|
|
|
(Based on State of Ohio
Curriculum Standards) |
|
1. Define unknown
words through context clues and the author’s use of comparison, contrast
and cause and effect.
|
-
Context Clues from TV411 -This
interactive web site uses a slide show, quizzes, and graphic organizers to
help students use context to figure out new words, practice using context
clues, and define words in sentences.
|
|
2. Analyze the
relationships of pairs of words in analogical statements (e.g., synonyms and
antonyms, connotation and denotation) and infer word meanings from these
relationships. |
|
|
3. Infer the literal
and figurative meaning of words and phrases and discuss the function of
figurative language, including metaphors, similes, idioms and puns. |
-
Swinging with the Times: Giving A Modern Slant to Favorite
Children's Stories-In this lesson, students
examine the many changes in the Tarzan character from Edgar Rice
Burroughs' first novel to Disney's newest movie version to understand how
children's movies are often used to mirror and promote cultural attitudes
and beliefs. Students then adapt a favorite children's story to a modern
setting, updating the characters and plot to better reflect the times.
-
Mark Twain and American Humor -This
resource, maintained by the National Endowment for the Humanities,
provides a three-part lesson in which students examine the structure and
characterization of selected short stories and consider the significance
of humor through a study of Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County."
|
|
4. Analyze the ways
that historical events influenced the English language. |
-
Hit or Myth: Exploring Mythology from Ancient Civilizations
Around the World - This
resource uses a feature article from the New York Times to discuss the
ways in which ancient myths are portrayed in popular culture. After
reading several myths, students compare and contrast the myths of
different ancient cultures and create children's books based on a myth.
|
|
5. Use knowledge of
Greek, Latin and Anglo-Saxon roots, prefixes and suffixes to understand
complex words and new subject-area vocabulary (e.g., unknown words in
science, mathematics and social studies). |
- Word
Roots from EdHelper -This web site has over 20
printable worksheets and puzzles that cover word roots, prefixes, and
suffixes, including Greek and Latin examples.
-
The following
ON LINE
quizzes are a result of the following two people:
Created by:
Miss
Stephanie Weston
Inspiration
by
Miss Harman
English Teacher Willoughby-Eastlake Schools
-
Prefixes
-
Suffixes
-
Latin root words A-G
-
Latin Root words H-O
-
Latin Root words P-Z
-
Number Prefixes
|
|
6. Determine the
meanings and pronunciations of unknown words by using dictionaries,
glossaries, technology and textual features, such as definitional footnotes
or sidebars. |
-
Choosing, Chatting, and Collecting: Vocabulary
Self-Collection Strategy -In the vocabulary
self-collection strategy, students choose the words they want to learn,
offer a rationale for their selection, and agree upon words to include in
a classroom collection.
-
ABC Bookmaking Builds Vocabulary in the Content Areas -This
lesson engages and motivates students in building content area vocabulary
through the creation of ABC books. Students select vocabulary words and
terms related to a current unit of study in mathematics, science, social
studies or other subjects.
-
To Kill a Mockingbird-This
resource is a study of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The
instructional unit, maintained by the New Zealand Ministry of Education,
provides opportunities for students to analyze, interpret, and respond to
language, meaning, and ideas in the novel by creating static and moving
images. Content support, assessment guidelines, and links to other
internet resources are also available at the website.
-
All in a Day's Work: Modernizing Herman Melville's Bartleby
the Scrivener -This lesson plan uses a passage
from Herman Melville's 1856 tale, "Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of
Wall-street," to encourage literary response and creative writing.
Students respond in writing to the short story by creating their own
modern versions of the tale. This lesson allows students to apply
narrative writing strategies in a creative context.
-
Studying History, Part 1 -Discuss the terms
cause, consequence, change and continuity using examples.
SB
|
|
Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension
Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies |
|
1. Apply reading
comprehension strategies, including making predictions, comparing and
contrasting, recalling and summarizing and making inferences and drawing
conclusions. |
-
Summarizing from TV411 -This
interactive web site uses a slide show, quizzes, and graphic organizers to
review the basics of summarizing, identify main idea statements and detail
statements, and use categories to summarize lists
-
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Historical Perspective -In
this lesson, students gain a sense of the living history that surrounds
the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Through studying primary source
materials from American Memory and other online resources, students grasp
how historical events and human forces have influenced literary texts.
-
Cross-cultural Dialogue -Cross-cultural
Dialogue uses two personal narratives, written by a beginning English
teacher in an unfamiliar culture, to teach point of view. Students read
two narratives, first from the teacher's point of view and then from what
she imagines to be her students' point of view.
