Curated OER
RAFT Options for the Union Occupation of New Orleans
Role, Audience, Format, and Topic are the four key elements of a RAFT assignment. In this single slide, seven RAFT options are provided for students to choose from, regarding an event that altered the person's (role) lifestyle during the...
Curated OER
Flowers for Algernon: RAFT
Should Charlie undergo an operation to increase his intelligence? A mini-lesson plan for a unit on Daniel Keyes novel Flowers for Algernon uses a RAFT activity, which prompts students to write a letter to Charlie's doctors explaining why...
Curated OER
Writing a Business Letter to Compare and Contrast
Students compose business letters. In this writing skills lesson plan, students use the business letter format as they note cause and effect relationships between the weight epidemic in the United States and changing menus in American...
Curated OER
Mary and the Red River Raft
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine how the clearing of rivers such as the Red River helped to boost the Arkansas economy of the mid-1800's. They listen to a story called, "Mary and the Red River Raft," then conduct research on...
Curated OER
How do I write a friendly letter?
Teach your class the basic format of a friendly letter. Pupils learn about the heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature. There is a brief quiz at the end to check for understanding. The links for this section work correctly and...
K20 LEARN
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death: The Journey to Revolution
The words of "Common Sense" and Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech ring throughout history. Scholars explore the nuances of each patriot's argument using excerpts from the famous pamphlet and speech and a recorded...
Curated OER
Raft Paper
In this writing a raft paper template, students choose the role of the writer, audience, format and topic.
Curated OER
Building Boats
Students research different types of boats in various time periods and cultures. Then they locate photographs and information about construction details of one type of boat. Students also use their research as the basis for designing and...
NASA
Science Fiction Story
A lesson allows you to go back in time and see the big bang actually happen. Bazinga! In reality, pupils research the Big Bang Theory and theorize what it would be like to go back in time and see it happen. There are four different...
Curated OER
Day of the Dead
Students study the Mexican celebration of Day of the Dead. They view a video and research questions on the Internet. They synthesize the information from the websites and the topic for their RAFT writing assignment. They write their...
Curated OER
Mayan Culture
Students use RAFT prompts to write about Mayan society. In this lesson on Mayan culture, students research and then explain the Mayan hierarchy and social structure. As a culminating activity each student will write a newspaper article...
Curated OER
Quick Writes and RAFTs
Pupils explore Quick Writes and RAFTs in all academic areas. They review the 6+1 Traits of Writing, the purpose of quick writes and how they can be used in various content areas.
Joel Michel Studies
The Swiss Family Robinson: Novel Study
What items would most people want to have with them if they were stranded on a desert island? Using the novel study for The Swiss Family Robinson, scholars attempt to answer the question from their own perspectives. They also explore...
Curated OER
I Have a Story to Tell
Students use research information to create a story reflective of an individual of the Great Depression. Students use the RAFT (role, audience, format, topic) learning strategy to identify their role as the author, their audience, the...
Pulitzer Center
International Aid and Fragile States
"States suffering from internal conflict, weak infrastructures, lack of economic development, and general instability are emerging as a large threat to the international security." What factors contribute to the creation of a fragile...
Curated OER
Improving Your Style Pronouns
In this writing style worksheet, students learn to improve their style by replacing nouns and noun phrases with pronouns. Students complete three activities to help them with pronouns.
Sir Peter Blake Trust
Learn About Leadership
Sir Peter Blake was an award-winning New Zealand yachtsman who was killed by pirates in 2001. Scholars learn about his leadership qualities in a fun lesson that combines games, writing, and discussion. Pupils also reflect on ideas of...
Curated OER
Civil War Letter
Students put themselves in the shoes of American Civil War soldiers. In this Civil War instructional activity, students compose letters to their families from the the perspective of soldiers in the war.
Curated OER
Water is Life, Water is Poetry
Middle schoolers read poems about water and relate to their own experiences. For this poetry lesson, students create drawings relating to a specific relevant memory. Middle schoolers write a poem about the same event as their...
Curated OER
Sink or Float: Exploring the Laws of Buoyancy
Young scholars explore the relationship between density and buoyancy. After watching a video explaining buoyancy, students discuss displacement and floating. Young scholars have a raft building competition. Afterward, they conduct...
Curated OER
A Novel Study Unit for The Cay
Novelly written questions are perfect for a novel study guide unit on The Cay. The well-rounded resource contains an anticipation guide for scholars to complete before reading, a variety of questions per chapter of the book, and a post...
Curated OER
Resolving Conflict Lesson : Islamic Civilization
Students explore the spread of Islam in ancient civilizations. In this Islam lesson, students research and discuss the Muslim beliefs, stereotypes, and history. Students write essays that address the topic and create posters to inform...
Curated OER
Reporting News About Rosa Parks
Students investigate racism by completing a writing assignment. In this civil rights lesson, students research facts about Rosa Parks in order to write a newspaper article about her. Students utilize the Internet for research and a...
Curated OER
What a Difference a Year Makes: Billy's Letter
Seventh graders read, "Where the Red Fern Grows" and write a RAFT letter from the point of view of the character Billy to his grandpa reflecting on the death of his dog and his adjustment to life in town.