1 Cosmic Oranges : Observation and Inquiry Through Descriptive Writing and Art Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 7–8 Professional Commentary: This lesson employs scientific observation, descriptive writing, sketching, reading, investigation, and poetry writing to encourage students to focus their attention on details. Using an inquiry-based approach, teachers guide students through a set of observation exercises.... 2 More than One Way to Create Vivid Verbs Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grade 8 Professional Commentary: This lesson helps students focus on the power of specific nouns and vivid verbs in their writing. To review specific nouns, students write a description of their bedrooms at the "peak of messiness." During revision, they pay special attention to adding specific nouns from a list they have brainstormed.... 3 Choosing the Best Verb: An Active and Passive Voice Mini-lesson Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 9–12 Professional Commentary: For most students, speech and informal writing flow naturally. Yet students often struggle with formal or academic writing.... 4 Using Word Webs to Teach Synonyms for Commonly Used Words Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–7 Professional Commentary: Designed for use with English language learners, this lesson uses word webs as a tool to expose students to synonyms for common words. The teacher leads students in selecting synonyms that are appropriate for a given context and encourages students to use more descriptive words in written and oral language.... 5 Build it Up, Trim it Down Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 8–10 Professional Commentary: This lesson uses a sports writing context for students to practice key reading and writing process skills. Presented with data and highlights about a sporting event, students synthesize the information and write original sports summaries.... 6 Truth Be Told: Writing Memoirs Based on a Shared Event Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 9–12 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students write a short memoir about a recent, significant shared event that affected their school or community. They then compare their recollections and present evidence that supports their version of the events.... Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading, Social Studies Grades: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students read and discuss a New York Times article about the "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" museum exhibit. A link is provided to the exhibition's website which features images of some of the artifacts.... 8 Poems, Poems, Everywhere Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 8–10 Professional Commentary: This resource uses poetry as a stimulus for the writing process. This instructional unit, maintained by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, encourages students to read and write a variety of poetry.... 9 Lonely as a Cloud: Using Poetry to Understand Similes Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students experience the power of similes by creating two drawings of specific trees. The first is attempted before hearing a poem rich in similes describing the trees.... 10 Tell It Like It Isn't: Exploring Creative Ways to Revise Well-Known Stories Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students consider favorite stories and the common elements that make them interesting and entertaining. Next, students read and discuss an article in The New York Times about two performances and one historic tour based on creative retellings of well known stories.... |