-
Monsters!-In this unit, students
use literature and art to investigate the idea of "monsters." They begin
by defining the idea of monster and reading and comparing two works,
Beowulf and Grendel by John Gardner. As a final project, students create
an artistic representation of their interpretation of a monster and write
a story detailing its history.
|
|
2. Answer literal,
inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate
comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual
media. |
-
Literacy Learning Resources from CBS and CNN -
This site has dozens of actual stories from CBS and CNN, including the
full text, the abridged text, an outline, a video of the story, and the
audio read aloud. After the student reads the story they can take online
interactive quizzes over the material covering vocabulary, word selection,
sequencing, conclusions, and more.
-
William Golding/Lord of the Flies Trial Simulation -This
resource, created by a group of high school teachers, details a simulation
based on Lord of the Flies. Developed as a common project between social
studies and English classes, students satisfy curricular requirements for
both subjects as they role play a trial involving characters from the
novel.
-
Versed on the Disadvantaged: Using Poetry to Explore the
Issues of Poverty -In this lesson, students
begin by sharing their opinions and ideas about what it means to help
someone in need. They then read and analyze a poem which illustrates the
struggle of poor people.
|
|
3. Monitor own
comprehension by adjusting speed to fit the purpose, or by skimming,
scanning, reading on, looking back, note taking or summarizing what has been
read so far in text. |
-
Critical Reading: Two Stories, Two Authors, Same Plot?-Many
students often lack critical thinking skills to be able to analyze what
they read. This lesson encourages students to read and respond critically
to two different pieces of literature with the same title.
|
|
4. Use criteria to
choose independent reading materials (e.g., personal interest, knowledge of
authors and genres or recommendations from others). |
- A
Guide to Teaching Bruce Brooks -This study guide
features three provocative coming-of-age novels by Bruce Brooks, which
tell the moving stories of independent teenage characters struggling to
cope with difficult circumstances. Students explore and discuss the
challenges of adolescence as they read about the experiences of the main
characters in Asylum for Nightface, What Hearts, and The Moves Make the
Man. This guide may be used as part of a whole class novel study or with
small student-led discussion groups. A brief synopsis of each novel, an
author interview, discussion questions, and suggested activities for
literary response are also provided.
|
|
5. Independently read
books for various purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, for literary experience, to
gain information or to perform a task). |
|
|
Reading Applications: Informational,
Technical and Persuasive Text |
|
1. Identify and
understand organizational patterns (e.g., cause-effect, problem-solution)
and techniques, including repetition of ideas, syntax and word choice, that
authors use to accomplish their purpose and reach their intended audience. |
- Once
Upon a Time: Writing Stories about Reading -This
resource uses a feature article from the New York Times to stimulate a
discussion about one's life as a reader. Designated a promising practice,
this lesson encourages students to take an inventory of their own
histories as readers. After reading a personal essay written by Jamaica
Kincaid, students extend this discussion by writing their own first person
essays about what it means to be a reader.
|
|
2. Critique the
treatment, scope and organization of ideas from multiple sources on the
same topic.
|
-
Figuring Somepin 'Bout the Great Depression After
examining primary sources, including songs, newspapers, interviews, and
photographs of migrant farm workers in California during the Great
Depression, students create a scrapbook from the point of view of a
migrant worker, providing evidence of the colloquial speech used by the
migrants and the issues affecting their lives.
|
|
3. Evaluate the
effectiveness of information found in maps, charts, tables, graphs,
diagrams, cutaways and overlays. |
-
Mathew Brady Bunch: Civil War Newspapers-This
fascinating site uses the photographs of Matthew Brady to launch a
historical investigation of the Civil War. Students learn how to analyze
photographs, conduct research based on primary documents, and write
newspaper articles from the perspective of the Civil War era. Students
also learn how to convert their articles into web pages through HTML.
Excellent supporting materials are provided for teachers and students,
including reproducible handouts for peer editing and self-assessment. This
site will be of high interest to curious students who will be able to use
it with minimal teacher support.
|
|
4. Assess the
adequacy, accuracy and appropriateness of an author’s details, identifying
persuasive techniques (e.g., transfer, glittering generalities, bait and
switch) and examples of propaganda, bias and stereotyping. |
-
The Red Badge of Courage: A New Kind of Realism -One
early reviewer declared that The Red Badge of Courage "impels the feeling
that the actual truth about a battle has never been guessed before."
