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Lesson Plan
2
2
Curated OER

Telling Our Stories of Giving - Writing to Persuade

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
After identifying the parts of a persuasive piece of writing, young writers explore different prewriting activities for the persuasive essay. They have the option to write a news article, personal narrative, or persuasive essay to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Working in your Cubicle: Critical Thinking and Writing

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Explore informative and explanatory writing with this lesson. Using a cube labeled with directives to describe, analyze, compare, associate, apply, and argue the topic, middle schoolers work individually or in groups to answer questions....
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Handout
Nosapo

Writing about a Meal

For Students 4th - 12th Standards
You don't need to be a food critic to describe your meal accurately! A series of activities introduce learners to vivid adjectives when writing about the taste, smell, and feel of food. After working with word choice, parts of a...
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Activity
Poetry4kids

Creativity Exercise - Describe the Sky

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Scholars stretch their writing muscles with an exercise that asks them to describe the sky using similes and metaphors. 
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Synthesizing Information: Writing an Apprentice Wanted Ad

For Teachers 4th Standards
Fourth graders view examples of help-wanted ads as they plan and create their own writing in the fourteenth instructional activity of this unit on colonial trade. The engagement of the class is captured when the teacher shares an actual...
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Activity
Poetry4kids

How to Write an Apology Poem

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Put a silly spin on making amends with an apology poem. Budding poets think of a time they were made to apologize although they didn't mean it. They then turn their experience into a poem that offers details and ends with an explanation...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Curated OER

Mapping Your Identity: A Back-To-School Ice Breaker

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Identify the unique personal attributes of your class members. Begin by viewing the Visual Thesaurus and discussing displayed attributes associated with famous American leaders. Using these identity maps as models, pupils generate nouns...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Smithsonian Institution

Battle of the Bulge: America Responds to a German Surprise

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
World War II and the Battle of the Bulge are the focus of a history resource. Exercises include analyzing images, writing letters in the mindset of a soldier, and even immersing oneself in a cold experience to better empathize with the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Write a Description

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Finding the central idea is the focus of this lesson. Middle schoolers write descriptions of different animals using details and descriptive language. They watch a video of kids using descriptive language, and then use showing language...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

The Last Word: Using Critical Thinking and Analysis to Reach a Decision

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Want to explore the process of writing a persuasive essay and tie it in with the upcoming elections? Class members use Venn diagrams and the hamburger model of persuasive writing to write a five-paragraph essay on elections and...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Writing to a Historical Poet

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Poetry is a very personal and introspective art form. Give your class the opportunity to understand how a poet's voice can speak to them on a personal level, and that every reader can respond to an author differently. After a poetic...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Airplanes and Airstrips, Part 2

For Teachers 9th Standards
Table the decision to land. Pupils form flight crews by matching up different representations of linear equations. Given a set of coordinates for an airstrip, the crews determine the equation of the line that will position their planes...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"I" Witness to History

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Young journalists write diary entries from the point of view of a person involved in a historical event. They focus on including facts, clear narration, and accurate description of the individual's feelings. 
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PPT
Curated OER

Writing a Story

For Teachers K - 2nd
A terrific and meaningful presentation on story writing awaits your class. This really is a good one! Young writers are led through a series of slides that do a terrific job of teaching story elements, but the slides also stimulate their...
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Lesson Plan
ESL Kid Stuff

Describing Things (Adjectives)

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
 Describing things using adjectives is the focus of this lesson designed for language learners. Class members play games, draw pictures, and sing songs, adding adjectives to describe animals.
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Activity
1
1
Laura Candler

Bio Poems Made Easy

For Teachers 1st - 6th
A creative way bring autobiographical writing to your poetry unit or back-to-school curriculum, this lesson plan guides you through a bio poem activity. Kids use the graphic organizer to describe themselves using adjectives, things they...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Writing Basic Equations: Stars and Moons

For Students 6th - 8th
You'll be over the moon about finding a useful resource for describing patterns. Aspiring mathematicians drag moon and star shapes to complete a shape pattern. Additionally, they must write an algebraic equation to describe the pattern.
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Handout
Nosapo

Family Titles, Pronouns, Writing about a Person

For Students 4th - 12th Standards
How is your grandmother related to you? How is your cousin related to your grandmother? Learn about family relationships and pronouns with an activity that guides pupils to write two short narratives about members of their families.
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Activity
Poetry4kids

How to Write a Concrete or “Shape” Poem

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Writers compose an original shape poem. Scholars choose a subject to write about and create a visual representation by forming a corresponding picture using the poem's words.  
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Lesson Plan
1
1
US Institute of Peace

Responding to Conflict: Mediation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
What happens when two parties can't come to agreement? Scholars explore the role of a mediator through part 10 of a 15-part series of peacebuilding lessons. Through individual work and role play, pupils brainstorm solutions until they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Back to School: Style Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Jump back into expository writing and analysis at the start of a new school year! Start with a review of an authors' stylistic choices in diction, syntax, treatment of subject matter, and figurative language. Writers choose a text to...
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Writing
Virginia Department of Education

Grade 5 Writing Prompts

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
Looking for something to write about? Try out one of the prompts from three and a half pages of ideas. The list includes a variety of different topics that you can pick and choose from when planning a writing assignment or unit.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Writing Exercises: The European Middle Ages

For Students 7th - 9th
Use this worksheet to check for understanding after your class reads materials related to Europe in the Middle Ages. There are three questions that ask them to describe Charlemagne as a prominent historical figure, the feudal system, and...
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Website
University of North Carolina

Writing Anxiety

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Oh, the dreaded writer's block! As part of a larger paper-writing series, an invaluable resource discusses obstacles and stresses writers face. Individuals learn to identify feelings associated with anxiety, as well as strategies for...