A lesson turns young historians into playwrights to understand and speak out against social injustice. Pupils work individually or in groups to write and perform monologues that deliver personal messages on social justice. Writers then...

Using Movie Maker, sixth graders make an eight frame movie based on a story they have written. They choose music clips, select pictures from PowerPoint, and make their movie. The instructional activity should take about ten days to...

Fifth graders, utilizing a thesaurus to identify alternative word choices and meanings, eat a sweet treat and then list eight different adjectives for each of the five senses. They then describe a sweet with at least then adjectives...

Students explain how individual elements (e.g., plot, theme, character, conflict, etc.) comprise the structure of a play. They write an original one-act play with developed characters, specific setting, conflict, and resolution.

Young writers choose a person from American history, their community, or their family to use as the subject of a persuasive essay. The process begins with a discussion of the characteristics of a hero, the completion of a prewriting web,...

In this creative writing worksheet, students sort through old pictures and discuss the characterization in each. Students create characters, a setting, and their own tall tale or urban legend based on the pictures.

In this writing worksheet, students write a newspaper article about an event they have experienced firsthand. Students draw a picture with a caption and add a headline.

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...

In this editing writing worksheet, students write a story about the most exciting thing that ever happened to them. Students brainstorm ideas on this worksheet and then write the rough draft. Students then complete a checklist of their...

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 plan.

Students examine the characteristics of tall tales and how exaggerations are used. They create a character that is larger than life, they brainstorm attributes for their character, before writing a Tall Tale. They plan out their story,...

What's around the block? Or down the street? Ask your pupils to tap into their map skills by drafting the area around their home and school.

Are your writers ready to edit their papers? Present them with these editing tips including reading papers out loud, varying sentence openings and lengths, and using action verbs. While the tips are worthwhile, consider supplementing the...

After reading and discussing several personal narratives written by women in the 1920's, class members write a personal narrative of their own about a time in their lives they felt controlled. Sample narratives can be accessed through...

Fourth graders edit their previously written essay rough drafts with a partner in this lesson. They apply the revision process using a revision checklist, then revise independently. They conference with the teacher about their needed...

Fifth graders write a paragraph titled "All About Me" in the computer lab after they have drawn graphic organizers to fill in background information about themselves and used a "10-Point Writing Checklist" to do peer editing.

Students write a creative writing piece by personifying apples. In this creative writing instructional activity, students view a PowerPoint about the writing process and brainstorm about apples. Students write a rough draft about their...

Learners read the story Dog Breath and write their own story focusing on sequencing about an animal with a silly problem. In this writing lesson plan, students use memorable details and pacing in their story.

Middle schoolers write stories that feature funny clowns. In this creative writing lesson, students follow the outline for a story in order to write their own humorous story set at a circus.

Students write a letter as a culminating activity to a service project. In this reflection project, students draw something that occurred during the project and attach words to their drawings. Students pair share to edit their work.

Students write a funny story about clowns. In this humorous story writing lesson, students determine how to develop a setting, use clowns as characters, and how to write a humorous story with a happy ending. They follow the study guide...

Seventh graders examine the internal and external conflicts that Jonas faces in "The Giver" in an essay. Students use SMART Board and Inspiration to organize their ideas graphically before combining them into their paper.

Students create movie books that make their stories come alive. They share these movie books with non-readers in an attempt to inspire them.

Students create a letter requesting information from a local vocational agency using word processing software. They send the finished letter to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.