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Parts of Speech
This online multiple choice quiz focuses on upper-level grammar concepts. In addition to covering simple parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives, this resource also covers more advanced information, such as transitive vs....
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Vocabulary Development
Learners utilize various vocabulary strategies. They use vocabulary logs to record strategies they have been taught, such as the Frayer Model (definition, picture, examples, non-examples), writing their own definitions, and using...
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Documenting Sources: An Introduction to Incorporating and Documenting Outside Sources in Your Writing
Text heavy, the 16 slides in this presentation provide specific examples to introduce researchers to documenting outside sources in expository writing. A follow-up activity or worksheet would provide an opportunity for guided practice.
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Guest Speaker Preparation: A Cooperative Lesson
Are you planning to have a guest speaker talk to your class? Prepare in advance and help your class transform into an engaged and thoughtful audience. Before the visit, young writers work cooperatively to brainstorm what they want to...
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Exploration of the Bill of Rights
Research the Bill of Rights and the necessity for each of the protections that it provides. They choose one of the rights and, pretending to be a framer of the Constitution, give a speech as to why that should be included in the...
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When A Story Met A Sandwich
How is a story like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Use making a sandwich as a metaphor to remind your writers that a good, solid beginning, a rich and rewarding middle, and an ending that brings everything together spices up a...
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Identity of Women in Portraiture
Pupils look at portraits to learn history. Making connections is done with the identification of details found in the portraits. The gallery depicts the historical times of the Revolutionary War in Colonial America.
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Persuasive Essays
Follow this outline to write persuasive essays with your 11th grade college prep classes. Using the internet, they research a topic, citing their sources correctly. They work with a partner to peer edit their rough drafts, checking for...
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Round Robin Post-It Review
Learners of all ages participate in a unique review activity. They work in a small group setting on individual review questions designed by the teacher. Each individual answers a key review question on a notecard or sticky note and...
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Library Skills Review
Middle schoolers review library skills by rotating through teacher-created learning stations covering various topics. They discuss plagiarism, work on Almanac practice as a team, complete practice using indexes, and an abstracts handout...
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Better Vocabulary Through Derivatives
Learners create a word tree poster that illustrates the way a root word can serve as the basis for many related terms. Although designed for a Latin language class, the concepts here could be used with any class study of Latin or Greek...
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Texas Kid Writes Book About Presidents
Arranged into small groups, learners read a paragraph of the news story "Texas Kid Writes Book About Presidents." As one reads, others mark the text (underlining important information and writing notes in the margin of the story). After...
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Irony
What are the three types of irony? High schoolers engage in a lesson about the use of irony while reading O.Henry's short story "Gift of the Magi." They'll discuss rising action, climax, and resolution in the text before highlighting the...
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Idiom Quizzes - Animals
Following an exhaustive list of animal idioms, metaphors, and similes (categorized by animal), an online interactive quiz checks reader facility with their use. In each of 20 questions, a sentence has a definition for one expression in...
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Ways Twitter Makes You a Better Writer
Practice being concise. Exercise your vocabulary. Improve your editing skills. The contention in this activity is that by imposing a 140 character limit, the Twitter format actually helps improve writing skills. And of course class...
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Identifying Modals In Context
Bring your class to the computer lab to read a short passage and practice identifying modals in context. First, they read the short passage about the changing music industry (although the information is dated), and then they answer a set...
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Introduction to Poetry Lesson Plan
Analyze poetry in a group setting. Middle and high schoolers read lyrics to a Tom Petty song and free write about the song's tone, setting, and speaker. They then complete the same activity in a group setting using seven poems. The...
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All Quiet on the Western Front: Themes (For the Most Part) Quiz
Incorporate this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet into your curriculum. Learners respond to five multiple choice questions based on the themes found in All Quiet on the Western Front. They may submit...
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He Said, She Said
Is Nick Carraway a reliable narrator for The Great Gatsby? Does he really, as his father directed, reserve judgment? Groups rewrite selected scenes from chapter four and five of the novel from the point of view of another character and...
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Author's Choice
Who would you like to see at your luncheon table? After selecting a character from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, young writers re-imagine The Great Gatsby and how it would be different if told from their character’s point of view....
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Watchdogs
Use this political cartoon as a class warm up or discussion starter. Upper graders examine the role of newspapers as government watchdogs. Items for consideration are available, alongside a vivid cartoon.
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Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Tell the story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" to your little learners with the help of this animated slide-show. Read along or have the students tell the story of Goldilocks as you forward each slide. Note: This presentation would...
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Singing the Word Wall
Sing a song inspired by the word wall! This presentation has students sing eight basic sight words, typical of those found on word walls. Tip: If your class has a word wall, switch out the words in this PowerPoint with those from your...
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Count the Sounds
Sing along with this phonics song. Your early readers will count the sounds using their fingers as they sing or say the sounds of four simple words. Tip: Use this song with other words, make connections by using words from the class word...