Increase your students' understanding of Crane's influences and how the
novel's style helped convey a new realism.
|
|
5. Analyze an author’s
implicit and explicit argument, perspective or viewpoint in text. |
- Guilty/Not
Guilty -Lessons included with this resource
allow students to identify, discuss, and apply the elements, conventions,
and language features of persuasive texts.
|
|
6. Identify appeals to
authority, reason and emotion. |
-
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Teaching Through the
Novel -This resource introduces students to
Achebe's first novel and to his views on the role of the writer in his or
her society. It can be used alone or in conjunction with the related
lesson
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Oral and Literary
Strategies . The resource provides lessons
designed to familiarize students with some African literature, literary
traditions, and culture. Students also analyze ways in which historical
events are represented in fiction and learn to differentiate between
historical accounts and fictionalized accounts of history. Teaching
extensions and numerous links are provided to assist in teaching the
lessons.
|
|
7. Analyze the
effectiveness of the features (e.g., format, graphics, sequence, headers)
used in various consumer documents (e.g., warranties, product information,
instructional materials), functional or workplace documents (e.g.,
job-related materials, memoranda, instructions) and public documents (e.g.,
speeches or newspaper editorials). |
-
Showing Good Taste: Writing Thoughtful Restaurant Reviews
in the Language Arts Classroom -In this
promising practice, students distinguish the important elements of
well-written restaurant reviews by analyzing and evaluating reviews from
The New York Times and by writing their own reviews of favorite dining
locations. Students are encouraged to evaluate critical and persuasive
texts as well as writing their own. This resource also includes extension
activities, interdisciplinary connections, and links to supporting
Internet sites.
|
|
8. Describe the
features of rhetorical devices used in common types of public documents,
including newspaper editorials and speeches. |
-
Movie
transcripts You will find the
transcripts from many if not all movies made on this website. You
will notice how they identify and explain various types of characters.
4 Star
|
|
Reading Applications: Literary Text |
|
1. Compare and
contrast an author’s use of direct and indirect characterization, and ways
in which characters reveal traits about themselves, including dialect,
dramatic monologues and soliloquies. |
- Do You Speak
American? -This is the companion website for a
film that takes us cross-country to examine the dynamic state of American
English & ask: Why do Maine lobstermen & Texas cowboys speak English so
differently? How many varieties of American English are there? Is TV
making us all sound the same? Topics include 100 common mispronunciations,
how language is changing, local color in American literature, & regional
writers.
-
What Makes a Good Short Story?-This
resource provides a solid introduction to commonly taught literary
elements (i.e., point of view, character development, theme and setting)
through an analysis of the short story, "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan
Glaspell. At the site, links to excellent supplementary resources
including historical essays, literary theory, and an author biography are
provided. These additional resources explore and extend topics and themes
introduced in the story.
-
Teaching Cora Unashamed -This
resource provides an online teacher's guide for use with Langston Hughes's
short story, "Cora Unashamed," and the film adaptation of the same name,
created by Masterpiece Theater. Cora Unashamed is an integrated language
arts unit of study that uses visual media to extend students'
understanding of the short story. Students are able to examine the social
and cultural influences that impacted Hughes's writing and compare events
from the short story with the film.
-
Movie
transcripts You will find the
transcripts from many if not all movies made on this website. You
will notice how they identify and explain various types of characters.
4 Star
|
|
2. Analyze the
features of setting and their importance in a literary text. |
- The
"Secret Society" and FitzGerald's The Great Gatsby -In
this lesson, students will: (1) engage in practical textual analysis and
critical thinking; (2) reflect on the class struggles of early twentieth
century; (3) combine critical thinking, textual analysis, and imaginative
writing skills; (4) write a "credo" for the "secret society" implied in
The Great Gatsby. This lesson also includes links to essays and articles
about the novel and the author, student activity sheets, and ideas for
extending student learning.
|
|
3. Distinguish how
conflicts, parallel plots and subplots affect the pacing of action in
literary text. |
- Id,
Ego, and Superego in Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat -In
this lesson, The Cat in the Hat is used as a primer to teach students how
to analyze a literary work using the literary tools of plot, theme,
characterization, and psychoanalytical criticism.
|
|
4. Interpret universal
themes across different works by the same author or by different authors. |
- Black
and Blue: Jazz in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man -Ralph
Ellison, musician-turned-writer, wrote Invisible Man like a jazz
composition. The novel has many solo parts, and the events seem improvised
as the unnamed main character goes from the south to the north, with many
ups and downs.
-
Letters from Emily Dickinson: 'Will you be my preceptor?'-In
this curriculum unit, students explore Emily Dickinson's poetry as well as
her personal correspondence to her editor and sister-in-law. Working
individually and in groups, students reflect on Dickinson's views and the
process by which she writes.
-
Tennessee Williams: Exploring The American Dream -In
this lesson on Tennessee Williams, students examine the "American Dream"
through lyric form, mythology and drama. Students read one or more of
Williams plays, and in small groups develop and perform interpretations of
selected scenes. Using the internet, teams conduct research to answer
questions about the author and his influence on American theater.
|
|
5. Analyze how an
author’s choice of genre affects the expression of a theme or topic. |
- Exploring
Satire with Shrek -In this
lesson, students use the familiar characteristics of fairy tales, the
movie Shrek, which satirizes fairy tale traditions, as an introduction to
the satirical techniques of exaggeration, incongruity, reversal, and
parody. Students brainstorm fairy tale characteristics and identify the
satirical techniques used to present them in the movie. Using the
techniques they have learned, students create their own satirical versions
of a traditional fairy tale.
