Curated OER
Using Aphorisms to Help Dealing with People
Here's a formal plan for what many effective teachers already do: Provide a week's worth of aphorisms and have learners choose one to write about in their journals each day. They reflect on the meaning of each aphorism and project how it...
Curated OER
My Life in Math Class
Young scholars reflect on their past experiences in mathematics classes - both good and bad. They identify what methods, knowledge and strategies have been helpful to them and write about them in a journal to be shared with the current...
Curated OER
Journal Writing
Learners examine the published diaries of Anne Frank, or Zlata Filipovic, to gain an appreciation for journal writing, a form of autobiographical writing in which the writer records personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences. They...
Curated OER
Tennessee Williams: Exploring the American Dream
Young scholars read and analyze selections of Tennessee Williams' work. They write journal responses, conduct Internet research, perform various scenes from one of Williams' dramas, and create a presentation.
Curated OER
Journal Assignment Directions
In this journalism analysis learning exercise, students choose and editorial article and analyze the content. Students will write articles with a minimum of 350 words.
Curated OER
Opening Eyes, Changing Minds. Talking About Personal Transformation And the Development of World Views
Young scholars read one teen's story of personal growth through learning about racism and the criminal justice system to explore how individuals' world views are shaped and changed through experiences and education.
Curated OER
Famous Person: Yushiko Uchida
Third, fourth, and fifth graders read the book The Bracelet by Yushiko Uchida and examine the events of Uchida's life. They participate in a guided discussion of Japanese culture, perform a reader's theater, listen to a guest speaker,...
Harper Collins
Parrot in the Oven: Response Journal
After completing Chapter 5 of Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida, readers make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections to Victor Martinez's novel by crafting journal entries addressing comments and questions to characters in...
Curated OER
Student Opinion: Are You Popular, Quirky or Conformist?
Approach the topic of popularity with this resource from the New York Times and their Learning Network series. The article is about Alexandra Robbins' "Quirk Theory." Learners respond to the article excerpt either on paper or online....
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Meet the Heros
Vaccine development is the focus of a lesson that explores its history, timeline, and how the scientific method aids the process. Following a discussion about Edward Jenner and Small Pox, learners answer questions in their journals then...
Penguin Books
An Educator's Guide to the Works of Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson tackles challenging topics for teens. An educator's guide shares activities for many of her novels such as Prom, Shout, and Wintergirls. Questions, perfect to use as either discussion or as essay prompts, accompany...
National Park Service
Lesson 2: Hope
There's hope in music. Pupils discover what gave enslaved people hope by examining lyrics and music during their time of bondage. A series of prompts helps individuals investigate songs of enslaved people. The cumulative assignment...
Curated OER
What Personal Journals Tell Us
Learners read primary source journals from the Nebraska Western Trails Project. They work in groups to analyze the journal entries and complete a worksheet. Students then write an individual essay on the experience and consider what kind...
Curated OER
Dialogue Tags/ Synonyms for Said
Sixth graders analyze dialogue tags. In this synonyms lesson students work in groups analyzing a personal narrative. They enter the words onto a classroom chart as well as their notes or journal. The students replace tags with more...
Curated OER
Words That Will Haunt You
Students create taxonomies of Halloween-related terms. Drawing from their compiled vocabulary lists and previous reading, they compose personal essays of their own memories of the holiday. Students present their essays at a...
Curated OER
Outlining Essays (Grades 3-6)
Students brainstorm story idea in preparation of writing an expressive essay. They study how to outline essays to assist them in writing an expressive essay. Each students conclusion should summarize their main idea and restate their...
Curated OER
Snapshot Autobiography
Students write an autobiography. In this autobiographical writing lesson, students discuss the important events in their life and write about them on a worksheet. Students illustrate each event in their autobiography.
Curated OER
Look Up!
Learners investigate the sky. In this weather and clouds lesson, students observe the sky and write journal entries using their five senses to describe what they see. Learners observe, identify, and write about the different types of...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Personal / Group Magazine
Sixth graders complete the magazine template in the Macmillan "Writer's Journal" available through the basic skills department using word processing, spreadsheet, graphic, and electronic resource (i.e.-Internet) skills
Curated OER
Sight Word Journal writing
Students write an original journal of words they can read. In this sight words lesson, students draw pictures and write words they recognize in their personal journal.
Curated OER
European Explorer's Photo Journal
Students study early European explorers. They choose one to research and complete a photo journal of his explorations, which includes maps, articles, etc.
Curated OER
John Muir Nature Journal
Students explain how John Muir carefully and quietly observed nature and record his observations in his journal with writings and drawings. Students create their own nature observation journal.
Curated OER
Descriptive Writing
Fifth graders develop compositions on self-selected topics. They choose a topic based upon their ability. Individual pupils earn points for each activity completed. Students use descriptive writing as they support their composition...