Curriculum Corner
7th Grade ELA Common Core Checklists
Track your class's progress on all of the ELA Common Core standards with these handy charts. Along the left side, each seventh grade identifier is listed along with the full text of the standard. As you teach, reteach, assess, and...
Curated OER
Persuasion in Historical Context: The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a powerful text. Use it to teach persuasion and the importance of word choice. The activity detailed here includes a scaffolded background knowledge activity that includes image analysis of photos from the Civil...
Curated OER
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in Civil Rights Movement Speeches
Examine three speeches while teaching Aristotle's appeals. Over the course of three days, class members fill out a graphic organizer about ethos, pathos, and logos, complete an anticipatory guide, read speeches by Martin Luther King Jr.,...
Curated OER
Connotation and Denotation: How Word Choice Affects a Paragraph
Review the terms denotation, connotation, diction, and mood in paragraph writing. After defining the terms, middle schoolers practice writing examples of both connotation and denotation. They complete a connotation and denotation graphic...
Curated OER
What's In a Name?
Introduce your language arts class to connotation, denotation, and diction. Middle schoolers identify and differentiate between the connotative and denotative meanings of words by analyzing the fictitious sports team names. Learners...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Avalanche, Aztek, or Bravada? A Connotation Minilesson
Interesting lesson plan which stresses the importance of connotation in writing by examining car names. Students participate in an interactive lesson plan in which they learn the value of connotation and begin to master the technique.
University of Richmond
University of Richmond Writing Center: Commonly Confused Words
A comparison of commonly misused words in the English Language. Words are paired next to one another with their definitions as well as examples of each.
Grammar Check
Grammar Check: 33 Commonly Misunderstood Words & Phrases (Infographic)
This infographic provides a list of words and phrases that are commonly misused in formal writing. Students will see different homonyms that are misused and find ways to discover them.
Other
A. Word. A. Day
Still another site offering you a word a day to build vocabulary and understanding of new words. You can subscribe for free, or check out the archives.
ABCya
Ab Cya: Synonyms and Antonyms Word Toss
Check your skills at identifying synonyms and antonyms with an alluring interactive game of word toss.
Other
Visuwords: Visuwords Online Graphical Dictionary and Thesaurus
Visuwords is an online graphical dictionary which you must see to believe! It is highly interactive and allows you to create diagrams, to drag and drop, pass over words to see their meanings, and much much more. It can be as easy or as...
Other
Heinle: Newbury House Dictionary of American English
The Newbury House Dictionary provides simple and clear definitions. Also includes sample sentences, idioms, and a wide array of cultural facts and figures. Students may also view photographs related to the words.
Ted Nellen
Cyber English (By Ted Nellen): Mood
This is a glossary entry for the term "Mood" including a definition and a discussion of mood from "Talkie List Dec 06."
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago: Roget's Thesaurus Search Form
Enter any word and get tons of words that mean the same thing (or close to it)
The Write Place
Literacy Education Online: How to Use a Thesaurus
A good overview of what a thesaurus is and how best to use one. Also includes the difference between the two forms of thesauri and explains how to choose the correct synonym to use. L.9-10.4c References
Other
Spelling police.com: Oxymoron
Informational site that provides the definition for and examples of oxymoron. L.9-10.5a Figures of Speech
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Word Webs to Teach Synonyms for Commonly Used Words
Contains plans for seven lessons that teach students to use more expressive synonyms in their written and oral language. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains printable resources for the lessons as...
Quia
Quia: Synonyms
In this game, students draw a line between synonyms in each column. Java is required.
Vocabulary University
My vocabulary.com: Vocabulary Word List for Novels
This page provides links to vocabulary word lists for novels by author or title.
Vocabulary University
My vocabulary.com: Literature by Author Vocabulary Word List
This page offers a vocabulary word lists for classic novels organized by author.
University of Victoria (Canada)
The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Aphorism
Provides an excellent description of the element of aphorism in writing. Content includes several examples.
University of Victoria (Canada)
The U Vic Writer's Guide: Literary Term: Epithet
This site from The UVic Writer's Guide provides a general description of the word "epithet." Content also includes a literary example.
University of Victoria (Canada)
The U Vic Writer's Guide: General Literary Terms
The University of Victoria's Writer's Guide includes an extensive list of literary and rhetorical terms. List can be displayed alphabetically.