This lesson focuses on the pros and cons of extra-curricular activities for kids; while positive effects have been proven, overscheduled kids may have trouble keeping up with the activities and school work. It features links to opposing...

This lesson focuses on the issue of texting while driving; it features links to articles and a video about the dangers of texting and other distractions while driving and a teen survey with their attitudes on the subject. Students read...

This lesson focuses on the seven types of propaganda and their uses. It features a link to a Wikipedia article "Propaganda" and provides an interactive assessment of the seven types.

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,...

This lesson focuses on the elements of nonfiction including types of nonfiction such as biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, newspaper editorials, speeches, and essays. It features links to a chart of the types of nonfiction and an...

This lesson focuses on the book Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom about the time he spent with his sociology professor who was dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. It features links to Mitch Albom's website, a Wikipedia article about...

This lesson focuses on The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston, memoirs of her growing up as a child of Chinese immigrants. It features links to an excerpt of the text, and summaries and commentaries from Shmoop and Sparknotes. There...

This lesson focuses on Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Raymond Sedaris, a collection of essays. It features links to a Sedaris biography, a collection of NPR: "Sedaris on New York" audio essays, and a PDF excerpt from Me Talk Pretty One...

This lesson focuses on John F. Kennedy's speech, "We Choose to go to the Moon," delivered at Rice University on September 12, 1962. It features links to JFK's biography and Wikipedia entry, the National Geographic: "Moon 101" video, the...

This lesson focuses on how to write a nonfiction comparison/contrast paper including the reasons for writing them and the three organizational strategies. It features links to transition words, graphic organizers, Venn diagrams,...

This is an introduction to a unit on Popular Culture with focus on 21st century novels and expository writing.

This lesson focuses on the elements that makes a book popular and provides links to lists of Goodreads popular books and NPR's "Your Favorites: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels."

This lesson focuses on the benefits of joining a book club to discuss and connect with books and the benefits of reading for pleasure. It provides a "How to Start Your Own Book Club" presentation and provides links to a decription of...

This lesson focuses on making connections with the text including text to self, text to text, and text to world. It provides links to book excerpts from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and information...

This lesson focuses on expository writing including definitions, terms, sample expository essays, sequencing events into chonological order, and links to information about how to write expository essays.

This lesson focuses on providing an overview of contemporary literature and the writing process. It defines contemporary literature and the key terms of the writing process, and provides links to the Contemporary Literature and...

This lesson focuses on the Irish poet Seamus Heaney; it features links to Heaney's biography, his poem "Blackberry Picking," and an analysis of that poem. It also explains what to look for when reading and analyzing a poem and this poem...

This lesson focuses on Maya Angelou and her poem "On the Pulse of Morning." It features links to Angelou's biography, her official website, National Women's Hall of Fame, and her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" in text and in audio.

This lesson focuses on Lucille Clifton, her poetry, and her use of Biblical allusions. It features links to her biography, a Wikipedia article about Absalom, three of her poems: "adam thinking," "eve thinking," and "oh absalom my son my...

This lesson focuses on Luis J. Rodriguez and his poem "The Concrete River." It features links to Rodriguez's biography and "The Concrete River." The text of the lesson provides a list of question about the poem that the students should...

This lesson is an introduction to an "Outside Reading Made Fun" unit in which students select a book to read for pleasure, write journal questions, write an analytical essay, create a book project, and participate in a book discussion.

This lesson focuses on editorials including understanding their purpose and analyzing them. It provides links to analyzing an editorial handout, "Writing an Editorial" tutorial, and "PBS NewHour: Student Voice" essays.

This lesson focuses on commercials and advertisements including demographics, targeted audiences, and the three audience appeals: ethos pathos, and logos. It provides links to an analyzing ads assignment with rubric, a demographics...

This lesson focuses on how to write a persuasive or argumenatative essay. It provides links to a "Persuasive Support" handout, a 7-page PDF on "Writing the Persuasive Essay," and Purdue Owl's "Argumentative Essays."