Provide parents with the tools they need to bridge the summer learning gap with this collection of fun activities. Whether it's creating an alphabet poster with illustrations for each letter, playing a game of sight word concentration,...

Third graders are given an opportunity to create a visual to accompany their presentations of their persuasive essays. They may use the computer or other media as resources.

Should the student population wear uniforms to school? Pupils express whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with a controversial statement, moving to a designated corner of the room to indicate their stance....

"How can a magazine reflect a particular time and culture?" Using this prompt, your class explores the Victorian Era as it relates to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. They can also play the "Victorian Women's Rights" game for the year 1840...

Fourth graders write persuasive letters. In this letter writing lesson plan, 4th graders read Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye and discuss their areas or topics of concern. Students select a person to write a letter to and how...

Students extend their ideas about the college application process. They write an informative, persuasive letter about themselves to a college admissions counselor that could be used as a 'cover letter' to college applications.

Fourth graders identify a problem and write a persuasive essay, to the appropriate audience, to correct the problem.

Students compose a letter, organize a group effort, discuss the idea of patriotic symbols and explain their importance, use visual representations to express feelings and explain the importance of sustained volunteerism.

Pizza is the inspiration for the cross-curricular instructional activity detailed here. Start out with a poem about pizza and move into a discussion about balanced eating. To close the language arts portion of the instructional activity,...

Class members adopt the persona of real figures in American history, Patriots and Loyalists, research these individuals to determine their stance, and then debate the question of whether or not to declare independence from...

Pupils analyze how producers respond to incentives and allocate their scare resources to maximize profits. They write persuasive letters to government officials and others. They read "Dry Wells That Are Not So Dry." They take notes on...

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

Young scholars 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...

Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...

Are your young writers having difficulty distinguishing between expository and persuasive writing? Discuss the difference between the two, and how some prompts can be responded to in either fashion. Included here is a simple lesson plan...

Do you know what a fallacy is? Discuss this term and its meaning with your class. Then, talk about why making generalizations about a large group of people isn't the best thing to do. As a group, study the included letter excerpt. It...

Young scholars read Romeo and Juliet and then write an essay from the point of either Lord Capulet or Friar Lawrence persuading someone to adopt their views concerning marriage.

Pupils 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 letter.

Students investigate past energy legislation, then write letters to Congress from the perspective of citizens trying to influence the original passage of these bills. Each small group does their research using a website imbedded in this...

Students explore the topic of child poverty in the United States and the government's responses to it in different areas and through different programs and laws. They share their thoughts in letters to their Congressional representatives.

Students explore the impact of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. They research potential nominees to replace her, in light of her resignation, and write letters to President George W. Bush to share opinions of the...

Students discuss and list injustices experienced in the novel "Hoot". They review the different ways letter writing was a part of the novel "Hoot". They choose one issue that is of concern to them and state their viewpoint on the issue....

Eighth graders use Newton's Laws of Motion to assist a troop in making a winning car in the Pine Wood Derby.

Seventh graders investigate media protrayal of railroad trespassing incidents. They write a legal action letter against one of the media companies.