Curated OER
Write with Writers
Write and work with authors on the Scholastic Website to promote the recognition of various genres. Young writers will participate in activities based on the type of writing such as biography, descriptive, folktales, mystery, news,...
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We Are All Authors: Create a Book
Every child is an author with this engaging reading activity. First the class reviews the various parts of a book such as the title, author, dedication, and author-biography. Then each individual will choose a story of their...
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Biography
Transform a written biography into a video biography! Introduce your learners to the biography format by reading them a few examples (some suggestions are included). Then discuss the factors that make a good biography. What information...
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We Are All Authors
Students analyze the components of a book to use it as a model for the creation of their own book. The title, author, illustrator, front cover, back cover, dedication page, and author are examined in this lesson.
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Library Skills: Biography
Biographies deserve special attention when training youngsters how to use the library because they are alphabetized by subject rather than by author. Guide children through the process of finding biographies over a two-visit series. On...
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Explore Writing with Louis Sachar
Students identify and interpret the author's writing process and how he came up with his idea for Holes. They experience a moderated chat with the author by participating or reading the transcript. Students also reflect on their own...
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Author of the Month
Fourth graders research authors on the Web each month in based on the themes in their reading book. They create an author booklet which includes a picture and biographical information.
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Video Biographies
Who was Alexander The Great? How did Abraham Lincoln’s early life influence his political life? Learners select a historical figure to use for video biography. After developing research questions and collecting information, pupils search...
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Kid-Created Biographies
Students create biographies on the people they know best-- their teachers! students use various skills to collect information, organize details, publish the biographies and present the information.
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How to Write a Biography
Looking for a great lesson on how to write a biography? Here, middle schoolers draw from magazine articles, novels, historical figures, and current events to choose a person, or character to write about in a biography. They follow a...
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Valentine's Day: Love Letters
Oh the joys of love! As a special Valentine's Day assignment, budding authors research the life of one of the most romantic poets, Keats. They read the letter, "To Fanny Brawne, 13 October 1819," then compose a love letter of their own....
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Write like David Shannon
Students distinguish various books by David Shannon from other authors, compare three of Shannon's books for similarities, list various possible settings for stories, integrate Shannon's pattern of writing into their own, and formulate...
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Write Like David Shannon
Students listen to several of David Shannon's books and identify patterns in the text. They write and illustrate a story of their own in the style of David Shannon, and share their books with classmates.
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Honoring Neighborhood Heroes
Read biographies and use the internet to research stories of courage.Young writers compare and contrast characteristics that societies value. They write reports about their family and community's heroes.
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Poet James Whitcomb Riley: Famous in His Own Day
An engaging biography of "Hoosier" poet James Whitcomb Riley serves as a springboard for study of his unique dialect-based verse. Several activities illuminate differences between spoken vernacular and formal language. Learners record...
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Dr. Seuss Author Study
Students listen to a story, then use the same format to write a class book.
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Olympic Biographies
Students create a book of biographies in order to profile famous Olympic athletes through history. In this biography writing lesson, students research information about historic Olympians, first by listening to a short biography on Jesse...
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Write Like David Shannon
Students research the author David Shannon. In this author study lesson, students discuss their favorite David Shannon book and write their own story using his style of writing. Students share their stories with their classmates.
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Living History- An Intergenerational Philanthropy
Young scholars gather information from a senior friend to write a biography. In this living history books lesson, students organize information to complete a book about their senior friend. Detailed teacher instructions for completing...
The New York Times
Researching the Researchers
Students match scientists with their major discoveries, choose one figure to research further, and co-author articles profiling the scientist and his or her achievements.
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Autobiographical Writing About Memories
Students reflect on fall memories in preparation for creating an autobiographical composition. In this composition lesson, students explore how many writers use the changing seasons, fall in particular, to describe a character's...
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Judging a Book by Its Cover
Students explore the relationship between the form of books and the content inside. In this book exploration lesson plan, students use a piece of their creative writing as inspiration; they author a written book and design a cover that...
Apple
A Curriculum for Digital Media Creation
Consumer technology has made it possible for filmmakers to create entire movies from the comfort of their home computer. Guide high school film buffs through the process of designing a documentary with an extensive unit published by...
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The Tell-Tale Hearts of Writers
Knock, knock, knock...Creep out your class with a critical thinking lesson focused on word relationships in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." They investigate the relationship between word choice, mood, and interpretation of...