Curated OER
Famous People and Cultural Diffusion
Students use the internet to identify cultural traditions throughout the world. In groups, they examine each culture and determine the effect they had on life in the United States. They use this information to write a family history...
Curated OER
Extreme Work Makeover
Students revise paragraphs for effective word choice. In this effective word choice lesson, students analyze a paragraph for purpose, audience, development, and conventions. Students identify commonly overused words and...
Other
Odessa College: Three Part Format: Definition
This interesting site provides information about definition essays with example formats and a model essay.
The Write Place
Literacy Education Online: Definition Essay
This site provides guidelines for writing definition essays. It also explores various types of definition writing and provides a few short examples.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Extended Definition Essay
This five-page essay provides an example of writing an extended definition to something (the meaning of work in this case). Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips,...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Contemporary Literature: Contemporary Nonfiction
This lesson is an introduction to contemporary nonfiction including the definition, types of nonfiction: biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, essays, speeches, and diaries, examples of authors and types, key terms, essential questions,...
Capital Community College Foundation
Guide to Grammar and Writing: Developing a Definition
Not sure what a definition paper is? This is a great site from the Capital Community College to help you with developing a definition. Includes a sample essay and guiding questions.
Online Writing Lab at Purdue University
Purdue University Owl: Writing Essays for Exams
This handout provides a comprehensive look at writing essays for exams including what a well-written answer to an essay exam question includes, a step-by-step decription of how to write an effective essay exam, an explanation of patterns...
The Write Place
Literacy Education Online
Literacy Education Online (or LEO) is a great place to start if you need help with your writing. The homepage is organized around kinds of problems or questions you might have concerning your writing. Find your problem, click on the...
Other
Gallaudet University: English Works: Guide to Different Types of Essays
English Works site has suggestions on how to write an essay to convey helpful information. This site offers examples of eight different types of essays and graphic organizers.
University of Groningen
American History: Essays: The Black Lost Cause:critical Analysis of Examples
Discusses the research by historians to try to determine the extent to which African Americans fought for the Confederate cause. They examined letters, service records, anecdotes, photographs, pension records, etc. but were unable to say...
University of Sydney (Australia)
The Write Site: Constructing a Working Thesis
Students will find a thorough definition of a thesis. Non-examples of thesis statements are also provided.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Irony, Sarcasm, and Paradox (English Ii Reading)
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn to evaluate the role of irony, paradox, and sarcasm in literary nonfiction such as speeches and essays. It includes the definitions and...
Other
Interacting Texts Directed Activities Related to Texts (Darts)
Want to improve your students' reading skills? This is a good place to find the types of directed activities, using a definition text, reconstruction/analysis activities, and advantages of using DARTs.
Capital Community College Foundation
Guide to Grammar and Writing: Principles of a Composition
Writing a Paper? Here at the Capital Community College is everything you could ever ask for while preparing your essay. This site includes the writing process, structure, thesis statement, transitions, the computer as a writing...
Quizlet
Quizlet: Elements of an Argument Learn
In this activity, students will type the argument term associated with each definition or example. When given a definition or an example, students will practice identifying the following terms: argument, claim, support, reasons,...
Rutgers University
Rutgers University: Glossary of Literary and Rhetorical Terms: Heroic Couplets
A short definition of the term Heroic Couplet along with a short example from a piece of poetry from Pope's Essay on Criticism.
University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky: Genetic Testing
An essay on the uses and types of genetic testing. Very readable. Discusses legal issues, offers several case study examples, and includes a definition.
Other
Are We a Democracy or a Republic?
An essay on the present political state in America contending the country is leaning further towards a republican form of government instead of a democracy. Defines and explains the major differences between democracy and republicanism...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: The Tech: Cnn Foils Prior Restraint
An essay by a freshman at MIT gives a definition and examples of "Prior Restraint." The Tech is the MIT school newspaper. (Published Dec. 7, 1990)
Quizlet
Quizlet: Claim, Evidence and Reasoning Learn
In this activity, students will type an informational report term. When given a definition or an example, students will practice identifying the following terms: evidence, claim, qualitative evidence, quantitative evidence, and...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Literary Text: Irony, Sarcasm, and Paradox
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn to evaluate the role of irony, paradox, and sarcasm in literary nonfiction such as speeches and essays. Take a look at the chart; it contains...
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...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: The Heroic Couplet: Its Rhyme and Reason
Lengthy academic essay that argues that traditional poetry, including the heroic couplet, is still relevant in the modern world. While this is discussed, the history of the heroic couplet is provided. A good definition of the term with...