Virginina Department of Education
Planning Persuasive Writing
A nice starting exercise that organizes a learner’s persuasive writing assignment by issue, claim, and hard and soft evidence. Definitions of the terms aforementioned are provided, as well as the worksheet needed by the class. The...
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Folk Tales Thematic Unit
Second graders read different folk tales and discuss them. They are given a template of a letter and they are to write a friendly letter. Special education students are paired with advanced students to help them.
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Life Cycle of a Frog
Students work together to explain and illustrate the life cycle of a frog.
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What Do I Write About?
Second graders write as essay describing the cooperative group drawing they made or describing the process to draw a group picture.
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Narrative Cartoons
Students compare and contrast the traditional superhero cartoon with a narrative cartoon. Students research water resources and usage in Africa and create original narrative cartoons showcasing their findings.
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Memoirs and Personal Essays
Learners can then pinpoint problems the characters experience and interview their parents to see if they too may have once faced a similar problem. Interviews with family members can be recorded by students in their home language.
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Settling the Plymouth Colony
Students label blank maps with the names of the New England Colonies. They explain the difficulties that the Pilgrims had and how hard they worked to survive in Plymouth.
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Fable Writing
Pupils listen to and discuss various fables, and identify the moral and central themes. They write their own personal fables and create illustrations to go with them.
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Settling the Plymouth Colony
Students use the Internet and graphic organizers to research the Plymouth Colony the experience of the Pilgrims. Students compare and contrast different colonies and develop a timeline showcasing their research.
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Then What Happened?
Pupils read the book, Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin. After answering questions, the do a variety of activities such as a "Dear Diary," "Book Report Card," and/or "Animal Mural."
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Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Second graders study folktales and their characteristics. After brainstorming what they know about Africa, 2nd graders read a book about mosquitoes. In groups, students develop a graphic organizer about the characteristics of the...
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My Dream Job
Students write a research paper about their dream job. They organize their paper using research notes, and support their main idea with supporting details.
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Elaborate It
Learners read writing samples and discuss the differences between the writing with and without anecdotal examples. They write expository essays that include personal anecdotes.
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Why Do We Need Limited Government?
Learners study how limited government protects individual rights and identify the limits that are placed on US authorities. They investigate the meaning of discrimination and individual rights as they complete the attached worksheet.
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Super Sellers
Practice listening skills with the novel Max Malone Makes a Million written by Charlotte Herman. Read a chapter a day and answer daily questions such as predicting how Max makes his money.
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Creative Writing
Pupils write in their journals at the beginning of class. They create a poster of what they just wrote about in their journals. Pictures are to be labeled and dictionaries are encouraged.
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Johnny Appleseed & Miss Rumphius
Students read American folktales. They explore and discuss the characteristics of a folktale. Students construct a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast Lupine Lady and Johnny Appleseed. Class diagrams will be displayed.
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Rattle Your Bones and Flex Your Muscles
Third graders identify bones, muscles and joints. They explore and investigate the interaction between bones, muscles and joints, and movement of the hand or foot. To help the teacher provides a poster of the human skeleton.
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Groundhog Day in Punsxutawney, PA
Students read the history of this tradition, examine Phil's predictions for the last 100 years.
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A Taste of Blackberries
Fourth graders participate in a shared reading of Doris Buchanan's, A Taste of Blackberries. They read about grief in the loss of a best friend and examine the skills of a responsible family member.
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Why Thank You!
Fifth graders listen to a read aloud of Patricia Polacco's, Thank You, Mr. Falker! students examine the use of voice in the book, discuss the writing and theme ideas. They write a thank you not to their hero.
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Who Has the Power?
Fifth graders write persuasive letters expressing opinions about the purchase of 25 acres adjacent to Wakulla Springs proposed to include a convenience store/gas station. They submit the letter to the Florida Department of Environmental...
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Create Your Island Paradise
Sixth graders create a descriptive essay and map describing their island paradise. They try to evoke the reader's senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. They revise their paragraphs using their partner's feedback.
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A Stinking Smelly Sewer
Learners create a timeline of events that occurred in the Nashua River Valley as presented in the book, "A River Ran Wild." They write a description of a selected time period on an index card for a class timeline, and write a letter to...