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Writing
K12 Reader

1850: My Letter to the Editor

For Students 4th - 6th
Young writers assume the voice of a person living in the US in the 1850's with an engaging historical lesson. They craft a letter to the editor of their local paper that details why they believe slavery should be abolished.
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Handout
Aurora City School District

Do Not Try to Kid a Kidder: The Art of Persuasion

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The power to convince others of your argument lies in your knowledge of rhetoric! A thorough packet covers the basics of persuasion, including logical appeals and fallacies, and applies strategies to letters to the editor,...
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Lesson Plan
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Dream of a Nation

Creating Awareness through Action Oriented Writing and Research

For Teachers 8th Standards
Middle schoolers aren't too young to feel strongly about politics, social issues, consumer rights, or environmental problems. Demonstrate the first steps toward social change with a project about action-oriented writing. Eighth...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

From Ben’s Pen to Our Lives

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What would Ben do? Jumping off from the pseudonymous letters Ben Franklin fooled his older brother into publishing when he was still a teenager, young literary lovers dive into acting, writing, and addressing a local issue with wit and...
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Lesson Plan
City University of New York

The 15th and 19th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Who gets to vote? Learn more about struggles for suffrage throughout United States history with a lesson plan based on primary source documents. Middle schoolers debate the importance of women's suffrage and African American...
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Activity
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Curated OER

Hoot: Persuasive Writing Assignment

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Can your class convince the townspeople to support the rally in Carl Hiaasen's Hoot? Have your young writers exercise their persuasive writing skills in a lesson that prompts them to write a letter or a speech based on Chapter 18...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Constitutional Rights Foundation

Options for Affecting Public Policy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Letter-writing, e-mail and telephone campaigns, petitions, marches, meetings, with lawmakers. Options for influencing elected representatives are the focus of resource that details how to craft each of these approaches to influencing...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Safe Drinking Water Foundation

Making a Difference

For Teachers 5th - 12th Standards
After learning about the effects of water pollution, your class will discuss ways to make people in their community aware of the importance of water conservation. Then, your young environmentalists will write a letter to the local...
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Lesson Plan
Dream of a Nation

Read, Watch, Write for Pathos, Logos and Ethos

For Teachers 9th Standards
Encourage your young citizens to make a difference. Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America as a starting point, class members watch documentaries, investigate issues, and then write letters to...
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Writing
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Carolina K-12

Compulsory Voting

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Should voting in the United States be compulsory? In 2004, fewer than 60 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the American national elections. After reviewing arguments for and against compulsory voting, your young citizens will...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

The Boston Massacre: You Be the Judge!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The importance of considering multiple perspectives of the same event is the big idea in this exercise that focuses on the Boston Massacre. Class groups examine photos of four depictions of the massacre, an English and an American...
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Assessment
Bowland

Public Transport

For Teachers 6th - 9th
"Statistics is the grammar of science" -Karl Pearson. In the assessment task, learners read a claim made by a newspaper and analyze its conclusions. They need to think about the sample and the wording of the given statistics.
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Lesson Plan
1
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C-SPAN

Electoral College Pros/Cons and Alternatives

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
If every vote counts, why do we need the electoral college? Middle and high schoolers study the Constitutional precedent of the electoral college, as well as its place in historical and modern elections, with an engaging social studies...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Not Getting the News about the Stamp Act

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
How did American colonists react to the Stamp Act of 1765? Your young historians will examine primary source material by reading excerpts from a transcription of the Pennsylvania Gazette and then identifying the sentiments expressed...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Montgomery Bus Boycott: We Would Rather Walk!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Have historians use primary sources to learn about the circumstances and implementation of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and think about the issue of boycotts as a means of effecting social change. Wrap it up with a...
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Unit Plan
Digital Commons

Convince Me! A Persuasive Writing Unit for 2nd Grade

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards
Elementary learners are not often shy about expressing what they want, but they could use a little help organizing their arguments. Help young writers work through a series of persuasive writing exercises that emphasize the importance of...
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Lesson Plan
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City University of New York

Women's Suffrage and World War I

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Democracy cannot exist where not everyone has equal rights. Discuss the state of democracy and women's suffrage during World War I with class discussions, debates, and primary source analysis, in order for class members to connect...
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Lesson Plan
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Foreign Policy Research Institute

Teaching the 9/11 Anniversary

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Here is a activity on terrorism and 9/11. While outdated, it could be easily revised for today's teens. It includes targeted vocabulary, a background information activity, critical thinking questions, and step-by-step procedures for...
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Unit Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Voices of the Revolution: Challenge Activities (Theme 3)

For Teachers 5th Standards
Paul Revere, Mercy Otis Warren, James Forten, Henry Knox. The voices of the American Revolution come alive in this enrichment packet designed to challenge learners who have mastered the basic concepts in the Houghton Mifflin...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Bias, Bullying and Bad Behavior in the NFL

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A 2014 case of locker room behavior in the National Football League offers high schoolers an opportunity to get involved in the conversation of bullying and abuse. Class members read about the case and analyze quotes that reveal...
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Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Slavery and Freedom

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How do nineteenth-century texts by African American and Native American writers contribute to the country's ideals of freedom and individuality? Learners explore the topic by watching and discussing a video, reading biographies, writing...
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Unit Plan
3
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Jefferson County Schools

Teaching Persuasive Reading and Writing

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
With the increasing emphasis on persuasive and argumentative writing, the lessons and strategies in the sample unit are sure to prove valuable—whether you are new to or an experienced pro at teaching persuasive reading and writing.
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Lesson Plan
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University of Pennsylvania

Decoding Propaganda: J’Accuse…! vs. J’Accuse…!

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Reading snail mail is a great way to go back into history and to understand others' points of view. The resource, the second in a five-part unit, covers the Dreyfus Affair. Scholars, working in two different groups, read one letter and...
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Lesson Plan
TCI

Celebrating Our Constitution

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
School House Rock's "Preamble" launches a study of the Preamble of the US Constitution and the relevance of this 200 year-old document today.

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