National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat"
In this lesson, students will examine the relationship of man and nature as portrayed in "The Open Boat," based on Crane's suffering from a shipwreck on The Commodore in which he spent thirty hours on a small boat at sea before being...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Fable Writing Assignment [Pdf]
This two-page PDF is a literary analysis essay writing assignment for students after reading several of "Aesop's Fables." It explains the assignment, provides specific examples for parts of the assignment, and offers links to resources...
University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow: Critical Reviews
This site is designed to be used by psychology students at the university level, but it provides helpful instruction for anyone writing critical reviews of non-fiction. Instruction includes everything from how to be critical to...
New Zealand Ministry of Education
Nz Ministry of Education: The Bell Jar
This lesson discusses Sylvia Plath's works including The Bell Jar. It has students look at biographic information and commentaries about Plath. As students read the novel, they complete response logs and write essays. They debate topics...
Other
Research Assistant: For Students: Purpose Statement
This site gives advice on how to write an effective purpose (thesis) statement. The summary is given as answers to four questions: what? why? when? how?.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Persuasion Map
A printable graphic organizer for students to use when writing on opinion or persuasive essay. Directions on how to use this type of graphic organizer as well as lists of teaching ideas, lesson plans, and other resources are also...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Writing Workshop: Persuasive Writing
This site has a great unit that leads students all the way through the writing process while composing a persuasive paper. Includes a teacher guide, mini-lessons, assessment rubric, and worksheets to help out at each step of the way.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Course Overview: Introduction to Contemporary Literature
This is an introduction to contemporary literature which is defined as literature written after WW II that deals with modern issues. It also focuses on writing formal essays using MLA formatting and avoiding "accidental plagiarism."
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Contemporary Literature: Contemporary Nonfiction
This lesson is an introduction to contemporary nonfiction including the definition, types of nonfiction: biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, essays, speeches, and diaries, examples of authors and types, key terms, essential questions,...
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
Sample Summary Essay: Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
A short summary of an article written on the famous Greek play by Sophocles. A good reference for a student looking for examples of summary essays.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Police Reform
This lesson featuring videos from FRONTLINE: Policing the Police. Using Newark, NJ, as an example, learners gather evidence of discriminatory policing practices, examine the perspectives of police and community, and learn about changes...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Advantages/disadvantages Essay
This four-page essay provides an example of an advantages/disadvantages essay. Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and explanations on the essay.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Writer's Model: Problem Solution Essay
This five-page essay provides an example of a Problem-Solution Essay. Clicking on the "Writer's Guide" link in the upper right-hand corner of the page enables the user to get tips, directions, and explanations on the essay.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Introducing the Essay: Twain, Douglass and American Non Fiction
This lesson plan serves as an introduction to American literary non-fiction writing and focuses primarily on teaching some basic approaches to recognizing rhetorical strategies adopted for persuasive effect in essays and non-fiction. The...
SUNY Empire State College
Empire State College: Essay Writing Workshop
This site by Empire State College explains the entire process of essay writing. It begins by defining what an essay is and continues then through the entire process, from prewriting to gathering information to shaping information to...
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina: Writing Center: Writing About Literature (Fiction)
Students are instructed in a nine-step process of how to write a literary response paper that includes a thesis, strong ideas, and specific supporting details from the text. W.11-12.9a Amer Lit 18th,19th, 20th cen/Analy
SMART Technologies
Smart: Intro Paragraph
How to write an introduction paragraph, including hook, background information, and thesis statement.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Teaching Students to Compose a Power Essay [Pdf]
The Power Essay, like the power paragraph, focuses on helping students understand the structure of a piece of expository writing. The "power" concept teaches students to organize their ideas according to levels of specificity and to...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Chicago Changes [Pdf]
"Chicago Changes" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about how Chicago changed from a small town to a large city. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining...
W. W. Norton
W. W. Norton & Company: Lit Web: The Research Essay
Information about writing a research essay including: generating a topic, generating a thesis, research, and more.
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School: Writing a Thesis Statement
An excellent tip sheet for creating and perfecting a thesis statement. Also includes information about statement of purpose and examples.
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School: Writing a Statement of Purpose
An excellent tip sheet for creating and perfecting a statement of purpose. Also includes information about thesis statements and examples.
Grammarly
Grammarly Handbook: Transitions and Transitional Devices
This Grammarly Handbook resource provides information about how to use transition words and transitional devices to connect sentences, paragraphs, and sections in an essay.