Curated OER
Environment: Endangered Mammal Project
Students research different mammals and create illustrations and narratives about them. Working individually or in small groups, students compose their rough drafts prior to creating their posters or dioramas. Students present short...
Curated OER
Let Me Tell You About My State
Fifth graders research one of the 50 U.S. States that they were unfamiliar with. In this U.S. Geography lesson, 5th graders utilize encyclopedias as well as the Internet to research a chosen U.S. State in order to write a report....
Curated OER
Speaker Report
Fifth through eighth graders think of themselves as newspaper reporters as they listen to a presentation by a guest speaker. As reporters, they take notes during the presentation. Using these notes, they create a rough draft and then a...
Virginia Department of Education
Writing Counterarguments
This activity is better utilized as a peer-editing exercise and not as an activity on how to write counterarguments. Writers take their argumentative rough drafts, peer edit in groups of four, and review the author on common essay...
Virginia Department of Education
Editing and Proofreading
This task is best utilized after a rough draft revision is completed. Writers pair-up and identify when the author uses the passive voice, clichés, and wordiness. Basic examples for the revision points are provided for the...
Curated OER
Advanced Practical Writing - A Letter to your Landlord
Looking for a letter writing worksheet? This worksheet provides a practical and realistic activity for your class. Learners write a brief letter to their landlord, who can be either real or imaginary, asking him or her to fix a problem...
Social Media Toolbox
Social Media Plan
It's gameplan time! Journalism scholars create a social media plan based upon work completed in previous lessons. The activity, fifth in a 16-part Social Media Toolbox series, focuses on using data and consensus to create an effective...
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad as an Act of Civil Disobedience
Students write an essay from rough draft to final copy about the Underground Railroad. Civil disobedience is researched from a variety of sources. There is a prewriting exercise that is included in the lesson. The whole writing process...
Curated OER
My Favorite Book
Class members select a favorite book and write and present a book review. They view and discuss a sample PowerPoint presentation, then write a rough draft for their own slide show book review. They create a six-slide presentation to...
Curated OER
Revive Reviews With Student-Created Study Guides
Students work cooperatively in small groups to practice note-taking and outlining skills which are applied as student create unit Study Guides for their classmates. They demonstrate critical thinking skills as they decide the most...
Museum of Tolerance
What Do I Know Already? What Can I Predict?
In preparation to a visit to the Museum of Tolerance, class members engage in a prediction activity by creating a folder to house materials they feel represent ideas, topics, or issues they may encounter during their visit.
Curated OER
Writing Original Adventures About Imaginary Sidekicks
Young scholars explore storytelling by conceptualizing a story with classmates. In this publishing instructional activity, students identify the idea development process and discuss word choice when writing a story. Young scholars...
Curated OER
One Giant Leap
Students brainstorm important scientific advancements of the twentieth century. They examine the implications of the completion of the first rough draft of the human genome on society. They research a selected scientific advancement of...
Curated OER
Sentence Work on Passive Voice
Students explore passive voice. They bring in rough drafts, exchange with other students, and look for ways to improve the essays through the elimination of the passive voice.
Curated OER
A Shapely Activity
Fifth graders explore polygons in various shape activities. For this polygons lesson, 5th graders discuss and identify polygons by their number of sides. Students sort ceramic tiles by the number of sides on each piece. Students explore...
Curated OER
An Eye on Science
Students investigate the human eye and its parts. They read and discuss various books about eyes and sight, draw a rough draft of an eye diagram, and create a final draft of their eye diagram including labeled parts using Kid Pix...
Curated OER
Real-World Reasonableness
Fifth graders apply math to real-world situations. In this mathematics lesson, 5th graders are read the book, "Math Curse," which discusses ways in which math is used each day. Students then write a sequel to the book in groups,...
Curated OER
The Kidlink Day Project
Students create journal entries on-line as part of a "Kidlink Day" activity. Entries are compared and evaluated by their peers. The writing process is practiced in this lesson.
Curated OER
Understanding the Price Paid: America's Conflicts
Twelfth graders interview war veterans about their combat experiences and write newspaper stories about their interviews. They share their interviews with classmates. they discuss the impact of war on the veteran and the United States.
Curated OER
Writing a Personal Letter Using the Short Story "Eleven"
Challenge your class to connect to the text of "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros with this activity, which prompts them to write a personal letter from the main character's point of view. The story, prompt, and letter template are all included...
Curated OER
Writing Myths II
Pupils complete a final draft of a myth. In this writing myths lesson, students complete their rough drafts, have a one-on-one meeting with the teacher to enhance ideas, and peer edit. Pupils use the comments and...
Curated OER
Eudora Welty Internet Scavenger Hunt
Students use the Internet as a research tool. they read, comprehend, identify, evaluate, and select the correct answers to contextual questions.They write a rough draft, edit/revise, and a final draft summarizing the information located.
Curated OER
Same Theme, Different Story Using Fox by Margaret Wild
Middle schoolers work with themes in this lesson, which is based on Fox by Margaret Wild. Because the book has multiple themes, it is a great way to transition into exploring literary analysis and writing stories. A Six Trait writing...
Curated OER
Sami and the Time of Troubles
Students read Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland's, Sami and the Time of Troubles before discussing it as a class. They brainstorm ideas for a letter to the main character, Sami. Next, they write a rough draft of a letter to...