-
Paying Attention to Technology: Exploring a Fictional
Technology -From personal computers to the
latest electronic gadgetry for the kitchen, garage, or home entertainment
center, Americans seem to have fallen in love with just about anything
that will make our high-tech lifestyles more comfortable, convenient, and
enjoyable.
-
Mark Twain -Discover the true
Mark Twain through his writing and the collection of artifacts found at
this web site. Five classroom activities teach students the importance of
observation in writing, how historical issues and events impact an
author's writing, and how humor and satire influence storytelling.
-
Monsters and Myths: Scripts and Sculpts -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 ways.
|
|
6. Explain how
literary techniques, including foreshadowing and flashback, are used to
shape the plot of a literary text. |
- Chinua
Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Oral and Literary Strategies -This
resource introduces students to Chinua Achebe's first novel and to
strategies of close reading and textual analysis. It can be used alone or
in conjunction with the related lesson
Chinua
Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Teaching Through the Novel . This resource
helps students to: describe some elements of European and African literary
traditions; explain aspects of Nigerian culture and history; understand
how historical events are represented in fiction; identify literary
devices and orality in literature understand narrative and audience
perspective as culturally-positioned; and recognize strategies that
authors use to invoke and speak to specific audiences. This resource
provides solid lessons, which engage students in geographic explorations
and meaningful discussions about the author, the novel, and the impact of
historical events on African literary traditions. Links to excellent
online resources related to the novel, British colonialism, and African
traditions are also available at the website.
|
|
7. Recognize how irony
is used in a literary text. |
-
A Venetian Carnival : The Cask of Amontillado -This
resource is a literary unit that is based on "The Cask of Amontillado" by
Edgar Allan Poe. During the unit, students read and analyze the story for
basic literary elements and discuss ironic meanings of words and phrases.
The unit extends learning by providing opportunities, via the Internet,
for students to research the season of carnival and how it is celebrated
around the world. Students may also create their own carnival masks.
Detailed lesson plans, a sample quiz, and an assessment rubric for the
unit are included at the website.
|
|
8. Analyze the
author’s use of point of view, mood and tone. |
-
Identity, Oppression, and Protest: To Kill a Mocking Bird
and the Blues -African American history during
the Jim Crow era includes encounters with poverty, racism, disrespect, and
protest. Harper Lee develops all four of these themes in her famous 1960
novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. To help students understand these ideas,
this lesson incorporates the blues and other literature of the time.
|
|
9. Explain how authors
use symbols to create broader meanings. |
-
Language Arts: Shakespeare's Sonnets -One
of the difficulties teachers face when they teach Shakespeare is language
accessibility. Twenty-first century students often have difficulty
understanding the words, and so they miss the meaning of his plays and
sonnets.
|
|
10. Describe the
effect of using sound devices in literary texts (e.g., to create rhythm, to
appeal to the senses or to establish mood). |
-
Mark Twain, the Lincoln of Our Literature -This
unit focuses on the unique genius of autobiographer, satirist, humorist,
and novelist Mark Twain. Students explore the American "voices" through
which Twain translates, assails, contours, and celebrates aspects of
American life and the American character.
|
|
11. Explain ways in
which an author develops a point of view and style (e.g., figurative
language, sentence structure and tone), and cite specific examples from the
text. |
-
Heroes Are Made of This: Studying the Character of Heroes -Designed
to explore the hero and the heroic in literature, this lesson provides a
sequence of activities, which range from a class discussion defining
heroism to using character maps and Venn diagrams to compare multiple
characters from one or more works of literature.
-
The Tell-Tale Hearts of Writers: Exploring the Lives of
Authors Through Their Literature -In this
promising practice lesson, students use a piece of literature by and an
article about Edgar Allan Poe to investigate the relationship between word
choice and the reader's mood and interpretation of a piece of writing.
Each student then creates a visual display that examines a favorite writer
through biographical information, analysis of quotations about the author
and his or her works, and interpretation of a piece of the author's
writing. This resource helps students read literary works with an
attention to the choices the author makes during the creative writing
process. This resource also includes extension activities,
interdisciplinary connections, and links to supporting internet sites.
|
|
Writing Processes |
|
1. Generate writing
ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a
list of writing ideas. |
-
Writing for Publication- This
resource offers strategies for teaching creative writing. This
instructional unit, maintained by the New Zealand Ministry of Education,
allows students to write and publish an original story. Students are
encouraged to experiment with a variety of plot structures. Sample plot
structures are available at the site.
|
|
2. Determine the
usefulness of and apply appropriate pre-writing tasks (e.g., background
reading, interviews or surveys). |
-
Making Connections to Myth and Folktale: The Many Ways to
Rainy Mountain-In The Way to Rainy Mountain, N.
