Curated OER
Black Power
Use this New York Times activity to research contemporary leaders in the African-American community. After reading the article "Blacks Weigh the Impact of the Post-Jackson Years," middle and high schoolers discuss the varying viewpoints...
Curated OER
What else is home to you?
Third graders study homes. In this instructional activity on homes, 3rd graders write a two paragraph essay on another place they feel could be home.
Curated OER
Number the Stars The History Behind the Story
In this reading worksheet, students answer 10 essay questions and 16 vocabulary questions pertaining to the history behind the events in Lois Lowry's Number the Stars. This page is intended to be used with a historical information...
Curated OER
Expository Writing
Fourth graders create Inspirations webs with graphics, and write five paragraph essays.
Curated OER
Visible Speech: A Short Course in the Fundamentals of Writing/Lesson 3
Focusing on writing an introduction, this presentation provides a variety of techniques for how to begin. Although the question marks on slide six obscure the writing, the other slides are clear and legible and display good examples for...
University of North Carolina
Thesis Statements
Phrases such as "This paper is going to be about" and "I am going to tell you about" do not make for effective thesis statements. A handout from the UNC Writing Center helps writers break from those phrases to craft effective thesis...
EngageNY
Grade 10 ELA Module 3: Unit 3, Lesson 5
Can you please clarify? Scholars continue to work on their argumentative essays about selling human tissue by clarifying and adding cohesion. Writers begin by looking at model paragraphs and then begin improving their writing. They...
Curated OER
Writing Exciting Paragraphs
In these paragraph writing worksheets, students study the definitions and example sentences for the topic sentence, the body, and the concluding sentence in a paragraph. Students then read a sample paragraph and answer several review...
Curated OER
Bullying Essay
In this bullying essay worksheet, students find statistics on the internet about bullying and write an essay about their findings or write a letter to the principle explaining what should be done about bullying.
Curated OER
Owning a Dog: Reading Comprehension
In this reading comprehension instructional activity, students read the five paragraph essay about the effects of children owning a dog. Then they answer 10 questions to indicate comprehension of the selection.
Curated OER
Essay Writing
Teachers can involve their students in activities that expose them to a variety of essay styles.
Curated OER
Information Reports
Students practice essay skills. In this essay skills lesson, students select an essay subject and take notes for their topic. Students create a web for their essays. Students organize, write, revise, and publish their essays.
Curated OER
Leading into Good Writing
Discuss the importance of a lead in writing with your upper graders. They examine several examples of leads from literature and practice writing leads for pieces of artwork. They then select a topic from a list and write an introductory...
Curated OER
teaching Geography Using Literature in K-University Classrooms
Young scholars read one of the following books: Minn of the Mississippi, Paddle-to-the-Sea, or Seabird, all by Holling C. Holling, and identify the five themes of geography as well as make a literature journal with chapter field notes....
Curated OER
Seeking Liberty Lesson Plan: Runaways' Emigration Out of the United States
Students read the narrative, Runaway Journeys, and examine other countries' policies towards fugitive slaves from the U.S. They research the laws from various countries, and write a five-paragraph essay.
Curated OER
American Music Styles: European Roots and African Influences - Lesson 3
Students describe some of the characteristics of country and blues music. They see how country music rose to a nationally known music style. They write a two-paragraph essay on what they think country music be like in the next 100 years.
Union Elementary School District
Famous Dead People Project
Despite the slightly off-putting title, the instructions and activities detailed in these project guidelines for researching a noteworthy figure will serve as a fantastic supplement to your next famous person research assignment.
Curated OER
"The Chase" Reading Questions
"The Chase," a chapter from Annie Dillard's autobiography, details an iceball project the narrator and her friends used to play. After your class reads the chapter, give them this reading assessment. Provided here are five short-answer...
National Science Teachers Association
The Ethanol Project
In a mock senate hearing regarding the development of ethanol as a fuel source, each person in the class is assigned a role to play and must uphold the stance of their character. Once the senate hearing is complete, each person writes a...
Curated OER
Writing a Social Studies Essay
In this social studies essay learning exercise, students follow the provided steps listed in the graphic organizer to write their own social studies essays. Students also read a sample essay about the U.S. government.
Curated OER
Multi-sensory Writing
Students use their senses to help describe special place they have been. They write short sensory-image essay that incorporate all five of their senses, and identify sensory language while reading different pieces of literature.
Curated OER
Do Heroes Have to Wear a Cape?
Young writers choose a person from American history, their community, or their family to use as the subject of a persuasive essay. The process begins with a discussion of the characteristics of a hero, the completion of a prewriting web,...
Curated OER
Songs that Bring Us Together - Lesson 5
Learners compose song as a classroom effort. They write a one-paragraph essay about "message" songs in 100 years and include three ideas for topics along with the style of music (such as folk, rock, blues, rap, etc.) that would match.
Curated OER
Romanticism
Students engage in a study of Romanticism in an attempt to build a context for how it was used. They write a 5 paragraph essay using literary devices they are familiar with. They should go back and edit their work before accepting it as...