Curated OER
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Use the historical account of Claudette Colvin to study civil rights and connect past injustices to modern issues. As learners read, they examine chapter titles, record quotes, and participate in discussion. Next, they research active...
Curated OER
Formal versus Informal Language
Engage in an activity that focuses on the concepts of formal and informal language use. Middle and high schoolers compare and contrast each style by using a Venn diagram that includes some examples. They read and hear a passage of lyrics...
Curated OER
Don't Let the Earth Down
Although recycling is definitely beneficial, reducing our waste and conserving our natural resources should really be the focus of environmentalists. Encourage the future generation to create a public service announcement about a...
Curated OER
Telling Our Stories of Giving - Writing to Persuade
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...
Curated OER
Making a Formal Argument $5 or a Lottery Ticket
What's better: having a lottery ticket or a $5 bill? This question is sure to engage your middle schoolers. There's an example answer provided and, unlike the other worksheets of its kind, there is a space to write both a rough and final...
Curated OER
Advanced Making a Formal Argument An Apple a Day
Give your middle schoolers an opportunity to create an opinion and provide details to support it. They respond to the statement "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." There is an example answer provided, but consider removing it from...
Other
Teaching Ideas: Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report
Just as the title claims, here are fifty different ways to respond to a book. Most can be adapted to all grade levels.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Writing With Writers: Speech Writing
Learn steps from the experts on how to write and deliver a great speech. There are tips and graphic organizers for writing. The final step is recording your speech on the Radio Hotline. Listen to other student writing as well.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Capitalization in Titles
This video lesson focuses on capitalization of titles. It discusses the tradition styles for capitalizing titles for books, magazines, movies, chapters, essays, and articles; it also discusses the more modern APA styles for chapters,...
The Write Place
Literacy Education Online
Literacy Education Online (or LEO) is a great place to start if you need help with your writing. The homepage is organized around kinds of problems or questions you might have concerning your writing. Find your problem, click on the...
Other
Lumen Learning: Memorandums
This site discusses the purpose and format of a memo and helps understand effective strategies for business memos.
Online Writing Lab at Purdue University
Purdue University Owl: Online Writing Lab
A great resource for middle-school, high-school, and college writers, with worksheets, articles, model papers, and presentations that will help you with research, grammar, style, job-search and professional writing, and more. Includes...
University of North Carolina
Writing Center: Handouts and Links
Resources for the writer of academic papers, with specific guidance about the mechanics of writing, citations, and effective expression. Lots of detail and lots of examples.
Department of Defense
Do Dea: English 4; Introduction
A learning module to introduce students to this online learning format and complete a diagnostic writing assignment.
Online Writing Lab at Purdue University
Purdue University Owl: Writing Report Abstracts
From Purdue University, a lesson that lays out the details to writing a good abstract.
Rutgers University
Rutgers University: Guide to Grammar and Style by Jack Lynch
Reference guide to key grammatical terms and issues. Also gives additional reading suggestions and lists online resources.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Write Literary Text Using Strategies to Enhance Style & Tone
A learning module that teaches students about using literary devices to enhance style and tone in four lessons: Introduction, Style in Literature, Tone, and Your Turn.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Elements of Literature: Style Chart [Pdf]
A brief organizer in which students can analyze a given selection's writing style. Includes sections on diction, figures of speech, images, and sentence structure.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: To Imitate Two Nature Writers
In this lesson each writer will compose and revise a "showing" description inpsired by an object or a place in nature. Long before drafting, students will discuss and compare the writing styles and techniques of published authors who...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Interjected Emotions!: Voicing a Story
By incorporating properly used conventions of grammar, students will begin writing a narrative based on an interjection and a name.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: I Wanna: Writing a Persuasive Letter
In this activity, students will experiment with word choice as it relates to persuasion.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Giving Voice to Opposites
In this lesson, students will develop a narrative in opposing voices.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Unusual Friendly Letters: Persuasive Writing Techniques
In this instructional activity, students will use active voice in regards to persuasion. Lesson incorporates the A R.A.F.T. strategy: role, audience, format, topic.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Don't Eat Me Monologues
In this lesson plan, students will create a 5-part (introduction, 3 ideas, conclusion) monologue incorporating persuasive techniques and strong word choice.