Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Chicago Changes [Pdf]
"Chicago Changes" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about how Chicago changed from a small town to a large city. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: How to Cite Online Resources
After research in the Alabama Virtual Library, students will write a paragraph essay and use an online citation utility to create bibliographic citations for an online encyclopedia, an online magazine, and a print resource. Copying and...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Expository vs Narrative Intros
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart gives examples of expository and narrative introductions. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2.a
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Responding to Comparison/contrast: Compare/contrast Essay [Pdf]
This PDF lesson focuses on writing a comparison/contrast essay, which is a great format for helping young scholars think deeply about two ideas or concepts with multiple similarities and differences. This type of essay has four-parts -1)...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Commentary on Quotations From Text in an Interpretive Response
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] Write an essay that uses embedded quotations to provide evidence in your response to an expository or a literary text.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Effective Intro & Conclusion & Variety of Sentence Structures
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] This lesson focuses on the introduction which establishes the context for the information that will form the body of the essay, connecting the conclusion to the introduction,...
Other
English 100: Persuasive Essay
This tutorial provides writing instructions and ideas to help the student in preparing a persuasive essay.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: A Gift for Mom and Dad
Following a reading of O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi," students write an expository essay based on the connotative definition of "gift." The essay is then presented as a holiday gift. The lesson can be adapted to a variety of occasions...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Generate Ideas and Questions
This lesson will focus on the writing you do in high school. Whether you write expository and persuasive essays or short stories, your first steps are to determine and define your audience. After that, you will begin to generate ideas...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Relevant Information and Valid Inferences
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn how to make the information in your expository essays relevant and your inferences valid.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Women in Modern World History
Using a famous quote from Maya Angelou as inspiration, students learn and practice writing informative essay related to hisotric events.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: New Leadership [Pdf]
"New Leadership" is Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech as Mayor of Chicago on April 12, 1983. It is followed by an assignment which requires students to provide evidence from the text; it includes comparing Washington's election as...
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Why Is Community Service Important? [Pdf]
"Why is Community Service Important?" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage is part of a report that the Obama-Biden campaign prepared about service and volunteering. It is followed by questions which require students to provide...
EL Education
El Education: Ampersand
Ampersand: the student journal of school & work is a compilation of essays written by students at High Tech High Media Arts in San Diego, California. All students at this school complete an internship with a local organization during...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Unit: Informational Text: Writing
This unit is designed to teach students about research writing. The lessons follow the format of Writer's Workshop. Many of the lessons provide a formula for students to follow while constructing their essays to ensure struggling readers...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: A Guide to Expository Writing
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart will help guide the teacher and students through an expository writing prompt. Develop the essay directly on the flipchart and model writing for your class.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2.a
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Rhetorical Devices and Transitions
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn about two rhetorical devices that are writing performance enhancers, analogy and antithesis. You will also learn about transitional words and...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Relevant Information and Valid Inferences (English I Writing)
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] An inference is a guess based on the information within a situation. It is valid if the guess is logical. This lesson teaches you how to check a completed draft for relevant...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Rhetorical Devices and Transitions (English I Writing)
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn about Sam's three tricks: parallel structure, the rhetorical question, and transitional words and phrases.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Get to Know Your Library Media Center
This lesson will provide young scholars with an orientation to the Library Media Center and the Dewey Decimal Classification System. The students will access the Alabama Virtual Library and will participate in a library scavenger hunt as...
Other
Oakland Writes: Student Exemplars: Tenth Grade: Response to Literature [Pdf]
An literary response essay written by a tenth-grader with notes calling attention to important writing concepts evident in the essay including a well-written title and introduction, a strong thesis, supporting details including quotes...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: How Disruptions Affect Animal Populations
Students explore the effects that ecosystem disruptions can have on animal populations. They learn about the disruptions that have driven three species-the Madagascar fish eagle, the Iberian lynx, and the rowi kiwi, to the brink of...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Organization Appropriate to Purpose, Audience, and Context
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, you will learn how to adjust the organization of your essay to make it appropriate for different purposes, different audiences, and different contexts.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Rags to Riches or Riches to Rags?
For this lesson young scholars will apply the interest formulas to make the best investment decision for our fictional character Algebrea Calculique. The students will be provided with a story explaining the situation that Algebrea faces...