Scott Momaday links the survival of his people to their ability to
remember, preserve, and pass on stories. Taking the idea one step further,
Momaday models necessary personal involvement in the stories.
-
Studying History, Part 2
-Understand the differences between types of sources.
SB
|
|
3. Establish and
develop a clear thesis statement for informational writing or a clear plan
or outline for narrative writing. |
-
Techniques for Writing: Writing Thesis Statements for
Essays -This web site has extensive information
on writing a thesis as well as interactive exercises the students can take
online to check their understanding.
-
Generation TeXt: Exploring the Differences Between
Conversational and Formal Writing Styles -This
lesson prompts students to consider the appropriateness of different
writing styles based on purpose and audience. Students begin by discussing
the influence text messaging has had on academic writing.
|
|
4. Determine a purpose
and audience and plan strategies (e.g., adapting focus, content structure,
and point of view) to address purpose and audience. |
-
Communicating You have the
opportunity to create a Poster, Newspaper and or a Cartoon. This
website is very good and will allow students to learn how to transform
their ideas to a hard copy that they may printout. This is
great for an LCD projector or a computer lab.
4 Star
-
Communicating through Garfield Your
students may create a cartoon and depending on your experience with
technology they may create a complete story. You will only be
limited by your technology background and your imagination.
4 Star
-
Purpose and Audience -This online
study guide from Encyclopedia Britannica is on purpose and audience. It
covers an explanation for determining why we write and to whom, in a
variety of settings and styles.
-
What's the Problem?-The aim of
this lesson is to help students develop their persuasive writing and
information gathering skills using various forms of information and
communication technology.
|
|
5. Use organizational
strategies (e.g., notes, outlines) to plan writing. |
-
Telling Your Story-Created and
reviewed by teams of educators, this writing activity describes a lesson
in which students use historical information from a museum exhibit to
write a fictional story from the point of view of someone who lived in the
past. Drawn from the curriculum guide, Collecting Their Thoughts: Using
Museums as Resources for Student Writing, which was developed by the
Smithsonian Institute, this resource encourages the use of museum artwork,
exhibits, and artifacts as a basis for student writing. Information for
obtaining a copy of this publication is offered at the website. Links to
online exhibits, such as online versions of the National Museum of
American Art exhibitions, allow this activity to be completed as part of a
virtual field trip.
|
|
6. Organize writing to
create a coherent whole with an effective and engaging introduction, body
and conclusion, and a closing sentence that summarizes, extends or
elaborates on points or ideas in the writing. |
-
Guide to
Grammar You will find that this
is an
outstanding
site to assist you and your students in learning proper grammar
4 Star
-
Poem
writing Create your own "I Am" poem by
filling in each blank. Be sure to select all the words (and parentheses)
that are already in each blank before entering your own words.
4 Star
|
|
7. Use a variety of
sentence structures and lengths (e.g., simple, compound and complex
sentences; parallel or repetitive sentence structure). |
State of Writing
( Writing Resources) |
|
8. Use paragraph form
in writing, including topic sentences that arrange paragraphs in a logical
sequence, using effective transitions and closing sentences and maintaining
coherence across the whole through the use of parallel structures. |
-
Techniques for Writing: Writing Topic Sentences for
Paragraphs -This web site has extensive
information on writing a topic sentence as well as interactive exercises
the students can take online to check their understanding.
-
Paragraph Organization -This
online study guide from Encyclopedia Britannica is on paragraph
organization. It includes a discussion of the creation of logical and
cohesive paragraphs, including topic sentences, paragraph unity,
coherence, and transitions.
|
|
9. Use language,
including precise language, action verbs, sensory details and colorful
modifiers, and style as appropriate to audience and purpose, and use
techniques to convey a personal style and voice. |
-
Techniques for Writing: Using Specific Language
-This web site has extensive information on precise
language as well as interactive exercises the students can take online to
check their understanding.
