Cluster 1: Conventions of Standard EnglishArchived

Students will create a statistical question and collect and analyze data using relative frequency tables. They will present their argument in hopes of earning a cash prize for their philanthropy. An iterative process of critique and refinement will take place. A student packet is included that guides all parts of the lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is the third in a series of three based on O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi." The previous lessons provide instruction in using context clues to determine word meanings and in analyzing the significance of literary devices as they support the theme of Love and Sacrifice. In this final lesson, students will apply their knowledge of context clues from lesson one and their analysis of theme from lesson two as they consider the use of irony in the texts: "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Shivering Beggar," a poem by Robert Graves.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students often have difficulty envisioning and making sense of a story that is set in a markedly different time or circumstance than their own. This two-day activity introduces students to the dystopian society of 1984 by George Orwell. By analyzing Orwell's carefully chosen words, details, repetitions, and characterizations in these first few pages, students can construct a strong understanding of some of the key features of this society that will give them a solid framework for comprehending the rest of the novel. Doing this kind of close reading work also reinforces to students that authors do not randomly select the details they include in a text; they choose words carefully to create a mood or construct a particular image of a character or place in a reader's mind. The overriding question that students should be able to answer at the end of this exercise is: What can we understand about Winston Smith and the society he lives in based on the descriptive details George Orwell includes in the first few pages of 1984?

Type: Lesson Plan

This is the first lesson in a unit of three lessons focusing on spoken word poetry. In the first lesson, students will read, view, and analyze the figurative language in several poems in print and on video. Students will then write original poems based on their own lives, that includes poetic devices. Students will then present their original poems to the class using appropriate intonation, inflection, and fluency.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this introduction to Homer's The Odyssey, students will work with peers and technology to determine the elements of an epic hero and the hero archetype. They will analyze how the definition of the hero has changed over time and present their findings through the use of multimedia presentations. In the end, students will be prepared to apply this knowledge to Homer's epic poem.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this MEA students compare data from different commercial floral preservatives. Students are asked to choose which is the best preservative for a certain floral arrangement.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will collaborate to revise an expository piece of writing by expanding their details and varying their writing structure in this lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

In the Sugar Scrub MEA students will analyze 5 sugar scrub formulas. In the first part, students are asked to evaluate each formula based on color, scent, and exfoliation. In the second part, students apply their methodology to a cost analysis of the scrubs.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn to distinguish between a gerund phrase that's used as a direct object and a gerund phrase that used as the object of the preposition. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also practice using gerund phrases as a direct object or the object of the preposition in sentences of your own. 

This tutorial is Part Two of a two-part series. Make sure to complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to launch "Spice Up Your Writing Part One: Using Gerund Phrases as Subjects or Subject Complements." 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to distinguish between passive and active voice and how to revise sentences by changing them from passive to active voice in this magic-themed tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to distinguish between a gerund phrase that's used as a subject and one that's used as a subject complement. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also practice using gerund phrases as subjects or subject complements in sentences of your own. Using gerund phrases can add detail and variety to your writing.

This is Part One of a two-part series. Click HERE to launch "Part Two: Using Gerund Phrases as Objects." 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to use verbs and verb phrases to convey specific meanings through the use of specific verb tenses: past perfect tense and past perfect progressive tense. 

This interactive tutorial is Part Two in a two-part series. You should complete Part One before beginning Part Two. Click HERE to launch Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to use verbs and verb phrases to convey specific meanings through the use of specific verb tenses: simple past tense and past progressive tense. 

This interactive tutorial is Part One in a two-part series. In Part Two, you'll explore the use of past perfect tense and past perfect progressive tense. Make sure to complete both parts!

Click HERE to launch Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to use verb phrases in particular tenses to convey specific meanings. In this interactive tutorial, you'll explore the use of four verb tenses: simple future, future progressive, future perfect, and future perfect progressive. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing with verbs and verb phrases in different tenses to convey specific meanings. In Part Two, you'll work with three perfect tenses: present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect.  

