Curated OER
Getting Hooked, Introduction for a Narrative
How can you interest your reader? Here is a great lesson on reading and discussing the characteristics of a narrative. Elementary schoolers explore writing techniques to hook the reader. They identify their hook and share their...
Bright Hub Education
How to Write an Essay Introduction
Clichéd and repetitive introductions got you down? Try this activity on for size! Start off by instructing your class members on techniques for writing introductions and what types of introductions they should avoid. Several general...
Curated OER
Walk Two Moons: Hook and Concept of a Frame Story
As an introduction to Sharon Creexh's Walk Two Moons, a volunteer dons a pair of boots and walks about the classroom.Observers then ponder the axiom, Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his...
Curated OER
Varied Beginnings: Research Process / Narrative Writing Techniques
What's the best way to start a story? Learners write a memoir using effective openings. They research the process and work through a list of hooks to use in their writing. They use at least two hooks to begin their personal memoir. A...
Curated OER
Writing a Good Introduction
Fifth graders use a list of transitional words and hooks in order to write a good introduction. In this writing lesson plan, 5th graders view and discuss a PowerPoint presentation on introductions.
Curated OER
Leading into Good Writing
Discuss the importance of a lead in writing with your upper graders. They examine several examples of leads from literature and practice writing leads for pieces of artwork. They then select a topic from a list and write an introductory...
Curated OER
Terrific Topic Sentences
Capture the interest of your reader with terrific topic sentences. To practice hooking the reader, your class will be given writing prompts, and they must create topic sentences for each prompt provided. Encourage them to use different...
Curated OER
Writing the Essay
Relate the structure of the essay to the structure of a building. The class compares an essay to a building, with the writer being the architect, the introduction being the foundation, and so on. They use the visual representation of a...
Curated OER
Ultimate Writing and Creativity Center
Third graders engage in a writing lesson on constructing an introductory paragraph and is also a literature extension activity to be used after reading Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
Curated OER
Creating Weather Journals
Students create weather journals. In this weather science lesson, students use digital cameras to record the daily weather and write a paragraph in a weather journal.
Curated OER
The Editing Process
Students read a sample essay and evaluate them in groups. They write their own essay on a topic of their choice and use peer editing. They share their essays with the class.
Curated OER
The Wonders of Water - Biology Teaching Thesis
Students name 3-5 aesthetic values of the Potomac River. They state the importance of water in their own words. Students describe what Earth Day is and why it is important. They list 5-7 ways that they can help minimize water pollution.
Curated OER
Why Do We Need Clean Air to Live? - Biology Teaching Thesis
Students name the main components of the respiratory system. They write a reaction that contains complete sentences, and uses proper spelling and grammar, after viewing a video. Students define the following terms: lungs, respiration,...
Curated OER
Harvesting Energy from Food: How do Plants Help Humans?
Beginning botanists view slides of plant vascular tissue. They watch Magic School Bus Gets Planted, which you can find online, and then write a summary of what they have learned about plants. This lesson plan could be used with upper...
Curated OER
Keeping Your Heart in Good Shape: What are the Benefits? - Biology Teaching Thesis
Students name the main parts of the heart and what events occur there. They write a reaction that contains complete sentences, and uses proper spelling and grammar, after viewing a video. Students define the following terms: contraction,...
Curated OER
What Happens to Our Bodies When We Get Sick?
Seventh graders explore ways in which they become sick. They find out ways that there bodies fight off bacteria. Students watch a video from the Magic School Bus series:"Inside Raphie." After reviewing video students can openly discuss...
Curated OER
The Editing Process
Students edit and critique essays. For this editing and critiquing lesson, students examine a sample essay and edit it. Students read the essay aloud to determine the areas that need to be revised. Students then write their own essay for...
Curated OER
The Editing Process
Students in upper-level college-bound English classes review the editing process and terms such as, tone, diction, transition, and conclusion. They read and evaluate a sample essay and identify parts they feel they could improve on. ...
Curated OER
Letter Sounds
Young scholars orally say the sounds of the letters A, G, H, L, N, R, W, and J at the beginning of words when given a list of words that start with these letters. They use at least two of these words effectively in a sentence. Students...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Power First Paragraphs
After reading an engaging paragraph from Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure by Robert D. San Souci and then work on writing good opening paragraphs for their own stories. Teacher and student instructions are provided along with student...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Identifying and Writing Effective Opening "Hooks"
Contains plans for four lessons that teach students to write effective "hooks," or beginnings, to their writing. They read the introductions of fiction passages and analyze the techniques they use before applying these techniques in...