Show a video clip that descripes how taking a journey can change a person's outlook on life. Learners write a paragraph about a place that uses imagery and tone to create a specfic effect. They evaluate their journal entries as well.

Have your middle and high schoolers analyze instances of celebrities using racial slurs or making prejudiced comments in public. After reading an article, they consider the roots and effects of prejudice and bias. As a class, they...

Students assume the personality of a pioneer on a wagon train and create daily journals.  In this journal writing lesson, students read excerpts from The Way West:  Journal of a Pioneer Woman.  Students use their...

Eighth graders explore the battles of the Civil War through journaling exercises. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders write journals from the perspective of teens accompanying the troops into various battles.

Students write a journal entry relating to their reading. This this writing lesson, students relate a book they are reading about the colonial settlers to their own life situations through journal writing.

Students participate in Valentine's Day writing and literacy center activities. In this writing and literacy lesson, students develop Valentine's Day journals using recycled cards and small blank sheets of paper. They write sentences...

Students define "nonfiction" and describe what they view as the best pieces of nonfiction writing. They determine criteria to evaluate whether or not a piece of nonfiction writing is good, and list categories of nonfiction writing.

In this writing prompt worksheet, students are given a set of prompts for each day of August. The worksheet is a set of prompts for the teacher to cut out and distribute to students, and included 2 blank decorated templates for original...

Young scholars identify words that can be used to describe Mark Twain's character Tom Sawyer. Students explore stage production of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by reading and discussing "An Older (and Calmer) Tom Sawyer". They develop...

Students read a first hand account of John F. Kennedy's assassination. They write an essay describing how a world or national event affected them.

Students explore what impact the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 had on nine different American novelists. They write and share their own thoughts and feelings, then consider the role writing plays in their own lives,...

Learners are introduced to the importance of journal writing. After creating their own journal, they write their thoughts and feelings about different subjects. If they choose to they can share their writings with the class to end the...

Students investigate the life of Martha Wayles Jefferson. In this American history lesson, students examine excerpts of the journals kept by Thomas Jefferson's wife. Students infer what life at Monticello may have been like....

Young scholars determine how the Kennedy assassination impacted the United States and, more specifically, the Vietnam War. In this 20th century American history lesson, students read books and view video clips of the event and then write...

Students create a nature journal for an imaginary trip around Denmark. They identify animals and plants that live in Denmark. Students describe the landscape of Denmark. They summarize and present historical information about an assigned...

The New York Times article “Online Diary,” launches this study of websites and how to assess them. Richly detailed, the activity includes warm-up activities, procedures, journal prompts, discussion questions, and links to valuable...

Add a strong poetry lesson to your literature unit. Middle and high schoolers investigate their writing voices with journaling and group discussion, then choose a famous poet to study. They write letters to their chosen poets, explaining...

While reading Wild Swans by Jung Chang, guide your scholars with these questions. Twenty-nine questions challenge their comprehension, which they use to create a double-entry journal for marking down important quotes and their relevance...