We recommend that you complete Part One before starting Part Two. In Part One, you'll work with three simple tenses: past, present, and future. Click HERE to view Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how verbs and verb phrases can convey specific meanings through the use of three verb tenses--simple present, present progressive, and present perfect--in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing with verbs and verb phrases in different tenses to convey specific meanings. In Part One, you'll work with past tense, present tense, and future tense.

We recommend that you complete Part Two after Part One. In Part Two, you'll work with three tenses: present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. Click HERE to view Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing by using phrases. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn about absolute phrases and how they can add interest, depth, and variety to your writing.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing by using phrases. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn about adverb prepositional phrases. Using adverb prepositional phrases will help add interest, depth, and variety to your writing!

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing with two types of phrases that can function like adjectives in a sentence: the participle phrase and the prepositional phrase. In this interactive tutorial, you'll discover how phrases can help add detail and specificity to your writing.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about parallel form in this interactive English Language Arts tutorial. In this tutorial, you'll use parallel form with lists in sentences, identify sentences that contain parallel form and sentences that contain faulty parallelism, and practice editing sentences that contain faulty parallelism. You'll also examine how parallel form can add smoothness, clarity, and gracefulness to your writing. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing by using prepositional phrases. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how prepositional phrases add description and specificity and help make your writing more interesting.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing by using noun phrases in this interactive tutorial. Although noun phrases can be used in many ways, here you'll learn how they can be used as the subject of a sentence or the object of a verb to add interest, detail, and specificity to your writing.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to use commas correctly to set off an introductory clause, phrase, or word at the start of a sentence with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to use commas correctly with this interactive English Language Arts tutorial. You'll review a number of important comma rules, including when not to use a comma, and you'll learn to identify errors in comma usage. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about two mysterious punctuation marks: quotation marks and the dash. As you complete this interactive tutorial, you'll learn a number of important rules and guidelines to help you use them correctly.

This is Part Two of a two-part series. Click HERE to launch Part One to learn about the apostrophe and the ellipsis.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about four mysterious punctuation marks in this two-part interactive tutorial. In Part One, you'll learn important rules and guidelines to help you correctly use the apostrophe and the ellipsis. 

In Part Two, you'll learn to correctly use quotation marks and the dash. Make sure to complete both parts! Click HERE to open Part Two.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn three rules for using commas correctly in your writing through use of this interactive English Language Arts tutorial. You'll learn how to join two independent clauses without creating a comma splice, how to identify and offset a nonessential clause in a sentence, and how to use the controversial Oxford comma. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the ways to correctly use a colon in a sentence by exploring this interactive tutorial! We'll go over contexts where colon use is appropriate, and you'll learn guidelines for colon usage. You'll also learn several important rules for capitalization usage after a colon. By the end, you should be apply to apply these rules to correctly use a colon within a sentence. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn and practice how to use semicolons in this interactive tutorial. You'll learn three important rules for using the semicolon to join clauses together. By the end, you should be able to apply these three rules to correctly use a semicolon within a sentence.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about adverb clauses, a flavorful ingredient that can enhance your sentences. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn about adverb clauses and how these clauses can add interest, depth, and variety to your writing.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about adjective clauses and how they can add interest, depth, and variety to your writing in this sweet-themed interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing by combining clauses. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how to combine independent and dependent clauses to add interest, depth, and variety to your writing. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to enhance your writing by using phrases. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn all about participle phrases. Using participle phrases will help add interest, depth, and variety to your writing!

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn some of the basic rules for using semicolons and colons in this baseball-themed tutorial. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying independent clauses and distinguishing between conjunctive adverbs and coordinating conjunctions. You'll also learn how to organize a list of items using a semicolon. Finally, you'll learn how to introduce a list or quotation using a colon.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about noun clauses, a flavorful ingredient that can enhance your sentences. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn about noun clauses and how these clauses can add interest, depth, and variety to your writing.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This mini-lesson explores verb choice in formal writing using a variety of online resources. Students draw conclusions about verb usage while working with their peers, using graphic organizers, checking for active and passive voice, and making necessary revisions. A lot of great web resources are provided in this teaching idea!

