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Thomas Jefferson's Library: Making the Case for a National Library
Students examine the need for a national library. In this Library of Congress lesson plan, students analyze primary sources to investigate the persuasive techniques that Thomas Jefferson used in a letter meant to show his support of the...
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Are You For Real?
Students try to find newspaper and magazine articles that are informative or persuasive. They practice determining the differences between the two types of articles. They identify the devices authors use to persuade the audience.
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Learning to Give
Learners study philanthropy and point of view while reading the novel Gentle Annie. In this point of view lesson, the learner writes a persuasive letter from a character in the novel. Students work in small groups to act out a skit of...
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Martin Luther King and Writing as a Tool for Social Change
Students explore writing as an agent for social change. In this Social Studies lesson, students examine the power of writing using Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Students will practice the technique of persuasive writing by...
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Analytical Essay
What is an analytical essay? Introduce this type of thinking to your young writers. First, discuss what it means to analyze something. Then, identify the different components of an essay and what details are embedded in each component....
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Writing Persuasive Letters
Students explore how to write persuasive letters. They work in small groups to brainstorm ideas and organize them into a cohesive argument to be presented to the class. Students explore the concept of persuasion and how it is a strategy...
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Writing Persuasion Papers: Thesis Statement
Using a "Hamburger" essay outline and actual hamburger buns, you will demonstrate the role a thesis plays in a persuasive essay. This is a simplistic visual representation of how an argumentative paper should be composed and not an...
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Expository Writing (Informational Brochure)
Students identify the attributes of informative brochures. In this written communication instructional activity, students examine sample brochures and persuasive essays to investigate the layout and the information presented. Students...
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Language Arts: Revision and Peer Editing
Students are able to evaluate their peers' essays to determine clarity, completeness, and persuasiveness. They are able to revise their own essays for greater clarity and fluency, adding explanation where needed and cutting extraneous...
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Writing with Writers
Students participate in Writing with Writer's, a step-by-step set of directions aimed at improving different genres of student writing. They identify the characteristics of different genres and follow a specified writing process to...
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...
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Genetic Testing: Road Map or Crystal Ball?
After looking at the many aspects of the issues behind genetic testing, students are exposed to the pros and cons and must take a stand by writing a position paper. They will view the "Who Gets to Know?" video and/or reading case studies...
Foreign Policy Association
U.S. and Europe Online Lesson Plan
Class groups investigate the economic and political implications of a country's policies on genetically modified foods, craft a position paper detailing that policy, and share their findings with the class. Armed with this information,...
American Documentary
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Plea Bargains
The outcome of 90 percent of criminal cases in the US is determined by plea bargains. Clips from the documentary Better This World create the backdrop for an investigation of the benefits and drawbacks of the plea bargaining process....
Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory unit is a golden ticket for teachers looking for nicely written plans. Elementary and middle schoolers draw their impressions of characters, design and market their own candy creations, and use...
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Goal: Ending Child Labor
For this ending child labor worksheet, 4th graders read, evaluate and analyze an article on ending child labor and answer seven comprehension questions associated with the article. Students either write a letter to a company trying to...
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Designing the New Silver Dollar
Students create a design for a silver dollar based on a historical figure. In this historical instructional activity, students choose a person who impacted history to memorialize in a custom designed silver dollar. In addition, students...
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Writing A Short Story with a Persuasive Letter
Students write short stories. In this story creation lesson, students write their own story and include their previously written persuasive letters as a component of their new story.
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Persuasive Advertisement For A Novel
Sixth graders engage in a project to persuade classmates to read a certain novel. They create a poster using persuasive advertising language. Media can be included in the form of pictures and other graphics to make the visual...
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Of Mice and Men: Persuasive Paper
Students write a four paragraph persuasive paper on Of Mice and Men. In this Of Mice and Men activity, students take a position on whether or not George should have killed Lennie. Students are given a paragraph-by-paragraph guide to...
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The Great Debate
Groups of learners investigate the persuasive genre of writing as they research and present on an issue. They research the Internet (possible websites are included) for a topic and locate information to present to the opposing team. In...
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Essay Modes: Different Kinds of Essays
Review many different types of essays with this presentation. Each slide gives a short description of an essay such as narrative or persuasive. Makes for a good overview of various formats.
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Persuasion in Print
Advertisers target teenagers. Groups select three magazine advertisements for similar products, analyze the appeals used in each, create a poster that features the persuasive techniques used, and present their findings to the class. The...
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The Power of Autobiographical Writing
Students explore the concept of injustice. In this nonviolent resistance lesson, students discuss how autobiographical writing may be used to promote justice. Students read an excerpt from Gandhi's autobiography and determine how his...