-
Choosing the Best Verb: An Active and Passive Voice
Mini-lesson -For most students, speech and
informal writing flow naturally. Yet students often struggle with formal
or academic writing. This mini-lesson explores verb choice in a variety of
online resources, then encourages students to draw conclusions about verb
use which they can apply to their own writing.
|
|
10. Use available
technology to compose text. |
|
|
11. Reread and analyze
clarity of writing, consistency of point of view and effectiveness of
organizational structure. |
-
The Shortest Distance Between Two Points -This
lesson integrates technical writing, specifically producing memos, with
revising and editing strategies. Students assume the role of mechanical
drafters and develop a revised set of instructions for a drafting
communique.
|
|
12. Add and delete
information and details to better elaborate on stated central idea and more
effectively accomplish purpose. |
-
Techniques for Writing: Giving Examples and Explanations
-This web site has extensive information on
elaborating on an idea as well as interactive exercises the students can
take online to check their understanding.
|
|
13. Rearrange words,
sentences and paragraphs and add transitional words and phrases to clarify
meaning and maintain consistent style, tone and voice. |
- A
Trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame : Writing a Persuasive Letter -Created
by a high school English teacher, this lesson plan is designed to teach
high school students some of the basic research skills needed to find
information using the internet. The goal of the lesson is to use the
Internet to review and gather information and to analyze the techniques
used to persuade internet users. Centered around the theme of baseball,
the activities include researching the Baseball Hall of Fame and writing a
persuasive letter to a baseball coach.
|
|
14. Use resources and
reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select effective
and precise vocabulary that maintains consistent style, tone and voice. |
-
Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary and Thesaurus -Excellent
dictionary and thesaurus. Easy to use with lots of good information on
each word. This site will even pronounce the word for you.
|
|
15. Proofread writing,
edit to improve conventions (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation and
capitalization), identify and correct fragments and run-ons and eliminate
inappropriate slang or informal language. |
- Activities for ESL/EFL
Students -Don't be fooled by the name of this
site. It is an excellent resource for all students of the English
language. There are over 1,000 quizzes, exercises and puzzles on every
topic of grammar, punctuation, writing, and more. Begin by looking through
the Easy, Medium, and Difficult Grammar Quizzes.
-
Pressure Writing -Students learn
to write under stressful circumstances and revise work as information
warrants. SB
|
|
16. Apply tools (e.g.,
rubric, checklist and feedback) to judge the quality of writing. |
-
Peer Editing Strategies -This
site has several articles on peer editing such as "Do's and Don'ts" and a
peer editing guide.
-
Techniques for Writing: Giving and Receiving Peer
Responses -This page has good guidelines for
giving and receiving peer feedback on writing.
|
|
17. Prepare for
publication (e.g., for display or for sharing with others) writing that
follows a manuscript form appropriate for the purpose, which could include
such techniques as electronic resources, principles of design (e.g.,
margins, tabs, spacing and columns) and graphics (e.g., drawings, charts and
graphs) to enhance the final product. |
-
Arguing a Point-This resource is
an instructional unit in which students listen to and discuss the ideas,
language, and structure in a selection of oral texts that present strong
arguments.
-
Create your own
Cartoons This site
will allow the student to design and create their own cartoons and
printout a story. You will discover that there is much detail to
this page. Students may use their imagination and be totally
engaged when learning. 4 Star
|
|
Writing Applications |
1. Write narratives
that:
a. sustain reader interest by pacing action and developing an engaging plot
(e.g., tension and suspense);
b. use a range of strategies and literary devices including figurative
language and specific narration; and
c. include an organized, well-developed structure. |
-
The Year I Was Born: An Autobiographical Research Project -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.
-
Spend a Day in My Shoes: Exploring the Role of Perspective
in Narrative -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 else's perspective.
|
|
2. Write responses to
literature that organize an insightful interpretation around several clear
ideas, premises or images and support judgments with specific references to
the original text, to other texts, authors and to prior knowledge. |
-
Outside In: Finding A Character’s Heart Through Art -Alienation
is an important theme in contemporary literature, and it’s an idea that
adolescents need to confront in order to fully understand what it means to
be a human being in our modern world.
-
Teaching The Song of the Lark -This resource
provides an online teacher's guide for use with Willa Cather's novel The
Song of the Lark and the film adaptation of the same name, created by
Masterpiece Theater. Teaching The Song of the Lark presents an integrated
study that uses visual media to extend students' understanding of the
novel.
|
3. Write business
letters, letters to the editor and job applications that:
a. address audience needs, stated purpose and context in a clear and
efficient manner;
b. follow the conventional style appropriate to the text using proper
technical terms;
c. include appropriate facts and details;
d. exclude extraneous details and inconsistencies; and
e. provide a sense of closure to the writing. |
-
Letter Writing -This online study
guide from Encyclopedia Britannica is on writing letters for a variety of
purposes. Covers job applications, letters to the editor, letters asking
for information, and personal letters.
|
4. Write informational
essays or reports, including research that:
a. pose relevant and tightly drawn questions that engage the reader.
b. provide a clear and accurate perspective on the subject.
c. create an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience and
context.
d. support the main ideas with facts, details, examples and explanations
from sources; and
e. document sources and include bibliographies. |
-
Performing Julius Caesar- This
resource is a study of the Shakespearean play, Julius Caesar. The
instructional unit, maintained by the New Zealand Ministry of Education,
provides opportunities for students to analyze, interpret, and respond to
language, meaning, and ideas in the play. Content support, assessment
guidelines, and links to other internet resources are also available at
the website.