Type: Teaching Idea

This is a 10 day overview from the Library of Congress on a Historical Perspective of the time period surrounding To Kill A Mockingbird. Includes a lot of primary resources and writing activities.

Type: Teaching Idea

This text resource provides information and examples of the following types of phrases: noun phrase, prepositional phrase, appositive phrase, absolute phrase, infinitive phrase, gerund phrase, and participial phrase.

Type: Text Resource

In this tutorial, you will be given different strategies and spelling rules to help you improve your spelling skills. You will take seven separate quizzes to practice spelling frequently misspelled words and will get feedback on both correct and incorrect answers. (Four of the quizzes require a computer with a sound card or media player to hear each word as it is read.)

Type: Tutorial

This activity from the Online Tutorial for Effective Writing from Northern Illinois University provides you with a pre-test to identify any weaknesses in punctuation. After reviewing the mini-lesson on the missed items, you will be presented with additional interactive quizzes for each error type. The arrows at the bottom of each mini-lesson will lead you to these quizzes for extra practice and support.

Type: Tutorial

This activity From the Online Tutorial for Effective Writing from Northern Illinois University provides you with a pre-test to identify any weaknesses in the most common grammatical errors. After reviewing the mini-lessons on the missed items, you will be presented with additional interactive quizzes for each error type. The arrows at the bottom of each mini-lesson will lead you to these quizzes for extra practice and support.

Type: Tutorial

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice correcting two common types of run-on sentences: comma splices and fused sentences. For each practice item, you must identify the best way to correct either a comma splice or a fused sentence. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."

Type: Tutorial

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice identifying two common types of run-on sentences: comma splices and fused sentences. For each practice item, you must identify whether a run-on sentence is a comma splice or a fused sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There’s also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."

Type: Tutorial

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing parallel structure. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. The site also includes an explanation of the rules of parallel structure that you can refer to as you complete this exercise.

Type: Tutorial

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in maintaining parallel structure. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. The site also includes an explanation of the rules of parallel structure that you can refer to as you complete this exercise.

Type: Tutorial

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in maintaining parallel structure. You will get feedback after every typed response. The site also includes an explanation of the rules of parallel structure that you can refer to as you complete this exercise.

Type: Tutorial

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing parallel structure. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. The site also includes an explanation of the rules of parallel structure that you can refer to as you complete this exercise.

Type: Tutorial

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in maintaining parallel structure. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. The site also includes an explanation of the rules of parallel structure that you can refer to as you complete this exercise.

Type: Tutorial

This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in maintaining parallel structure. You will get feedback after every typed response. The site also includes an explanation of the rules of parallel structure that you can refer to as you complete this exercise.

Type: Tutorial

This is a guide to the composition and usage of clauses, including independent and dependent clauses. A PowerPoint and several practice quizzes are provided to help students with independent clauses and recognizing clause functions.

Type: Tutorial

This is a comprehensive guide to the proper use of prepositions and prepositional phrases. Several interactive quizzes are provided.

Type: Tutorial

This is a comprehensive guide to adverb usage. Detailed definitions, explanations, and examples are provided. It also provides links to two quizzes for students to individually practice their skills at using adverbs correctly. There is also a video from Schoolhouse Rock on adverbs.

Type: Tutorial

This is a comprehensive guide to conjunctions and their usage. The resource also includes the engaging video "Conjunction Junction" from Schoolhouse Rock; it explains the various functions of conjunctions.

Type: Tutorial

This is a comprehensive guide to the usage of nouns. Interactive quizzes are provided, as well as an engaging video from Schoolhouse Rock on the use of nouns.

Type: Tutorial

This guide explains how to vary sentence length and structure to add interest and expression to writing. It includes several online quizzes covering variety in modifier placement, variety in subject placement, and identifying sentence types. Quizzes include the correct answers with explanations.

Type: Tutorial

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

Students learn to use commas, semicolons, colons, and exclamation points correctly, and explore how they can use punctuation to contribute to the development of their own voice and style in writing.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence