1 Creative Communication Frames: Discovering Similarities Between Writing and Art Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Best Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: In this lesson, students compare writing with art, specifically Impressionism. Students examine a work of art of their choice to discern purpose, audience, form and function.... Career Fields: Arts & Communication, Human Services, Marketing Projects: AdLIT, OhioWINS, Standards First 2 Lonely as a Cloud: Using Poetry to Understand Similes Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Best Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: In this best practice 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. The second is created after experiencing the poem.... 3 Teaching the Compare and Contrast Essay through Modeling Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Best Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 4–6 Professional Commentary: This introductory lesson in essay writing supports students in learning to use a compare/contrast structure in their writing. Teachers begin by modeling, inviting students to contribute ideas to the essay. Teachers also show students how to incorporate new ideas and make revisions think using a word processing program.... 4 Empowered Fiction Writers: Generating and Organizing Ideas for Story Writing Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: In this three-part lesson, students use timed speedwriting (also called free writing) as a prewriting technique for a narrative. To help introduce this strategy, posters on speedwriting’s purposes, benefits, and rules are available at the website.... 5 Imagine That! Playing with Genre through Newspapers and Short Stories Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: While middle school students typically understand narrative structure, they are not as familiar with expository text structures. In this introductory lesson, students compare and contrast narrative and expository structures.... Projects: AdLIT, OhioWINS 6 Can You Convince Me? Developing Persuasive Writing Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Best Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 5–6 Professional Commentary: Persuasive writing is an important skill, but writing an argument can seem intimidating to elementary students. This lesson introduces persuasive writing techniques through a variety of engaging, interactive activities.... Projects: AdLIT 7 Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Best Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–10 Professional Commentary: Critical stance and development of a strong argument are key strategies when writing to convince someone to agree with your position. In this lesson, students explore environmental issues that are relevant to their own lives, select topics, and gather information to write persuasive essays.... Career Fields: Agricultural & Environmental Systems, Government & Public Administration, General Career Skills Projects: AdLIT, OhioWINS, Standards First 8 Choose Your Own Adventure: A Hypertext Writing Experience Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Best Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: 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.... Career Fields: Arts & Communication, Business & Administrative Services, Information Technology, General Career Skills Projects: AdLIT, OhioWINS, Standards First Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: Providing a new twist on a traditional theme, this lesson asks students to explore the distinction between a hero and an idol. Students work collaboratively to define criteria for heroism and characteristics of heroes.... Career Fields: General Career Skills Projects: AdLIT, Standards First 10 Telling A Painting's Story Resource Type: Instructional Resource -- Promising Practice Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: Created and reviewed by teams of educators, this writing activity describes a lesson in which students express their unique responses to art by writing stories inspired by paintings in an art museum. The lesson begins with a visit to a museum where students conduct a thorough observation of a painting and write a list of details and a description about that painting.... Career Fields: Arts & Communication, Construction Technologies, Government & Public Administration, Human Services, Marketing Projects: AdLIT, OhioWINS, Standards First |