-
Guide to
Grammar You will find that this
is an
outstanding
site to assist you and your students in learning proper grammar
4 Star
|
5. Write persuasive
compositions that:
a. support arguments with detailed evidence;
b. exclude irrelevant information; and
c. cite sources of information. |
-
Reader Response in Hypertext: Making Personal Connections
to Literature -In this lesson, students choose
four quotations to inspire their personal responses to a novel that they
have read. Students write a narrative of place, complete a character
sketch, create an extended metaphor poem and write a persuasive essay.
|
|
6. Produce informal
writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes. |
-
The Pros and Cons of Discussion -In
this lesson, students use a discussion web to engage in meaningful
discussions. Students work in groups to answer the question, "Are people
equal?," analyzing all sides of the response, forming a consensus, and
presenting it to the class.
-
Exploring Literature through Letter Writing Groups -In
this lesson, students discuss literature through a series of letter
exchanges. Though not a new idea, this lesson provides an alternative to
traditional literature discussion groups.
|
|
Writing Conventions |
|
1. Use correct
spelling conventions. |
-
Spelling -This web site has extensive
information on spelling as well as quizzes the students can take online to
check their understanding.
|
|
2. Use correct
capitalization and punctuation. |
-
Capitalization and Punctuation -This
web site has extensive information on capitalization and punctuation as
well as quizzes the students can take online to check their understanding.
-
Capitalization -This is an
excellent site explaining capitalization. Here you will find explanations,
an online quiz, and a fantastic PowerPoint presentation you can download
for use in class.
-
Punctuation Marks -This is an
excellent site explaining punctuation. Here you will find explanations,
online quizzes, and great PowerPoint presentations you can download for
use in class.
-
Commas -This is a great
interactive review site all about commas. Included are factsheets, games,
quizzes, and worksheets.
|
|
3. Use clauses (e.g.,
main, subordinate) and phrases (e.g., gerund, infinitive, participial). |
-
Embedded Thoughts -This web site
has extensive information on clauses as well as quizzes the students can
take online to check their understanding.
|
|
4. Use parallel
structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis. |
-
Consistency -This web site has
extensive information on consistency as well as quizzes the students can
take online to check their understanding. Section 3 specifically deals
with parallel structure.
|
|
5. Use proper
placement of modifiers. |
-
Completers and Modifiers -This
web site has extensive information on modifiers as well as quizzes the
students can take online to check their understanding.
|
|
Research |
|
1. Compose open-ended
questions for research, assigned or personal interest, and modify questions
as necessary during inquiry and investigation to narrow the focus or extend
the investigation. |
-
Local Retreats: Exploring Potential Tourist Attractions in
Your Community -In this lesson, students
consider how some of their favorite local places might be interesting
spots for visitors to their community to see. Students begin the lesson by
reading an article from the New York Times about unlikely tourist
attractions in the boroughs of New York. After reading the article and
playing a cooperative game, students identify locations in their community
to investigate.
|
|
2. Identify
appropriate sources and gather relevant information from multiple sources
(e.g., school library catalogs, online databases, electronic resources and
Internet-based resources). |
-
Independent Study Project: The Killer Angels-In
this independent research module, students investigate the individuals and
events related to the Battle of Gettysburg in order to enhance their
understanding of The Killer Angels. Through their research, students gain
insight about how the historical, social, and cultural contexts of the
setting impact the text.
-
Writing a Short Story Based on Kindred -Created
by a high school English teacher, this language arts project integrates
literature study, creative writing, and technology. Based on Kindred, a
story about slavery in the United States written by Octavia Butler, the
unit uses literature to examine the impact of historical events and social
norms on personal lives.
|
|
3. Determine the
accuracy of sources and the credibility of the author by analyzing the
sources’ validity (e.g., authority, accuracy, objectivity, publication date
and coverage, etc.). |
-
Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion? You Decide! -This
lesson is designed to help students determine the validity of information
that is presented to them on the Internet. After reviewing a series of
evaluation techniques for online resources, students form groups to assess
selected websites based on accuracy and authority, advocacy and
objectivity, and currency and coverage.
