Louisiana Department of Education
Out of the Dust
The Grapes of Wrath may be the most famous novel set during the Dust Bowl, but what other stories cover the same time? The unit focuses on the Karen Hesse novel Out of the Dust. Learners keep a timeline of the Dust Bowl, maintain a...
Curated OER
Writing about Internal & External Conflicts in Lois Lowry's The Giver
Seventh graders examine the internal and external conflicts that Jonas faces in "The Giver" in an essay. Students use SMART Board and Inspiration to organize their ideas graphically before combining them into their paper.
New York City Department of Education
Grade 4 Literacy: John Muir Unit
Learn how to correctly analyze and score a written performance task. Example work shows annotated think alouds for grading. Teachers also have access to graphic organizers for helping writers succeed,
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 16
Prepare for the end-of-unit assessment in a unit focused on Karen Russell's "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves." As your class continues gathering evidence to support or argue against the success of Claudette's adaptation into...
Carolina K-12
Making First Vote Your Vote: Designing a Schoolwide Election
Encourage pupils to design an election plan for the entire school. They participate in a Board of Elections, create polling rules, discuss election controversies, write questions about the issues, run the election through an online...
Curated OER
The House on Mango Street & Woman Hollering Creek & Other Stories - Essay Questions
In this literature worksheet, students respond to 3 short answer and essay questions about the works of Sandra Cisneros. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the stories at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Writing Traits Instruction
Students assess and critique a wide variety of writing samples for each of the traits of writing strands from literature, composition writing, reading and assessment tools. They create and design a descriptive definition piece of writing...
Curated OER
My Future Reflections
Students examine and write about possible career choices in relation to their own personal interests, strengths, and values. They discuss the process of reflective writing, and identify their three favorite activities on a "My Future...
Curated OER
The Good Earth - Essay Questions
In this literature worksheet, students respond to 6 short answer and essay questions about Buck's The Good Earth. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Reflecting and Observing on the Field Trip to the Pond
Learners create an informative caption for photographs taken on a field trip to a pond. In this pond ecosystem lesson, students take photographs and create captions for them. Learners write a reflective essay on a picture they feel...
Curated OER
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter: Venn Diagram
“When a person knows and can’t make the others understand, what does he do?” Why (s)he collects evidence and writes an essay! Prepare your readers for a compare/contrast or reflective essay on The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by giving them...
EngageNY
Final Performance Task: Sharing Visual Representations of Position Papers
Take note! Scholars use sticky notes to record information as they gallery walk to look at classmates' visual representations they created for their end of unit assessment. Learners then choose one word that represents the work they...
Curated OER
Plan Your Unexpected Journey
Leave your hobbit hole and start an adventure with J. R. R. Tolkien's timeless tale of dwarves, dragons, and hobbits.
Curated OER
My Response to Stress
High schoolers search for ways to prevent stress. They conduct self-assessments, plan a stress clinic, research community resources, and write a reflective essay. Students may wear electronic heart rate monitors to demonstrate stress...
Curated OER
Studying Anchor Papers
Students examine the Florida Writes! Rubric and discuss the basic elements of the scoring system. In small groups, they use the rubric to discuss and score several student essays.
Curated OER
Demystifying Mood in Creative Writing
Learners discover how writing is affected by mood and emotions. They learn proper mood descriptors and read sample pieces of writing to better explain mood.
Curated OER
Quilt Codes
Young scholars list criteria to evaluate credible historical sources and defend their criteria in an essay. In this historical sources lesson plan, students review information of historical sources as well as the facts and pictures.
Curated OER
Forced Potawatomi Migration
Fourth graders write about the forced Potawatomi migration. In this primary source lesson students are read journal entries from an emigrating party of Potawatomi Indians. Students reflect on the items the Indians might have taken with...
Curated OER
What is Framing?
Middle schoolers practice framing issues. In this writing skills instructional activity, students participate in a classroom activity that requires them to look at specific topical issues by framing them. Middle schoolers then create...
Curated OER
Introductions and Conclusions
The format of the introduction and conclusion paragraphs in an expository essay are the focus of short presentation that details how to craft these all-important sections of a paper. No specific examples are included.
Museum of Tolerance
Music Evokes Memories and Emotions
Dim the lights, take a deep breath, and press play to explore the emotions and memories that music elicits. Class members begin using relaxation techniques designed to create a positive listening experience. As music plays, learners...
EngageNY
End of Unit 1 Assessment: On-Demand Analysis of a Human Rights Account
The last instructional activity in this unit about human rights consists of a final assessment. To demonstrate the skills your class has acquired throughout this unit, they will work with a new article entitled "From Kosovo to the United...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3
Teach your class the basics of narrative writing! The resource first describes the Common Core standard for narrative writing in-depth, and then moves into how to apply the standard. Show your class the example essay and quiz them...
Anti-Defamation League
Sexism and the Presidential Election
Young historians investigate how sexism impacted the 2020 United States presidential election. They examine media coverage of the six women candidates, engage in a four-corners debate reacting to statements about gender and the...