss obstacles faced, including the language barrier. Students write an essay about a time they...

Elementary schoolers practice the skill of non-fiction writing. They study aspects of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, and write an essay which describes the tower and it's fascinating history. The article about the tower is included in...