-
Searching with Certainty: Critically Evaluating Internet
Search Methods and Sources - This lesson focuses
on ways students can learn to evaluate Internet resources used for
research papers. Using their own topics of research, students explore ways
to determine credibility in sources of information. They evaluate three
Internet search methods by using a search engine, examining a subject
directory, and contacting an online reference librarian. Students evaluate
and rate each technique based on a set of pre-determined questions.
|
|
4. Evaluate and
systematically organize important information, and select appropriate
sources to support central ideas, concepts and themes. |
-
Violent Delights and Violent Ends: Romeo and Juliet -Reading
Shakespeare's plays presents many challenges for students. This resource
describes engaging activities to familiarize students with the plot and
language of Romeo and Juliet. Students work collaboratively to conduct
preparatory research on Shakespeare's world. Each research group creates
and presents a multimedia presentation. After reading the play, students
depict a scene from Romeo and Juliet in a way that demonstrates
understanding of key ideas and language in the play. Other post-reading
activities and suggestions for assessment are also provided at the
website.
|
|
5. Integrate
quotations and citations into written text to maintain a flow of ideas. |
-
KnightCite Citation Machine -A free bibliography
creation tool. The user can choose the citation style from MLA, APA, or
Chicago. They are prompted for information regarding the resource used,
and then are given the citation in proper format.
(Submitted by: Paula Cline)
-
Who Said That?-In this
instructional resource, students take on the role of an editor as they
review informational texts intended for publication. After collecting a
variety of published materials, including newspapers, magazines, books,
copies of public lectures, scientific journals, and documents downloaded
from the Internet, student examine ways in which attribution is given to
individuals for ideas used in the published pieces. Working in small
groups, students review a selection of the documents, focusing on the
types of sources that are used in each. Students also learn to identify
examples of information that should be appropriately cited.
|
|
6. Use style guides to
produce oral and written reports that give proper credit for sources, and
include an acceptable format for source acknowledgement. |
|
|
7. Use a variety of
communication techniques, including oral, visual, written or multimedia
reports, to present information that supports a clear position about the
topic or research question and to maintain an appropriate balance between
researched information and original ideas. |
-
Dramatic Storytelling in the English Classroom : Hospital
Fire Role Play - Practical approaches to using
drama and story in the English classroom are provided through role play
and reflection. A role play about fire in a major hospital lets students
take on the parts of hospital employees for the investigation following
the fire. Students are expected to provide specific details and to develop
a character. Links to rich sources for use in the language arts classroom
are included.
-
Principles of Giving a Speech
-Learn some basic skills for giving a speech. SB
|
|
Communications: Oral
and Visual |
|
1. Apply active
listening strategies (e.g., monitoring message for clarity, selecting and
organizing essential information, noting cues such as changes in pace) in a
variety of settings. |
-
Video
Students who are responsible for a school activity
demonstrate the various potential project roles, responsibilities of
group members and various mean...
|
|
2. Interpret types of
arguments used by the speaker such as authority and appeals to audience. |
|
|
3. Evaluate the
credibility of the speaker (e.g., hidden agendas, slanted or biased
material) and recognize fallacies of reasoning used in presentations and
media messages. |
|
|
4. Identify how
language choice and delivery styles (e.g., repetition, appeal to emotion,
eye contact) contribute to meaning. |
|
|
5. Demonstrate an
understanding of the rules of the English language and select language
appropriate to purpose and audience. |
|
|
6. Adjust volume,
phrasing, enunciation, voice modulation and inflection to stress important
ideas and impact audience response. |
|
|
7. Vary language
choices as appropriate to the context of the speech. |
|
8. Deliver
informational presentations (e.g., expository, research) that:
a. demonstrate an understanding of the topic and present events or ideas in
a logical sequence;
b. support the controlling idea or thesis with well-chosen and relevant
facts, details, examples, quotations, statistics, stories and anecdotes;
c. include an effective introduction and conclusion and use a consistent
organizational structure (e.g., cause-effect, compare-contrast,
problem-solution);
d. use appropriate visual materials (e.g., diagrams, charts, illustrations)
and available technology to enhance presentation; and
e. draw from multiple sources, including both primary and secondary sources,
and identify sources used. |
|
|
9. Deliver formal and
informal descriptive presentations that convey relevant information and
descriptive details. |
- Radio
Free School: Writing News for Radio-In this
lesson, students explore several radio news formats, styles, and
sequences, and then write segments for a student-centered news radio
program. After reading an article about news radio programming in
Afghanistan, students plan and present a radio news show. This lesson
provides opportunities to integrate writing and communication skills with
social themes and content area topics.
|
10. Deliver persuasive
presentations that:
a. establish and develop a logical and controlled argument;
b. include relevant evidence, differentiating between evidence and opinion,
to support a position and to address counter-arguments or listener bias;
c. use persuasive strategies, such as rhetorical devices, anecdotes and
appeals to emotion, authority and reason; and
d. consistently use common organizational structures as appropriate (e.g.,
cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution); and
e. use speaking techniques (e.g., reasoning, emotional appeal, case studies
or analogies). |
|