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Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Classify and Summarize Information [Pdf]

For Students 2nd - 8th Standards
This learning module contains a link to graphic organizers that will help students categorize content and comprehend short and extended texts. The graphic organizers are designed to be applied to reading nonfiction passages in science...
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Graphic
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Locate and Classify Information [Pdf]

For Students 1st - 8th Standards
A blank T-Chart is provided for students to use as they sort facts into two categories. Students will classify science information with this aid.
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Graphic
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Expand Story or History Text Based Dialog[pdf]

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
Students will use graphic organizers to help them make inferences about historical figures' feeings and motives. Students will summarize the information during an extension activity.
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Handout
University of Sydney (Australia)

The Write Site: Constructing a Working Thesis

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Students will find a thorough definition of a thesis. Non-examples of thesis statements are also provided.
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Website
Other

The Center for Public Integrity: Home Page

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Excellent site for journalists and others who feel that it is their beat to keep a watchful eye on the political culture of the country through investigations and analyses of public service.
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Handout
Grammarly

Grammarly Handbook: Thesis and Supporting Points

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
An explanation of a thesis and how many details are needed for support.
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Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Classify Facts and Opinions [Pdf]

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
Students will find three lessons about facts and opinions in this learning module. The following topics are linked in the module: contrast and evaluate fact and opinion; classify facts and opinions; and locate and classify facts.
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Handout
Other

Odessa College: Three Part Format: Definition

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This interesting site provides information about definition essays with example formats and a model essay.
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Article
Other

News Lab: Elements of Great Storytelling

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is a great site for broadcast journalists; it focuses on the elements that make a story great. You can find tips on writing from some of the top people in the industry.
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Unit Plan
E Reading Worksheets

E Reading Worksheets: Fact and Opinion Lessons

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
In this learning module, students will learn more about the differences between facts and opinions. A PowerPoint presentation and related activity are provided to reinforce the topic of facts vs. opinions. This module is designed to...
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Unknown Type
E Reading Worksheets

E Reading Worksheets: Fact and Opinion Worksheets

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Fact and opinion practice exercises, answer sheets, and explanation summaries are included on this tutorial site. Worksheets are tiered in levels of difficulty.
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Graphic
Other

Flickr: Critical Thinking Skills Poster

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A downloadable critical thinking skills poster based on the original six levels of Bloom's taxonomy.
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PPT
Other

Prezi: Inference Lesson 8th Grade

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
Learn what it means to make an inference by combining the author's clues and your background knowledge.
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PPT
Tom Richey

Slide Share: Claim Evidence and Reasoning

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
A slideshow with twelve slides about reading or writing an argument, analyzing the claim and looking at how it is supported with observation, evidence, and reasoning.
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PPT
Tom Richey

Slide Share: Argument and Persuasion

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
A slide show with fourteen slides with notes, tips, and examples on how to write a persuasive essay.
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Article
Other

Company Newsletters: Cost Effective Newsletters

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site from CompanyNewsletters.com provides some advice on how to choose the right articles and format to make your newsletter better.
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Website
Other

The International Press Institute

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The International Press Institute describes itself as "a global network of journalists, editors and media executives, dedicated to freedom of the press and improving the standards and practises of journalism." To that end, this site...
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Mountain or Molehill?

For Teachers 6th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about biochar, an ancient idea with some present day uses. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Unknown Type
E Reading Worksheets

E Reading Worksheets: Fact and Opinion: Reading Test 3

For Students 4th - 6th Standards
A 25-question quiz where students must identify statements as fact or opinion. Results can be printed, saved, or emailed.
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Website
BBC

Bbc Skillswise: Building Paragraphs

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
As part of the BBC's Skillswise unit, this site focuses on the development of good paragraphs. As learning tools, the site includes a fact sheet, a worksheet, and a game. Be sure to click on the quizzes to check your understanding.
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Lesson Plan
Education Development Center

Education Development Center: Tv411: Reading Structure of a News Story

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Interactive lesson explains the content and organization of newspaper articles. Includes self-scoring exercises for practicing identifying the five W's (who, what, when, where, and why) in a series of brief news articles and a...
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Handout
Grammarly

Grammarly Handbook: Logic in Argumentative Writing

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
An explanation and examples of several different types of logic that can be used in argumentative writing.
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Article
Other

Fair: Retractions of Reporting Are Quite Selective

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Interesting essay on the use of unnamed or anonymous sources, accuracy of reports, and retractions of innaccurate reports by major news outlets. Eye opener.
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Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Relevant Information and Valid Inferences (English I Writing)

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] Learn strategies for evaluating and revising an essay so that it contains relevant information and valid inferences.