Students create a Middle Ages writing journal with narrative, expository and persuasive prompts.  In this creative writing instructional activity, students are given a list of Middle Ages topics and begin working in their journals....

Challenge your class to find the three purposes for writing. After they read three short passages, kids note whether the author's purpose was to inform, persuade, or entertain.

How can you tell the author's purpose from just a short summary? Kids read three different summaries of books to determine whether the author meant to entertain, persuade, or inform.

Look into the future with a lesson plan on biodiversity and natural habitats. Learners read articles about different perspectives when it comes to planning future development, and decide which angle is the highest priority in a...

Imagine four pages of writing prompts. Although designed specifically for eighth graders, the topics could be used for upper-elementary and high school writers as well.

Students conduct research and present their findings in a persuasive manner. Then they work in groups to enhance the development of cooperative work skills. Students also present their findings through persuasive skills in writing and/or...

Pupils research and write a report about a French-speaking country and present their research to classmates. They create a persuasive advertising brochure promoting one specific country as the best tourist destination.

Students research information on the causes of the Civil War. They rank their top three reasons and individuals responsible for the war and then use that information to write a position paper.

Students draft and edit a letter regarding human rights. They work in groups to select a cause, follow basic letter writing guidelines and draft a persuasive letter expressing their concerns. Students can also send the letters to a...

Students examine the life, contributions, and influence of Teddy Roosevelt. They view a slideshow lecture and take notes on a handout, filling in the blanks on the handout. Students then write a persuasive letter to a governmental...

Seventh graders discover details about the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention. In this Kansas history instructional activity, 7th graders tackle civil rights concerns as they draft persuasive speeches to secure the rights of young...

Students discover world geography by writing persuasive letters. In this literacy activity, students discuss what percentage of children are illiterate in our country compared to other geographic locations. Students utilize writing...

Is Steve Harmon innocent or guilty? Examine the evidence with a worksheet based on Monster by Walter Dean Myers. As kids read the book, they note particular passages that they believe indicate whether or not Steve committed the crime.

Middle schoolers explore the concept of democracy. They define and describe democracy and choose an issue they believe the government should care about for its people. They write a persuasive essay about their issue.

Students write a persuasive essay on why they would like to visit a particular place in the United States and why they think others should see that particular place. In their essay, they should use the title I have for this lesson and...

Students explore the lives and contributions of the many black Americans who are honored on U.S. commemorative postage stamps, make a presentation that synthesizes information about a historical figure and time, and write a persuasive...

Students examine the characteristics of persuasive writing. They identify arguments, supporting details, and discuss how to reorganize and present information in more effective ways. Students compose their own essays and discuss their...

Fifth graders examine the role of the Gutenberg press and its effect on society. Using this information, they write a persuasive paper discussing which form of copying is easier to mass produce. They share their opinions with the class...

Students are assigned a member of the Chinese Politburo and research this person's background, position, and political beliefs. Based on their position on the Politburo, their personality, and their background before coming to power,...

Fifth graders explore how Africans built South Carolina into an economic giant. They write an expository paper explaining how Africans and their descendants built the rice empire along the Carolina coastline. They write a persuasive...

Students investigate the concept of how natural disasters effect the environment. They conduct research using a variety of resources. They are given a scenario that needs a defensive speech. Students take a position and defend it by...

High schoolers journal in response to reading act 1, scene 4 of Shakespeare's The Twelfth Night. In this literature instructional activity, students read the play, discuss characterization and other literary elements, and create a list...

Students examine the battle of Gettysburg as they write news articles. In this Battle of Gettysburg lesson, students become familiar with the job of the news reporter as they report on the events of the Battle of Gettysburg as they...

Fourth graders work in small groups to become experts on different colonial trades in the eighth instructional activity of this unit. Working toward the long-term goal of writing a piece of historical fiction, young scholars read...