Curated OER
Boundaries That Inspire: The Sestina
Young scholars study the poetic term "enjambment". They use one word as more than one part of speech and let words (instead of ideas) inspire lines and non-sequential, dreamlike, compulsive narrative.
Curated OER
Exploring Folk Traditions and Folk Beliefs
Ninth graders work together to brainstorm an idea to focus on the similiarties and differences between various cultures. Individually, they interview family members using questions they created based on their topic. They use their...
Curated OER
My School Rules! Your School Drools!
In this writing learning exercise, students fill out a brainstorming graphic organizer about why they like their school. They are then prompted and guided through writing a first and final draft of a paragraph using their ideas.
Curated OER
Secret Student
For this writing worksheet, students fill out a brainstorming graphic organizer about a secret student of their choice. They are then prompted and guided through writing a first and final draft of a paragraph using their ideas.
Curated OER
When I'm President
In this writing worksheet, students fill out a brainstorming graphic organizer about being president. They are then prompted and guided through writing a first and final draft of a paragraph using their ideas.
Curated OER
Create A Business and A Life
Learners look through a phone book and pick a business they think they would enjoy. They brainstorm ideas about the needs of a business. They set their prices to payback their investment into the new business.
Curated OER
On the Edge and Under the Gun
Young scholars brainstorm ideas related to gun control and share with the class. in this gun control lesson, students research teacher approved websites related to gun control. Young scholars write a paper in groups on a self selected...
Curated OER
World without Trees Composition
Fourth graders write a composition on what they think the world would be like without trees. They brainstorm ideas of what they think the world would be like treeless, and creative a story. A rubric is distributed to the students which...
Curated OER
"Let's Write a Song"
Fourth graders brainstorm ideas that answer the question, "What is a song?" They determine the parts of a song, read lyrics, and listen to a song while identifying the chorus. They repeat the procedure with a new song before working in...
Curated OER
Wildcat Dumping Site
Learners research facts about illegal dumping sites and write an editorial exposing the effects of the site from their point of view and persuades readers to take action. Students brainstorm ideas that could be included in the editorial,...
Curated OER
Nudging Questions
Students choose one topic to write about. They brainstorm ideas about their topic or incident. They use sensory details to visualize their topic. They answer a variety of teacher directored nudging question to help them describe their...
Curated OER
Free Verse
Students write free verse poems. In this poetry instructional activity, students use a three-step method to create a free verse poem. Students brainstorm ideas, let their ideas "incubate," and write a free verse poem.
Curated OER
Community Brochures
Second graders research facets of their community in order to create an informational brochure. After brainstorming ideas of what could be included in the brochure, student groups get information from the internet, the library or a...
Curated OER
In Our Time
Young scholars map the ideas, people, and beliefs of a period of history. They analyze influences of historical eras. Students use mapping as a prewriting strategy. They use Inspiration to map the key events, ideas, and personalities...
Curated OER
Reflections of Ancient Greece
Students study ancient Greek civilization. For this World history lesson, students locate Greece on a world map and review what the ancient Greeks did when they developed new ideas for government, science, philosophy, religion, and art.
Curated OER
Our community-in sculpture form
Students design tiles that represent their community. They discuss ideas with another class through email. They then create the tiles, fire them, and attach them to a masonite board to create a community mural.
Curated OER
Pride and Prejudice: Unsent Letter
What would the characters of Pride and Prejudice say to each other in a letter? Draft unsent correspondence between characters from Jane Austen's novel. A great way to explore characterization and plot structure in a creative lesson.
Poetry Society
Tiny by Mandy Coe
Introduce magic and imagination into your classroom with a poetry activity. Learners read the poem "Tiny" by Mandy Coe and use their magic tickets to visit any place they can think of! The final result is a poem describing where they...
Writer’s Digest Books
The Writing Prompt Boot Camp
Fourteen days of writing prompts (or 16 if you count the two bonus days) are featured in packet designed for high school, college level, or adult writers.
Roald Dahl
Matilda - The First Miracle
As the story unfolds, readers discover Matilda has a superpower. Take part in an activity that has learners talking about what superpower they would have, how they would use it, and how it could help others. Then, after reading the 14th...
University of North Carolina
Honors Theses
For those enrolled in a college honors program, four years of hard work culminate in one paper—an honors thesis. A handout outlines the steps to writing the paper, beginning with a sample timetable and time management instructions. Once...
Teaching Tolerance
Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice | Exposing Gender Bias
Young sociologists are asked to read two photographs, identifying how the photographer uses point of view, color, pose, light, and shadow to express a stereotype of women or to challenge those stereotypes. Partners then create their own...
EngageNY
Drafting Body Paragraphs
That's just the style. Learners begin with a mini-lesson about formal writing style. They then use what they learned about formal writing to begin the body paragraphs for their End of Unit 1 Assessment Prompt: Adversity in the Middle...
K5 Learning
The Parade
Parades are a joy to watch and learn about. Class members read about a child who attended a parade with her mother and brother, match past tense verbs from the reading, identify and fill in blanks for sight words candy, clowns, and...