1 Writing a Flashback and Flash-Forward Story Using Movies and Texts as Models Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: Flashbacks and flash-forwards devices commonly used in literature and films. This lesson uses the film, The Sandlot, to introduce to examples of these devices.... 2 Spend a Day in My Shoes: Exploring the Role of Perspective in Narrative Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 8–10 Professional Commentary: In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus explains to Scout that "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (36). Using this quotation as a springboard, students explore writers' use of point of view and draft original stories from someone... 3 Creative Writing Through Wordless Picture Books Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grade 6 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students use wordless picture books to provide ideas and topics for creative writing. Wordless picture book, You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery, is used for teacher modeling.... 4 Monsters and Myths : Scripts and Sculpts Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 8–10 Professional Commentary: Monsters and Myths: Scripts and Sculpts is a comprehensive interdisciplinary unit pairing English Language Arts and the fine arts. Created by classroom teachers, this unit provides opportunities to develop students' use of critical thinking skills by comparing and contrasting mythic tales, reviewing different versions of the same story, and responding to literature in a variety of... 5 Truman Capote: Other Voices, Other Rooms Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: Character development is the primary focus of this lesson, which uses Truman Capote's short story, "A Christmas Memory," as the basis for a character study. Teachers initiate the activity by leading a discussion about the plot and the main character of the short story.... 6 Teaching Voice with Anthony Browne's Voices in the Park Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: The concept of voice is often difficult for middle school students to incorporate into their writing. This lesson, aimed at grades 6-8 but easily applicable to any level, uses Voices in the Park, by Anthony Browne to facilitate a discussion about voice and point of view.... 7 The Year I Was Born: An Autobiographical Research Project Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 9–10 Professional Commentary: In this autobiography with a twist, students conduct interviews and do research using web and print materials to find details about what was going on internationally, nationally, locally during the year that they were born. After they've gathered their research, interviewed family and'or friends, students work in groups to weave the details into a paper... 8 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.... 9 Choose Your Own Adventure : A Hypertext Writing Experience Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: After reading and discussing various stories, students work in small groups to plan and write their own adventure story. Divided into literature circles or book groups, students begin by analyzing the literary elements of adventure stories.... Resource Type: Lessons Discipline: Reading Grades: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: Often students give feedback on each other's written drafts without providing useful information. This lesson describes the Praise-Question-Polish technique in which students work in small writing response groups.... |