Curated OER
History According to Shakespeare
Middle schoolers read Shakespeare's, Julius Caesar while identifying a number of literary elements including simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. As a response activity, they simulate a mock trial, and finally, compare and...
Curated OER
Where Were You?
Students examine various New York Times readers' reflections on the life and death of President John F. Kennedy, by reading and discussing "Readers Reflect on President John F. Kennedy." Students then write their own personal...
Curated OER
Celebrating Women: Toni Morrison
Students research Toni Morrison's life, work as a writer, and major contributions to the field of literature; students choose one of her novels to read, & perform a scene from it; each group member writes an autobiographical essay...
Curated OER
Specialty Crop Production/Orchids
Twelfth graders explore the fascinating world of orchid production including propagation, care, culture, and finishing. They complete market research and design a production schedule for an orchid crop of their choice. They write a short...
Curated OER
Writing: Stay High and Dry
Students write an effective conclusion for their essay. In this conclusion lesson plan students restate the thesis of their paper and summarize three important points. Students then write a final statement to wrap up their thoughts. ...
Virginia Department of Education
Developing an essay: Using specific nouns, strong verbs, and vivid adjectives
Feeling bored and unimpressed with word choice in your class? If so, consider this activity, which focuses on using specific and precise language. Pupils use highlighters, brainstorm independently and in small groups, and create a poster...
Professional Development Institute
Which Is More Important?
Think about the roles of hunters and squaws in Elizabeth George Speare's The Sign of the Beaver. Whose work is more important? Young writers compare Attean and Matt's reaction to each gender's role, as well as arguing their opinion...
EngageNY
Grade 11 ELA Module 2: Unit 2, Lesson 14
It's time to put it all together! Using the resource, scholars complete an end-of-unit assessment. They write a multi-paragraph essay comparing Audre Lorde's "From the House of Yemanjá" or "An Address by Elizabeth Cady Stanton" to...
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: The Theory of Plate Tectonics
Find out if your class agrees with Ice Age: Continental Drift ... or if it's just a fun family movie! Class members research the theory of continental drift, examine evidence of plate tectonics, connect this information to engineering,...
PBS
Mark Twain: Storyteller, Novelist, and Humorist
Scholars investigate the use of satire in Mark Twain's writing. Literary lovers research the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, political cartoons, and videos to see how Twain uses satire to make the stories more memorable....
Curated OER
The Wild Life: Writing Exercise
In this description worksheet, students describe a typical summer morning in a teepee village. Essays should include introductory paragraph, body paragraph, and concluding paragraph.
Curated OER
Characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Stories
Young scholars read literature by Nathaniel Hawthorne and write an essay comparing the main characters in the two stories. In this character analysis lesson plan, students read the stories Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black...
Curated OER
Comparing Realistic and Fictional Settings
Students examine setting in a work of realistic fiction. For this literature lesson, students read The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and then write an essay that compares real-life settings to the settings in the...
Curated OER
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Eighth graders read the novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and then watch a movie based on the novel. They write an essay comparing the movie to the book.
Curated OER
Outline a Travel Narrative
Fourth graders are taught how to outline a fictional narrative essay. They review the definition and structure of narrative essays. Students use the activity to brainstorm specific ideas for narrative essays. They are given a...
Read Works
Writing Compare and Contrast Essays
Practice writing compare and contrast essays in your class by starting out with a Venn diagram. A sample that can be expanded upon is provided here. After your writers have completed the guided practice, have them write individual essays...
Curated OER
Comparing the Ancient and Modern Olympics: A Venn Diagram
Students compare and contrast today's Olympic Games to those held in ancient Greece. They read newspapers, conduct Internet research, watch TV coverage of current Olympic Games and organize their findings on a Venn diagram.
Curated OER
Two Trustworthy Texans
Students read essays. In this character education lesson, students read about two Texans, answer question about them and discuss their contributions.
Curated OER
Like Comparing Bison and Fish
Fourth graders study the development of North American Indian cultures by looking at how geography impacted their development. They write a five paragraph essay comparing the Plains Indians and the Clatsop Indians.
Curated OER
Southern Perspective on Reconstruction
Students analyze historical perspectives. For this Reconstruction lesson, students compare and contrast the Northern and Southern views on Reconstruction as they analyze letters from Robert E. Lee and read Confederate Military History.
Curated OER
Au Revoir Les Enfants Film Comparison/Contrast
In this film analysis worksheet, students compare and contrast one of the themes in "Lord of the Flies" using the film "Au Revoir Les Enfants." Students write a comparison and contrast essay for the activity.
Curated OER
Casting Light On The Dark Ages
Students research life in the Middle Ages on the internet and write a comparative analysis of the differences between life in the Middle Ages and life today.
Curated OER
Women Who Inform Our World
Students examine the contributions of women on the international, national, and local platforms. For this writing skills lesson, students analyze a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt and compose essays that reveal how women advocate for social...
Curated OER
Narrative vs. Expository Texts
Young scholars use examples of narrative and expository text to analyze and compare the two styles. Students read articles on life in Lesotho and Madagascar and use graphic organizers and discussion to compare them. Young scholars write...