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Perspective
Students explore the writing trait of voice. For this writing skills lesson, students read No, David! and discuss the author's use of voice. Students write a class version of the story called Yes, David! that incorporates an alternative...
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Who's Who
Ninth graders read a review three pieces of literature. They then compare and relate each piece to the time period in which they were written. Next, they consult different resources and explain how these sources are similar and different...
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The Lightning Thief: During Reading Strategy
After reading up to page 371 of Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, get insight into how Percy felt making a major decision through active discussion strategies that enable both academic and thoughtful...
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Make a Journal
Students decide what kind of journal they want to keep. They make the cover for their journal using construction paper and markers or paint and other types of art equipment like sequins.
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Creative Writing
Students write in their journals at the beginning of class. They create a poster of what they just wrote about in their journals. Pictures are to be labeled and dictionaries are encouraged.
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Figuratively Writing...It's for the Birds!
Learners identify and use literary devices such as personification, idioms, hyperbole, and metaphors. They identify one literary device and illustrate the meaning. They write a letter using correct letter format and incorporates literary...
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The Black Snowman
Sixth graders write a paper. In this writing and retelling instructional activity, 6th graders read the book The Black Snowman and answer comprehension questions. Students learn how to write good paragraphs and how to retell a story....
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Documenting an Historic Journey
Students read and analyze journals written by Lewis and Clark. They watch and discuss a video segment, complete a graphic organizer, and write a journal entry written from the point of view of someone involved with the Lewis and Clark...
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Acts of Defiance?
Students contemplate, discuss and share responses to critical and analytical questions regarding impending war in Iraq. They write persuasive essays arguing the pros and cons of the United States waging war unilaterally.
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A Critical Role
Students read a New York Times review of the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. They discuss the roles and responsibilities of a cultural critic, and prepare for a visit to a local museum in order to write their own reviews.
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Taking the Witness Stand
Students identify a pivotal event in world history that they would have liked to have witnessed. They then research this event and write a first-person account of it as if they had been present. Their first-prerson account is modeled...
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Money Management
Students role play buying and selling items. For this economics lesson, students are given play money with which to purchase items, as well as value their own items for others to buy. Each student in the group works together to decide...
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Dear Diary
Students analyze a piece of writing by creating diary entries based on a character. In this reading comprehension lesson plan, students read an assigned book with their classmates and create a sketch of what they believe the main...
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Oh, What a Tangled Web!
Students research how different World Wide Web search engines work and navigate these engines to find information on a specific topic. They write a reflective journal entry about the in-class topic search on the World Wide Web.
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Feeding the Soul
Students share memories of a special meal. They research, write and peer edit a newspaper column about a favorite food associated with Thanksgiving (or other holiday or celebration).
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Sacred Places: California Missions from Different Perspectives
Students create a project poster displaying photos, drawings, and journal writings that incorporate the major themes of California's missions, and use perspective and point of view both visually and in writing.
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"My Animal"
Students determine which animal best represents them write reasons why. This is a nice culminating activity for students who have been working on descriptive writing.
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Midwest Hospitality
Students create snowflakes using the ideas of symmetry, perpendicularity, and regularity in this Art lesson that incorporates Mathematical concepts and artistic design. The lesson includes a materials list, vocabulary list, and possible...
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Creative Writing
Fourth graders participate in an observation hike in this lesson. They orally share observations from their hike, and develop a paragraph in a shared writing exercise. Finally, the write their paragraph about process writing in their...
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Unforgettable...
Middle and high schoolers remember their most memorable experiences, and then connect their own narrative with an exposition about the topic associated with their experience. This New York Times instructional activity would be a great...
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Digging Up Artifacts On Line
Why is it important to preserve historical documents and artifacts? Examine the role of primary source documents and the availability of these documents on the Internet. Middle and high schoolers write a journal about the nature of...
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Music Theories
Explore the inception and evolution of hip-hop music as a springboard for writing music reviews and researching other genres of music. Learners will read and discuss the Times' article, From Underground Music to Fashion Statement to then...
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Setting Up Camp
Draw on what learners know about conflict resolution and the situation in the Middle East to build understanding of the Camp David summit meeting beginning on July 11, 2000. They develop an understanding of the functions of summit...
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Short and Sweet Science
Readers learn how to summarize scientific text and evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges in writing summaries. They select science-related articles you've pulled and collected from the New York Times and, with a partner,...