Curated OER
Descriptive Essay
High schoolers review previously written essays, draw pictures of shapes, and write descriptive essays.
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Essay Exchange Unit: Response to Essays
Students receive and read electronic reviews of their essays.
Curated OER
John Lawson's Emigration Impact: Short Essay
Students review John Lawson's writings to discover the impact they had on emigration to America. Using the writings, they analyze the influence of them and review the early settlement of the colonies. They write their own essay sharing...
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Lesson Plan on Social Studies Research
Fourth graders listen to nonfiction stories, read fact sheets about historical characters and events, and record facts in groups. They write a paper based on six facts from their research.
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Building a Mini-park And Bird Sanctuary Lesson 3: Location, Location, Location
Students work cooperatively using the democratic process to select a place for a park. They identify how the garden in the park will look. They write a five paragraph essay as an assessment.
Beacon Learning Center
Challenging the Human Spirit
High schoolers select a theme-related essay topic from Night, by Elie Wiesel, or The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, and develop an essay that relates the theme to modern-day personal experiences. The essay follows a preset rubric...
Curated OER
5 Mother's Day Lessons and Activities
Students complete a craft project. In this Mother's Day lesson, students learn about Mother's Day around the world, write an essay about their mother, create a Mother's Day card, create coupons for meaningful time with their...
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing: Creating Book Reviews
By reading and analyzing examples of persuasive text, students can get a better idea of how to form their own essays.
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Reliving History Through Writing
Students read a first hand account of John F. Kennedy's assassination. They write an essay describing how a world or national event affected them.
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Nonfiction Lessons That Motivate
Incorporating nonfiction lessons into literature instruction can be interesting and engaging for all students.
US Mint
The Growth of a Nation
Young historians explore the identity of the early United States in this four-part lesson series. Working in groups of three, students research the political, economic, and cultural atmosphere of each member of the...
Curated OER
West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
Students explore historic West Virginia. In this US history lesson, students examine primary sources and political cartoons that depict the issues of statehood for West Virginia and the role that those played in the Civil War. This...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King Jr. Lesson Plans
Martin Luther King Jr. lesson plans can provide a way to delve into history and a discussion of what it takes to make a difference.
Curated OER
Lessons of the Indian Epics: Following the Dharma
Students examine how the epic poem, "Ramayana" teaches dharma, one of Hinduism's most important tenets. They read the abridged version of the "Ramayana," identify the main plot points, complete a chart, and write an essay on a moral...
Curated OER
Formal Essay Process
High schoolers identify and use the four types of brainstorming techniques used in essay prewriting. They select an appropriate attention getting statement to attract the essay reader. Students explore the purpose and methods of...
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Organizational Patterns: Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students write an essay comparing and contrasting their school experiences. Through guided practice, they create an outline of their elementary school experience and middle school experience. Using their outlines, students synthesize...
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Writing: Planning and Organizing
Twelfth graders examine the five step prewriting process used before writing essays. They select a common topic and determine the purpose,and audience for the essay. They list examples in daily life where planning and organizing are...
Curated OER
Agriculture in Motion
Sixth graders write a poem and an essay about the machines they have learned about that are used in agriculture. In this machines lesson plan, 6th graders compare different kinds of machines and discuss the economic impact machines in...
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American Dream and The Great Gatsby
Is the American Dream alive and well or has it dried up and died? As part of a study of The Great Gatsby, class members search for articles on the state of the American Dream, analyze the arguments presented in those articles, and then...
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What Does Christmas Mean to Me?
Students write an essay entitled "What Does Christmas Mean to Me?" In this writing lesson, students express their feelings about Christmas in an essay. Students discuss ways they have given to others during the Christmas season, then...
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Essay on People and Their Experiences
Students explore "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin, "The Magic Barrel" by Bernard Malamud, and "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver. In this shorty story analysis instructional activity, students write down facts about each of the main...
Curated OER
Living The Life of a Scribe
Students write a descriptive letter about life in ancient Mesopotamia. Through video streaming, students discover the history of Mesopotamia. They assume the role of a scribe and compose a three paragraph essay using main ideas and...
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Thesis Structure
Use this lesson to reinforce the importance of a strong thesis statement. After viewing samples, middle schoolers identify the three parts to a thesis. Additionally, they create their own thesis including and labeling the three parts and...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Glass Menagerie: Impact of Expressionism
Young scholars are challenged to write a realistic analysis of Tennessee Williams' nonrealistic memory play, The Glass Menagerie. Writers use the evidence gathered on their worksheets to craft an effective thesis and concluding statement...