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Lesson Plan
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The New York Times

Looking for Answers: Making Sense of the Boston Marathon Bombing

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How should America respond to acts of domestic terrorism? What motivates or prompts a terrorist attack? After reading an opinion piece on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, your learners will critically analyze factors that could have...
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Lesson Plan
The New York Times

Writing Fiction Based on Real Science - NYTimes.com

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Refuse to alienate your scientific-minded young scholars during your creative writing unit. Learners explore how literary writing can reflect observable fact, and be based in actual science. The links include examples of fiction and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting Ready to Write

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students watch an online slideshow that shows Cornelia Funke's transition from an illustrator to a writer. They discuss her writing process from the way she gathers ideas to how and where she writes. Next, they work in groups to choose a...
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Lesson Plan
Bright Hub Education

Use Pictures or Artwork to Spark Creative Writing

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Art in one form can inspire art in another. Use images to inspire writing in your English class. The lesson described here is not detailed; however, the idea is strong. An engaging way to get class members interested in writing, the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Story Mapping A Favorite Book

For Teachers 1st
First graders create a diagram of a story by using the computer program Kidspiration. In this diagramming lesson plan, 1st graders will pick a book to write about. They then will plug in story elements of the book into the computer...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Shape of Things

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders develop their writing skills. In this paragraph structure lesson, 4th graders research natural disasters, compile their findings, create mobiles and write stories based on the mobiles.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Holiday Writing Prompts

For Teachers 3rd - 10th
Students experience and practice their writing skills during the holiday season. They express themselves in a variety of ways including writing about a favorite part about the holiday break, what's the best gift you've ever gotten and...
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Lesson Plan
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PBS

Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Commitment to Recovery

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Recovery from substance addiction is an ongoing process. The final lesson in a series about painkiller abuse and addiction prompts learners to research various recovery options before writing a short story about a character who is going...
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Lesson Plan
NASA

Science Fiction Story

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
A instructional activity allows you to go back in time and see the big bang actually happen. Bazinga! In reality, pupils research the Big Bang Theory and theorize what it would be like to go back in time and see it happen. There are four...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

A Tale to Tell!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
A creative spin occurs when one pupil acts as author Ann M. Martin. Using a Q & A at the back of her book A Dog's Life, other classmates ask the "author" questions. They discuss the reasons why they know the book is from a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Learned: Creating a Life Reports Project

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Tap into the wisdom and knowledge of older members of the community with this New York Times plan. To warm up, learners write about and discuss advice they have been given. After reading "The Life Report," an op-ed column that asks older...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Write Me a Story

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders use the writing process and submit a story to www.kids.com.  In this story writing lesson, 2nd graders choose a topic for a story contest.  Students develop their stories.  Students complete a  her prewriting organizer....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How can we write a silly story?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders use the writing process and create a silly story.  In this silly story lesson, 2nd graders will review person, event and setting and complete a chart for each.  Students will put a person, event and setting in an envelope...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Can We Write A Story Using Dr. Seuss' Writing and Illustration Style?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students write a story.  For this writing style and illustration lesson, students review elements of Dr. Seuss' writing and illustration style and read a few more books written by him, examining the writing style.  Students work in...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Thomas Jefferson and Monticello: An Introduction to Writing Historical Fiction

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Thomas Jefferson is one of the most recognized names and faces in America—but is there more to the third president of the United States? Upper elementary and middle schoolers conduct research on Jefferson, his famous home at Monticello,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Owly And Wormy Became Friends: Using a Silent Comic To Inspire Creative Writing

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students view a wordless comic before using it as a story starter. They access a story that uses the same characters at a website in order to better understand the nature of the characters. They write a story inspired by the comic and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Can I Write About When I Can't Think of Anything To Write About?

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders write, illustrate, and publish a collaborative story. In this writing instructional activity, 3rd graders review story elements by reading stories written by professional authors and other students. They work in groups to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing a Letter to a Friend

For Teachers 1st
First graders practice their letter writing skills by writing to a fictional character.  In this formal writing lesson plan, 1st graders read the books The Jolly Postman and Frog and Toad are Friends to examine the different parts of a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Once Upon A Math Story

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Learners write a math story.  In this math operations and writing lesson plan, students work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for a math story, write a rough draft, revise their story, edit their story and add clip art.  Learners read...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rest of the Story

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders make predictions about the story "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" based on background knowledge. They read the story, stopping to verify or reject predictions. They write their own opinionated fairytales.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing in First Person about the Atlantic Slave Trade Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate the Atlantic slave trade. In this slavery activity, students watch "Slavery, Society, and Apartheid," as well as "Slave Ship." Students discuss the information presented in the videos, especially St. John's Revolt....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Social Stories

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Developmentally disabled students participate in the creation of their own social stories. They select a topic for their social story and work with the teacher to write a social story or create a video social story presentation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Color as a Pre-Writing Tool

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
To better understand how to compose a clear and well-organized paper, learners read short passages, write summaries, and make colored graphic organizers. This is a fully developed three-day lesson with suggested assessments.
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Persuasive Writing

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Grab a debatable (or controversial) moment from your current reading, and use this task to progress the persuasive writing skills of your high school scholars. Divide your learners into four small groups and let them collaborate, debate,...