In this lesson, students will describe a setting, attempting to set a mood for their readers in two paragraphs. Borrowing a technique from Stephen Kramer's two-page introduction to Caves, they will begin with a paragraph that explains...

Students will read chapter four of The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, noting both the time traveler's descriptions of the new world of 800,000 ACE, and the conclusions the main character draws as a 19th century man. Students will think of a...

Inspired by the picture book How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, an enthusiastic tale that explores the pros and cons of being a pirate, learners will research an interesting job and prepare to write about it. While researching, the...

Learners will plan a paragraph that states their opinion and cites evidence to justify their opinion about an informational text. This lesson uses biographies since students can easily be able to write down factual information from the...

For this lesson, the book entitled A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? (Words Are Categorical), written by Brian P. Cleary, is used as the mentor text. After learning the basic definition of noun, a person, place, thing, or...

In this lesson, Bertrand R. Brinley's The Mad Scientist's Club is used as a mentor text. Young scholars will analyze the introductory paragraph of the mentor text and its sequel. Then students will use an interactive button to select a...

Students will take a previously created paragraph and edit it to make it better by adding details, definitions, a topic sentence, or a closure to an informational paragraph. Resources include a PowerPoint presentation and pictures and...

How can you learn to write a successful paragraph? This site features a lesson plan to help your students sharpen their writing skills.

In this lesson the writer will imagine and compose a descriptive paragraph that focuses on a gigantic object moving through a specific setting and leaving destruction in its wake, modeled after the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald...

In this lesson each writer will compose and revise a "showing" description inpsired by an object or a place in nature. Long before drafting, students will discuss and compare the writing styles and techniques of published authors who...

This lesson focuses on strategies for moving essay writing beyond the five-paragraph essay structure to one whose structure is determined by the content. W.11-12.4 Clear/Coherent Writing

This instructional activity focuses on transitioning between paragraphs including when to begin a new paragraph and transitions for different purposes.

[Free Registration/Login Required] A series of three lesson plans designed to teach students to identify main ideas through headings and chapter titles, and then to write appropriate titles of their own. Lessons are based on the books...

This lesson focuses on effective paragraph construction especially topic sentences.

This lesson focuses on the difference between formulaic writing such as the five-paragraph essay and an organic structure that puts forward an arguable statement.

This lesson is designed to help students strengthen their research and writing skills, while learning more about the Civil War, as they produce an expository paragraph. Students will glean information from an article about the causes of...

In this lesson, The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown is used as a mentor text. Students will create an illustrated paragraph about a particular math topic. Students will use the mentor text and attempt to adapt the author's style to...

This lesson offers suggestions to help you fix short, choppy sentences, combine sentences with the same subject, and revise sentences that sound the same. L.11-12.3 Language Functions/Style

In this lesson, students organize and design a narrative based on three developing ideas.

In this lesson plan, young scholars create a unique character and develop a descriptive paragraph utilizing strong word choice.

Learn to write a five-paragraph persuasive essay by working through six links to videos, graphic organizers, and activities on space exploration.

This lesson focuses on identifying thesis statements including explicit and implicit thesis statements, "How to Identify the Thesis Statement" (video), topic sentences, paragraph parts graphic, and a self-check activity.

This multi-day jigsaw activity engages students in summary writing. Students will work in small groups after direct instruction and write short summary paragraphs. Students will refer to the 'Five Rules For Writing a Summary' chart for...

A wide range of math skills is incorporated into a lesson that involves planning a family's vacation to Florida. Travel expenses are gathered and compared, graphed, and analyzed in hopes of finding the best prices. There are extension...