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Let the Games Begin
Students analyze how the New York Times uses small feature stories to cover aspects of a major international event, such as the Olympics, before it actually occurs. They brainstorm their own ideas for short feature stories on the Olympics
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Comprehension: Concept Web for Bravery
Students discuss the topic of bravery and create a concept web to brainstorm words and ideas that they associate with bravery. Students make discovery about if it is possible to be afraid and brave at the same time.
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Learning to Communicate with Dogs: The Importance of Training
Students learn the importance of communication especially when it comes to animals. Students are shown video clips of a dog displaying unwanted behavior. Students participate in a class brainstorm where they list ideas of how people...
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Friendly Patter Poetry
Students create a free from poem on the topic of friendship. They read examples of free form poetry to gather ideas. Through the use of a graphic organizer, students generate a list of friendship characteristics which is used to create...
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Order My Steps
Students organize and sequence their writing ideas using different graphic organizers. They use the ideas to write a story that takes place over two days.
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The Story Project: A Lesson Plan for the Combining Voices Literary Competition
Students analyze Simple Answer, by John Cleaveland, and use this image to inspire a short story. They use both verbal and visual language to help them create the characters and the plot. The lesson plan contains steps that helps the...
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WRITING AN ARTICLE FOR A CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE
Students engage in the writing of a magazine article. They focus upon the reading of a children's fiction book and create an informative narrative. They create main ideas and supporting details for the article. The supporting of main...
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How to Score in the Word Series
Learners examine an object in the classroom and write a description of it employing exciting language. They brainstorm and outline ideas for an original article about an event they participated in or attended.
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Why Thank You!
Fifth graders listen to a read aloud of Patricia Polacco's, Thank You, Mr. Falker! students examine the use of voice in the book, discuss the writing and theme ideas. They write a thank you not to their hero.
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Quick Writes
High schoolers write on a variety of topics, maximize creative and expository writing skills, develop focused writing, organize ideas, incorporate detail in writing, and exhibit varied and precise word choice.
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What Really Happened?
Students read about the settlers in one of the first American colonies. They brainstorm ideas about what they think happened to the settlers. They write their version of what happened at Roanoke Island Colony.
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Paragraph Elaboration and Examples
Learners discuss the importance of elaboration and supporting ideas in writing. They are given a prompt and must complete it using details and examples.
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Creative Autobiography
Learners brainstorm and outline ideas for their autobiography. They begin composition of it as well. Students create a timeline of important events to help them get started and discuss the elements of a what makes a good story.
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Anne Frank Diorama
Students create a diorama of the Secret Annex in which Anne Frank and her family hid during the Holocaust. In this Anne Frank diorama lesson, students brainstorm a list of ideas about the Secret Annex. Students create the diorama using...
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Characterization
Students draw pictures to generate ideas about a character. They use prewriting skills to plan written work. They then dictate or write detailed descriptions of familiar person, places, objects, or experiences.
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Vocabulary Builder- Using Inspiration to Generate Lists of Descriptive Words
Students discover how to engage all their senses and powers of observation to effectively communicate and idea or emotion. Using Inspiration Software, they create a vocabulary web and practice using descriptive language to clarify and...
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Planning Your Essay
Young scholars discover how to organize essays effectively. In this writing lesson, students construct a spider map to develop their ideas for an essay.
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The Mayflower Compact
Twelfth graders discover the ideas of our government by reading the Mayflower Compact. In this U.S. Government lesson, 12th graders identify the main ideas of the Mayflower Compact, how it came to be and who was affected the most by...
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Let's Call It Automatic
Students write whatever comes into their minds quickly and extend that strategy to art. They draw whatever ideas come to mind and students create in a stream of consciousness style. They listen to different types of music while drawing.
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Writing Myths II
Students complete a final draft of a myth. In this writing myths lesson, students complete their rough drafts, have a one-on-one meeting with the teacher to enhance ideas, and peer edit. Students use the comments and critiques to...
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Kwanzaa
Students explore African American holiday of Kwanzaa, orally share ideas about whom they want to invite to classroom Kwanzaa celebration, create and print invitation to Kwanzaa using Publisher or Print Shop, and share completed...
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Said Is Dead
Students revise writing to improve organization and word choice. They check for logic, order of ideas and precision of vocabulary. Students list different verbs for the word "said." They write dialogue in which the speakers tell a story...
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The Game of Persuasion
Young scholars study vocabulary words and explore persuasive speaking. In groups, they support a given argument and generate ideas for a a persuasive speech. They discuss powerful words and strategies for persuasion. Students write a...
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Underwater Descriptive Detectives
First graders utilize descriptive words to convey ideas in writing. After hearing the story, 'Rainbow Fish,' students create their own fish books. The books contain original writing and illustrations.